Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing tale of modern ethics
Review: I found this book fascinating. The plot hinges on the unanticipated consequences of actions of questionable ethics.. actions which the characters, who seem decent folk otherwise, are able to rationalize away.MacEwan's writing style is crisp and intelligent. The two main characters are well-developed and believable. The surprise ending reminded me for some reason of Dickens, with various loose ends coming back to tie up one nice neat tidy package. Unlike Dickens, however, this ending is not all goodness and joy. If I were to find fault with the book, the first place I'd look would be its length. As novels go, "Amsterdam" is very short.. almost a novella, really. I'd've liked to have seen it given a little more depth, especially to some of the secondary characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Amsterdamned
Review: A pleasant short toss - off. Rather like a quick appetizer chowed down while waiting for friends. But you had better be up on your City "in-jokes" because this is a story best digested by those readers that know the menu in advance. For those that don't, it is a pleasant side dish, but hardly stuff that deserves a Booker. Would I leave a tip? No. Would I recommend it to friends? Sure, but you'll find better eating elsewhere. Try "Master Georgie".
Rating:
Summary: A darkly comic tale of rivalry - excellent!
Review: I spent a weekend immersed in this book and could not put it down until the very end. The comedy narrowly outweighs the tragedy in this tale of two rivals in life/love. Their battle to constantly upstage one another escalates to a hilarious/awful conclusion. Arrogance and insane jealousy hidden under a veneer of civility, it was a pleasure to read about men behaving truely badly.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Having read last years Booker Prize winner: "The God of Small Things", I guess I expected a little more from "Amsterdam" than it delivered. I found the characters to be one dimensional and the plot though initially interesting was ultimately dull in it's predictability. Maybe I lack the sophistication that the judges seemingly possess and just somehow missed the genius of this novel completely. However, judging from some of the other readers comments, I'm not the only one who found this book a complete bore and wholy unworthy of being awarded the Booker Prize.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't this writerly talent be put to better use?
Review: So much for seeking out a prizewinning novel! I would not have read Amsterdam had it not won the Booker, and now I'm not likely to seek out other McEwan books. Deftly written, but fundamentally unpleasant. My reading time is too limited to spend it on a witty trifle that leaves a distinctly bitter aftertaste.
Rating:
Summary: Can't believe it won the Booker Prize
Review: Yes, this book was an enjoyable read - but winner of the Booker Prize? You must be joking! 'Enduring Love'would have been more deserving but still not in the league of other winners.
Rating:
Summary: Not that pleasant
Review: I don't like to write bad reviews, so I will just tell you that this book was not so entertaining. The story is miserable.
Rating:
Summary: Highly improbable
Review: A decent yarn but the characters were not terribly well developed and the ending was so highly improbable that one kept thinking it would turn out to be a dream sequence. The only part I really liked was the descriptions of Clive whilst composing and seeing the world in musical metaphors.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice book but no Booker Prize winner.
Review: After reading this book I was extremely disappointed. The very first reason I had to read this book was the fact that it received prize and the author is well known. I really believed on the quality of the Booker Prize winners. I must confess that after reading Amsterdam I do not know on what basis this book has got this prize, especially bearing in mind which has been his immediate predecessor (The God of Small Things). In my opinion Amsterdam does not have any relevant feature for feature it deserves this prize. The narrative technique is really simple, the plot is second-hand,that is, there is nothing new or surprising in it, characterization is simple. In the end, it may be worth reading (beach) but it is not at the same level of other booker prize winner and I think it does not deserve a prize.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing beginning, ending a letdown
Review: I really enjoyed the first 7/8 of this book but could not believe the climax, which if it didn't exactly come out of left field, was wholly unsupported by the plot development. I was left scratching my head why this book received such accolades. Read Enduring Love for a better portrait of the author's talents.
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