I remember that after reading Atonement I spend a couple of weeks under its hypnosis, thinking about it often. It propelled the book to my top 5 and after reading Saturday and On Cesil Beach Ian McEwan also entered my favorite authors list.
Just like Ishiguro, I’m determined to read everything he’s ever written or will write. I wasn’t as impressed with Amsterdam as most, but McEwan is one of those writers that manages to be better than most, even when he is not at his best.
Like Atonement, Enduring Love also starts with a life-changing event that propels the rest of the story. In this case it’s an unusual and tragic accident involving a hot air balloon. Among those involved are Joe, his wife Clarissa and a strange young man called Parry. From the start Parry feels a special connection to Joe, which soon develops into an obsession fueled by romantic and religious delusions.
Unexpectedly, of all the traumas of that fated day, Parry becomes the ever-expanding crack in Joe and Clarissa’s happy lives.
Without ever overwhelming us with foreboding, the book seeps with a feeling of impending… something. For instance, looking back to the moment when he ran towards the balloon and away from his picnic, Joe thinks:
What idiocy, to be racing into this story and its labyrinths, sprinting away from our happiness among the fresh spring grasses by the oak.
Sentences like that kept me on edge throughout the book: the slow-motion analysis of the accident, the unreliable first-person narrator, the escalation of Parry’s actions that may or may not become violent, Joe’s growing obsession with stopping Parry at the expense of everything else.
From the others books I’ve read, I’m convinced that McEwan manages to pull off such tantalizing stories because of the way he handles very specific events. He lingers, changes pace at will and never over-describes or makes it boring. As Joe remembers the balloon event over several pages, he says that “the best description of a reality does not need to mimic its velocity” and that’s the best way of describing McEwan’s style.
I see us from two hundred feet up, through the eyes of the buzzard we had watched earlier, soaring, circling and dipping in the tumult of currents: five men running silently; towards the centre of a hundred acre field. (…)
The encounter that would unhinge us was minutes away, its enormity disguised from us not only by the barrier of time but by the colossus in the centre of the field that drew us in with the power of a terrible ratio that set fabulous magnitude against the puny human distress at its base. (…)
I’m holding back, delaying the information, I’m lingering in the prior moment because it was a time when other outcomes were still possible; the convergence of six figures in a flat green space has a comforting geometry from the buzzard’s perspective, the knowable, limited plane of the snooker table.
Man, he’s good!
It makes me think of that scene in Atonement where Cecilia picks up the broken piece of ceramic from the fountain, triggering something in Briony’s mind and solidifying Robbie’s feelings. And in a way, On Cecil Beach is just one long “moment” (did you know there’s going to be a movie? Sam Mendes directing, Carey Mulligan as Florence, I can already smell the Oscars).
Ian McEwan could pick up any story, no matter how boring and seemingly insignificant and turn it into a beautiful thing.
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Other thoughts: Books I Done Reads (yours?)
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August 10, 2011 at 5:03 pm
Steph
I have the complete opposite reaction to McEwan than you! I read Atonement for my book club and I really struggled with it at first, though I admit that in the end I liked it quite a lot and it is one of those books that I think I have grown to appreciate even more with time. But then I read Amsterdam and found it so tortuous and hated it so much that I decided I should never read anything else by him ever again! 😀
August 10, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Kailana
I have to admit, this is an author that I want to love… but… I don’t! I have read several of his books and they just never seem to work for me. It makes me sad.
August 10, 2011 at 9:46 pm
selena
i think i’ve just made you my literary best friend! i loved mcewan’s atonement and i’m endeavoring to read the rest of what he’s written.
i feel the same way about ishiguro. i started with never let me go and then moved on to his other works. i’ve read most and only have disliked one (nocturnes… still recovering).
i asked for recommendations from friends on my next mcewan and folks have been trying to get me ready for the disappointment since apparently nothing is as good as atonement. but he can’t be such a great writer and only have one glowing book.
August 11, 2011 at 5:30 am
Mrs.B.
I loved Atonement. I’ve been meaning to read this but I saw the movie years ago and the story is still fresh in my mind. It was definitely disturbing. Have you read Black Dogs? I want to read that one too.
August 11, 2011 at 5:45 pm
Melissa
I have really struggled with McEwan. I absolutely loved Atonement, which was my first of his books. I went on to read On Chesil Beach, Enduring Love, Black Dogs, Amsterdam and Saturday, but each time I was disappointed. I loved aspects of each book, the writing was amazing, but I never liked the characters. I keep hoping for the same magic that I felt with Atonement, but I haven’t found it yet.
