Rating: 
Summary: A Strange tale
Review: Clive Linley, a famous composer, and Vernon Halliday, the editor of a national newspaper, are old friends. But underneath the surface of their rather unlikely friendship, something else simmers......Both men are at a pivotal point in their careers. Vernon is harried at every turn and is well-aware that his job is on the line if he doesn't do something drastic to sell more newspapers. Self-important Clive seems unable to complete the "symphony for the millenium" and feels pressured by the upcoming deadline. When Vernon is presented with an editorial decision, it also creates a moral dilemma that rips apart the relationship he has with Clive. In turn, Vernon is appalled by the moral decisions Clive makes while justifying them as neccesary for the completion of his symphony. With dark wit, Ian McEwan crafts this fairly short novel to its shocking end. This book will stay with you long after you've read the last page.
Rating: 
Summary: Sublime to Ridiculous
Review: McEwan can really penetrate interior thought. He also really can write. Every sentence carries weight and perception. Every sentence resonates with a feeling for meaning beyond the mundane. This book is about loyalty, morality, and art. Some passages are strikingly brilliant. I never met a serious composer of music or the editor of a major newspaper, but after reading this book, I feel I have. Unfortunately, the unlikely plot twist at the end for me unraveled all this brilliance, and I was left holding a far more common work that almost resembled a cheap joke.
Rating:
Summary: Darkly humorous indictment of contemporary morality
Review: In response to a prior reviewer, a book about "silly, conceited people" is not necessarily a silly and conceited book; consider The Great Gatsby. Amsterdam is a clever book that reveals the conflicts of people who have either found or placed themselves in moral dilemmas. The central characters share the common denominator of having been lovers of Molly Lane who has recently died. They are brought together at her funeral, and as the story unfolds she seems to have been the only true and trustworthy moral compass among them. The book causes the reader to contemplate our contemporary values. What have our morals and ethics become at the end of the 20th century? Consider the "integrity" of our political "leaders"; the media's right to know vs. an individual's right to privacy; the value of human life vs. modern medical science. The characters in Amsterdam come across as opportunistic, self-centered, and morally indecisive. Do we feel more sympathy for Vernon,the editor who must publish something scandalous to keep his paper afloat or for Julian, the politician whose private indiscretion is made public? Do we feel any sympathy at all? Even Clive the successful composer is corrupted and looks away because he believes his musical genius is more important than another human being. (echoes of Wilhelm Furtwangler?) Is it more important to save the Mona Lisa, a timeless work of art, or a transient human life? Today's politicians take polls first to determine which decision or action will most likely keep them in power. Amsterdam considers all of these issues in less than 200 pages and concludes in a deliciously wicked ending
Rating: 
Summary: Left me nonplussed
Review: Yes, the writing is good. And yes, McEwan can definitely weave a plot that pulls the reader along willingly. But somehow I think I must have missed the point. AMSTERDAM begins when two friends, Vernon and Clive, meet at the funeral of Molly, their mutual ex-lover. They reminisce a bit, and begin to rekindle their friendship. When Vernon, a newspaper editor, makes a decision to publish some damaging information about another ex-lover of Molly's, Clive is disgusted. Their friendship unravels and spirals downward toward an ending so ridiculous that though you can see it coming, you can't believe that McEwan is really going to take you there. Not quite funny enough to be darkly comic, and not quite serious enough to be a morality tale'I'm not sure what this book is.
Rating:
Summary: Clever story
Review: Given the characters, the book comes to a logical and surprising ending. The outcome illustrates the ease with which one can allign revenge with what is perceived as a moral right. The characters were well drawn although not the sort to elicit empathy. McEwan gives us insight into the mental gymnastics of composers and newspaper editors.
Rating: 
Summary: Starkly Brilliant Satire
Review: Ian McEwan is an author I've been wanting to read for a long time. When a copy of the this little novel fell into my hands, I decided to try it. I will definitely be returning to Ian McEwan in the future. Amsterdam is a brilliant, compact satire which stabs many elements of our society. The plot centers around the death of Molly Lane. Her funeral brings together three former lovers: the musician Clive Linley, the newspaper editor Vernon Halliday, and the politician Julian Garmony. In the events following the funeral, McEwan place each in a moral dilemma in which they each come out as being morally decrepit. Amsterdam, which reminded me a lot of White Noise, raises a lot of thought provoking questions about the morality of our political arena, the business/journalistic world, and the art world. Each is portrayed as being too self-centered to see outside of themselves. Each loves power, money, and beauty more than humanity. Amsterdam is a darkly humorous and cutting work which will certainly make the reader think.
Rating:
Summary: The danger of intimacy
Review: McEwan is the type of writer who proves not all the best books are written by dead men. His language is cold and steely, yet funny. The fiercely intelligent and successful characters are exposed by McEwan to laughter, but he respects them. We are not invited to laugh at them as if they are caricatures, but gently smile on their vulnerable places. This book is a morality tale about the contempt that can grow among even the closest of friends if you share too much personal information with them. It is gripping enough to read in a couple days. You will find the time.
Rating:
Summary: Booker Prize??
Review: This is one of the most over-rated books I've read in a long time. McEwan is a skilled writer in many respects, but in this novel the characters and themes fall flat, degenerating into the most improbable and unsatisfying climax in recent memory. The moral dilemmas that confront these characters are completely lacking in subtlety and, though McEwan often nails small details in compelling ways, the big picture here seems pretentious and shallow.
Rating: 
Summary: Grossly over-rated
Review: McEwan's writing is coy and his characters are uninteresting parodies. Even if the book is meant to be an exploration of creativity and imagination as opposed to a simple novel, it is a failure. Deeply pretentious, the book does little to expose the foibles of the upper-class British. Nothing rings true in this book.
I am still amazed that the book receieved such attention and that McEwan is hailed as a great or even interesting writer. Avoid this like the plague.
Rating:
Summary: What Lies Beneath A Story Told
Review: Expertly crafted, musically poetic, paced just like a walk in the park on an autumn day. This story leaves you with deep philosophical questions that will continue to pester you for days.
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