Review: Atonement – The Novel

With so much hype around the film, including its seven Oscar nominations, fourteen BAFTA nominations, and Best Film win at the Golden Globes, I thought it might be interesting to return to the original book from which this movie comes. It has been on my reading list for absolutely ages, but studying English Literature at University does divert time away from perusing anything that isn’t on the course syllabus. However, I have finally got round to it and am very glad I did.
What an amazing book! It’s style, while at times rather prosaic, is incredibly fluid. The various characters’ thoughts, movements, and habits are all written so well that the world which McEwan writes about comes vividly and effortlessly to life. Not only this, but his control over the tone and mood is superb: I laughed at the childish Briony’s wild imaginings, smiled knowingly at the burgeoning romance of Robbie and Cecilia, and cried in pity at the awfully visceral descriptions of the wounded soldiers. The sexuality of the novel, arguably one of the most interesting parts, oscillates between the subtle and the blatant, succeeding in creating a balance between romance and reality – implied horror and explicit shock – giving the novel a sophistication that many modern authors fail to achieve.

Finally, this would not be an adequate review of Atonement if one did not praise the clever narrative form and the varying manner in which the novel is presented. Throughout, Ian McEwan continuously questions the role of narrator, of author, and most importantly discusses not just the composition of writing, but its purpose.