August 12, 2011 at 11:29 am
The Literary Nomad
I love McEwan too and after hearing him read a lecture he had penned at a Writers’ Week festival, I fell even more under his hypnotic spell. However, I almost missed out on enjoying his catalogue because the first of his works I read was The Cement Garden which was so incredibly disturbing and well…just wrong that I had to be convinced by friends to pick up Atonement which restored my faith. I would be interested to see what you thought of this book…
August 13, 2011 at 7:52 am
Arti
I’ve enjoyed this post and shared your enthusiasm for McEwan. I’ve bought the book Enduring Love at this year’s book sale so that’s on my TBR list. I know there’s a movie on it already with Daniel Craig and Samantha Morton. Have you seen it? I too am a fan of Atonement, book and movie, which I think is one of the better book-to-film adaptations we see in recent years. But I can’t say I’m that excited about On Cecil Beach the book. I’m eager to see the film though, esp. as you said with Carey Mulligan starring. She’s incredibly talented. I’m particularly impressed with her role in “Never Let Me Go.” And for “Cecil Beach”, I’ve appreciated you said it’s “just one long moment”. I think Carey Mulligan can convey that convincingly.
Just today I read a NYT theatre review on Mulligan’s stage performance of “Through A Glass Darkly” (Ingmar Bergman film) with this acclaim: “acting of the highest order”. Can’t beat that.
August 13, 2011 at 1:48 pm
anothercookiecrumbles
Back in 2008, I went through an Ian McEwan phase, where I read seven of his books in six weeks or so. Seriously. Atonement kicked it off, and it was followed by Saturday, Amsterdam, The Cement Garden (if you haven’t read it yet, you must!), etc. Then, I didn’t read anything by him for like three years (i.e. nothing till now!). I did pick up Child In Time which I intend to read next, and with time, read his entire backlist. This sounds fantastic, and I am looking forward to it.
August 18, 2011 at 8:17 am
Violet
I find McEwan a bit hit and miss, but I absolutely adored On Chesil Beach and Atonement. This is going on the TBR list, because it sounds as though it’s another of his “hits”. 🙂
August 20, 2011 at 2:05 am
readwriteandlive
This just made my day. Or week. Or month. Or year. I have read nine McEwan books. I am on book three for Ishiguro. I started with the McEwan obsession first, so I’m further along with him.
Honestly, I can’t hate either of them. I have loved every book of theirs I’ve read. I’m not going to read this review too far because, funny enough, I haven’t read Enduring Love yet. I own it, but haven’t gotten to it. It’s on my “READ ASAP” list.
Thanks for “Following” me on Twitter or I possibly wouldn’t have found you or this post.
Cheers!
September 13, 2011 at 8:45 pm
Alex
@Steph: Amsterdam, for all its fancy award, is my least favorite of his. Still, I would have lived to hear your thoughts on Chesil Beach. i thionk you might like it.
@Kailana: I know that feel… have it especially towards Georgette Heyer! It happens to the best of us 😛
@selena: Somehow I’ve kept clear of Nocturnes because of some reviews I’ve read… I wouldn’t call it disappointment, but have to agree that nothing I’ve read of him is as good as Atonement. C’est la vie 🙂
@Mrs B: No Black Dogs yet. I have Solar high on the TBR, though! Love the movie Atonement as well. i think that’s when my crush on McAvoy started!
@Melissa: I sometimes struggle with the same as well. Atonement really put everyone’s expectations up there, hasn’t it? Poor Mr McEwan!
@The Literary Nomad: I’ve heard rumors about The Cement Garden. He really has a certain streak for the disturbing, doesn’t he?
@Arti: I knew about the movie, but have to admit I’m not very curious to see it, but I’m with your on the Atonement adaptation! Carey Mulligan seem s the perfect cast for CB – the NYT saying that… praise indeed!
@anothercookiecrumbles: WOW! So what was your favorite?
@Violet: The best so far as indeed CB and Atonement. have great hopes for Solar as well!
@readwriteandlive: Yay another fellow McEwan and Ishiguro fan! They are similar, aren’t they? Looking forward to your review of Enduring Love!
May 29, 2012 at 2:50 am
Joaninha
I totally agree that McEwan has a style of wrniitg that carries you through it. I haven’t read this particular novel, but have read Atonement (which I LOVED) and the Cement Garden (which traumatized me). After The Cement Garden, I had to put McEwan aside for awhile! This is a great review, as I know how complex McEwan’s ideas can be. He covers such strange topics! I should really like that, but I can’t put my finger on how exactly I feel, but I haven’t hurried out to pick out any others quite yet. I’ll keep this one in mind when I wander back to his novels!