Rating: 
Summary: PAY ATTENTION AND YOU'LL ENJOY
Review: "ATONEMENT" is a highly provocative novel of complex plots and characters. You have to pay attention to truly enjoy it, but that shouldn't be a problem because the writing is engrossing enough to make you want to do that. It would be easy to compare it to "MY FRACTURED LIFE" because of the use of nontraditional protagonists, however I prefer to challenge that "ATONEMENT" and any other book be judged individually. "ATONEMENT" and "MY FRACTURED LIFE" are both excellent and I recommend them both, but not for their similarities, but for their inherent uniqueness. The should be read as individual books and judged as individual books. From my point of view, "ATONEMENT" is a strong and compelling book that stands on its own.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully Written, but a Bit Contrived and Forced
Review: What can I say? I thought this book was beautifully written, in a rather formal and elegant style, but I found it cold...I wasn't able to engage emotionally with any of the characters and, for that reason, I really didn't like it. I liked AMSTERDAM far more because I did find it's characters engaging, even if unlikeable, though AMSTERDAM is a far less ambitious, and far less structurally sophisticated, work. The book opens in 1935 at an English manor house and centers around thirteen year old Briony Tallis and her disatrous mishandling of a note sent to her older sister, Cecilia by Robbie, the son of the Tallises' cleaning lady. From this small beginning, McEwan fashions a very complex novel...in my opinion, his most complex to date. When Briony's visiting cousin, Lola is assaulted on the grounds of the Tallis estate, it is Briony, herself, seizing the opportunity provided by the note (as well as an assignation between Cecilia and Robbie in the Tallis library), who supplies the "evidence" that alters more than one life forever, her own included. The balance of the book follows Briony through adulthood and into old age as she attemps to atone for her youthful indescretion that altered the course of several lives. The second and third parts of the novel shifts to France in 1941, where we once again encounter Robbie, now fighting in the British Army in World War II, and to the London military hospitals where both Cecilia and Briony are training to be nurses. Has Cecilia learned of her sister's betrayal? If so, has she forgiven her? Have Robbie and Cecilia found their way back to each other? These and many more questions are raised by the book's plot, but, with a series of clever twists, McEwan keeps us in the dark about the answers until the very last moment. The description of the Tallis manor house in summer and the description of the battlefield scenes are extremely well-written. McEwan certainly has a fine sense of atmosphere and place. I felt as though I were right there. McEwan also seems well in control of his material...so much so that, at times, the book felt a little contrived to me...as though McEwan were simply shaping things for the benefit of the book's ending. The plot twists were maybe a bit too pat, a bit too forced. And, I simply couldn't buy into the belief that the thirteen year old Briony could cause so much long lasting destruction with one lie. The overriding question in this novel, of course, is: Can Briony ever make amends for the destructions she's caused? McEwan didn't take the easy way out and I think that's all to his credit. By the time the book ends in 1999, you'll know what Briony did do in an attempt to atone for her sin...and you'll know how successful she might have been. But, you'll have to ask yourself if you can buy the story. If you can suspend your disbelief and buy into the plot McEwan has constructed. As beautiful as this book is, I found that I could not. Even thought I didn't enjoy reading ATONEMENT and could not find empathy with or sympathy for its characters, I would recommend it to people who are looking for a well-written book with a well thought through plot. Just be warned: to those who are voracious readers, this book may seem a little forced. Personally, I think McEwan is at his best in more claustrophobic works such as AMSTERDAM and ENDURING LOVE. Still, ATONEMENT is so beautifully written that I can't possibly justify giving it fewer than four stars.
Rating:
Summary: A deep and meaningful book, but a slow read
Review: This novel was much different from the others I've read by this author. It was more detailed and got a little too dull for me in places. By the time I got to the middle I wasn't sure I would finish it. I'm glad I did, though, because the ending wraps up the story line and makes the book unforgettable. McEwan is a very talented writer and he has a way with characterization that is admirable. You never know what to expect from his books,and that's what keeps me reading them.
Rating: 
Summary: Dry writing, slow read, but interesting ending
Review: Highly acclaimed.. but oh so BORING! Although McEwan is a good writer, and he
describes very well how writers perceive the world. That's what I liked about
this book. Also, in the last few pages, a "surprise" ending that is really
unexpected. Briony Tallis, 13, aspiring writer, sees something she's not meant to see...
and then proceeds to change her and her family's lives and futures. Hard to describe this one without spoilers!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: This book is an excellent read. It has so may lessons to learn in it. I could not put it down and rank it highly.
