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Reviewed by: Kim
Rating: 9/10
Genre: Fiction
372 pages/2001
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Atonement
by
Ian McEwan
This book is written in three distinct parts. The first part takes place during a few days in 1935, at a family gathering during which a crime is committed. The second part is set during World War II and closely follows the two people who were most affected by the crime. The third part is set in 1999 at another family gathering when all of those present during the original gathering are either dead or very old.
The first section I thought was pretty slow. It was very interesting, but things didn't happen quickly. Each chapter during this section was told from a different person's point of view, and often the same short period of time was repeated but told from a new perspective. Time passed very slowly during this section, but we were allowed into the minds of many of those present and shown what they were thinking and feeling.
The second section was done much more traditionally--from one person's point of view at a time. The plot progressed much more during this section and this was by far my favorite section.
The third section was kind of a wrap-up section. It was much, much shorter than the other two sections, and somehow I feel that this section was unnecessary. The book probably would've been more satisfying for me if this section wasn't included. I guess that's because this "wrap-up" section actually "unwrapped" what could've been a tidy ending. Instead it had an ending reminiscent of the ending to Yann Martel's Life of Pi.
Overall, though, I really liked this book. The images it described were vivid, and the main conflict was a pretty original one. It made me stop to wonder what would I do if I found myself on either side of a similar situation. I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from this author.
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