I also want to recommend: NIGHTMARES ECHO-Lessons learned regarding a child of abuse/molestation and the courage to survive. as well as SECRET LIFE OF BEES-Sadness and laughter fill this remarkable book.
Rating:
Summary: Imperfect yet gripping
Review: I can side with those who appreciated and enjoyed this book, while I can also understand the people who lost interest within the first 100 pages. The tedium of the first 100 pages was my biggest complaint. My wife tried to read this book before I read it, but she quit within the first 100 pages. I do not think she is alone. There are many characters who are introduced, and much time is spent on them, and most of them end up playing little to no role in the actual plot. I felt the character of Emily in particular was wasted, as her battle with her migraines and frailty was memorable. Unfortunately, she never played much of a role in the first 100 pages, and in fact she was dead and forgotten in the subsequent sections. Saying that, I can sympathize with those who gave up this book within those first 100 pages. I nearly quit as well, but I'm glad I didn't, for this book is certainly rewarding. The real story begins with a brief episode in front of a fountain between Cecilia and Robbie. McEwan expertly reveals the sexual tension between the two, while at the same time explaining how a young Briony could misunderstand the scene while she watched unnoticed. The following events of the day are used by McEwan to continue to build that sexual tension. A meeting in the library between Cecilia and Robbie culminates in a very skillfully done sensuous passage of writing. A crime is committed (not in the library, but later that night), and this is the fuel for the rest of the story. My favorite section was the second, which follows Robbie through World War II. He is a British soldier trying to survive in France as it falls to the Germans. His goal is to make it to an evacuation in Dunkirk and live to see his beloved Cecilia. The dirt and grit and struggle of this section are a stark contrast to the "high society" of the first section. It was a welcome change. The tension built by McEwan is really very surprising. Atonement is certainly not a horror or terror novel, but reading it filled me with a sense of dread. I thought about this for a long time, and I think it is a function of the author's apparent intellect and his ability to create intensity. Basically, the reader feels like he's being toyed with by a very intelligent storyteller, one who could bring the story to a shocking twist at any moment. There's something haunting about this story that tells you subconsciously that the unfolding events will scar and damage all of the characters directly involved. The third section focuses on Briony, and it is well done but not on the level of Robbie's section. Briony tries to confront what she did wrong. The wrong she committed on Robbie happened five years before. Unfortunately, when the author flashes forward five years, he never mentions the moment when Briony has the realization of what she did wrong. Basically you see her adamantly believing one thing, and then you see her five years later and she believes the opposite. There is no transition or epiphany for her. The story closes with a surprise modern day epilogue from one of the central characters. It would be more touching if I had any feelings for this character. In closing, I recommend Atonement to any reader who will have the patience to soldier through the opening 100 pages and then appreciate the tension and dread the author builds in the next 300.
Rating:
Summary: A five star book!
Review: ATONEMENT by Ian McEwan Shortlisted for the prestigious MAN BOOKER award, ATONEMENT by Ian McEwan is a complex story dealing with two things: a teenage girl who falsely accuses a young man of a crime he did not commit, and the impact this actions makes on those that are left to suffer for it.
It is a few years before England's involvement in World War II. Briony Tallis is the youngest of the Tallis family, where at the start of the novel she is a mere thirteen years old. She's fond of writing; no, she's obsessed by it, and one of her favorite "things to do" is to write plays in which the family will enact when it is complete. Briony is in the process of trying to get her family members, including visiting cousins fifteen-year-old Lola and the nine-year-old twins Jackson and Pierrot, to act out their individual parts, but Lola and the twins are not cooperating. Briony runs off in a huff, and soon finds herself out in the gardens, where she spies Robbie and her sister Cecelia. Robbie is the son of one of the family's most dedicated servants. He has no father, and so has been put under the wing of the Tallises. His education is paid for, and he is now going to University. There is some resentment towards him, as the reader will soon discover. While Briony is sulking out in the garden, there is a scene with Cecelia and Robbie which Briony misinterprets, and from there she begins (in her immature and fanciful way) to imagine all sorts of horrors that Robbie may be inflicting upon older sister Cecelia. With Briony it is one misinterpretation after another, all involving Robbie and her sister. It is obvious Briony is a very naive girl for the age of thirteen. None of this would have been important, however, except that things start to snowball and Briony starts to mull these events over in her mind. She develops a one-sided opinion of Robbie, by assuming too many things and never finding out the real truth. Then, one evening Lola is discovered by Briony, looking as if she has been beaten up and left to die. We are seeing this through the eyes of Briony, and the reader is left to guess what really happened to Lola. However, Briony takes it upon herself to give a full report of this crime, regardless of the fact that she could barely see what was happening that night, stating that it was Robbie who had been the culprit and that he must be punished for hurting her cousin Lola. Unfortunately, the adults believe Briony, not Robbie, and he is taken off to prison. And thus, the story is set up for the reader. The story moves forward, with the War in full force, Robbie is out of prison and sent overseas to fight for England. Cecelia is a nurse, waiting for Robbie to return, for they have pledged their love to each other. Neither have any contact with the Tallis', but neither does Briony, who decides to become a nurse as well. ATONEMENT may seem to be a complex and difficult book to read. Yes, there is not much dialogue and much more exposition. However, if the reader is lucky enough to finish this book, one will have to agree that it was most highly deserved to be nominated for the Booker Prize in 2001. This reviewer was totally surprised with the ending, and I believe I am not the only one. ATONEMENT was one of my favorite reads of 2003. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Painful
Review: This book came highly recommended, so I was excited to read it. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. While it is obvious that McEwan is a creative and artistic writer, his book does nothing to hold one's interest. Pages of unnecessary description and little action make "Atonement" a painfully slow read. Fortunately, things pick up a bit in parts II, III and IV (191 pages into the book), but not enough to make reading it worth it.
Rating:
Summary: superb writing !
Review: 'Atonement' is a carefully crafted brilliant novel and the best piece of literature I've read in 2003. I'm not going to tell here in detail about the plot and the content of the novel, but just want to tell and share something about how I feel about this book. Well, everything about this book is unforgettable! I was completely captivated by main character Briony's complicated personality and character, by the vividness of all the other characters, by McEwan's fluent prose and his breathtaking descriptions, by... must I go on? I was deeply moved by the story, especially by Briony's role in it. I was fascinated by her personality and by the way she deals with life after her irreversible mistakes, made as a 13 year old girl, towards her sister Cecilia and Robbie Turner, the housekeeper's son. Mistakes committed on a hot, sultry summer's day on an English country estate, way back in 1935. Briony lies about events of a 'very personal nature' happening that day. Her statement -reflecting her wrong view and interpretation of what really has happened- changes and ruins the lives of Cecilia and Robby, and to a certain extent also her own life. The first part of the story, dealing with the events at the country estate in 1935 and covering the first half of the novel, certainly ranks among the best literature I've come across in my reading life so far. In a very subtle way McEwan uses themes like guilt, remorse and atonement to tell us about human nature. What he explores and conveys I would never learn so convincingly from a science book with all its 'bare facts' about human nature. In 'Atonement' literature rules, as McEwan uses all his writing capabilities in optima forma. He makes us believe everything he wants us to believe about his story, about Briony's story, and yes, in the end -again- we learn from McEwan's superb writing, about ourselves.
To me as a reader, the ingenious and very surprising plot of 'Atonement' is a captivating experience. It makes me realize (again) that 'literary imagination' is an intellectual playground of huge importance. Words from there can strike us like a bolt from the blue as soon as our eyes meet a novel's page. In 'Atonement' Ian McEwan demonstrates what a powerful instrument 'literary imagination' can be and better than ever before his writing shows the immense range of his intellectual playground. In simple words I'd like to add that 'atonement' all in all is a very pleasant and most rewarding read that satisfies on all levels! Cheers!
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, enthralling, riveting!
Review: Atonement is a wonderful piece of fiction, one that enthralled me from beginning to end. The novel begins as a quaint, well-told tale about a few days at an English country estate in the 1930s. Young Briony has written a play and intends to stage it with her visiting cousins. She witnesses an interchange between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie, their housekeeper's son, telling a lie that destroys several lives. The years pass and Cecilia, Robbie and Briony attempt to move on from Cecilia's sin. The past continues to haunt them, even after Briony becomes a successful playwright... The closing passages of the novel are some of the most powerful I have read. Atonement is a serious piece of fiction, not something to pick up if you are in search of something light. It may take a little patience to get into. The first part of the novel is quite slow (although I thought it was wonderful, something to be savored), but it gains momentum and becomes one of the most riveting and powerful novels I've read in a long time. I recommend this enthralling read from a mater storyteller.
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