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Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Author: Ian McEwan
On a chilly February day, two old friends meet in the throng outside a London crematorium to pay their last respects to Molly Lane. Both Clive Linley and Vernon Halliday had been Molly's lovers in the days before they reached their current eminence: Clive is Britain's most successful modern composer, and Vernon is editor of the newspaper The Jud...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780385494243
ISBN-10: 0385494246
Publication Date: 11/2/1999
Pages: 208
Rating:
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 181

3.4 stars, based on 181 ratings
Publisher: Anchor
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Amsterdam on + 29 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9
Molly is dead, victim of a terrible disease. She leaves behind three ex-lovers (two who are friends), and her husband. One of the ex-lovers is a politician who left Molly with a hidden secret, something that could destroy his political career. After she dies, the secret falls into the hands of Molly's lovers. They are faced with a terrible choice, one that their friendship hinges upon. This book is never dreary! The characters are intrinsically flawed, believable, and play well off each other; their foibles are mirrors of our own. It's a short read, beautifully written, and well-deserving of the literary accolades heaped upon it.
reviewed Amsterdam on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 8
A well-written book by a British author that starts off promising but seems to fall flat at the end. If you have a sarcastic sense of humor and biting wit typical of British standards, you\'ll enjoy it.
reviewed Amsterdam on + 25 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
A wry British tragedy. Brings to mind the Biblical quotation about "why do you see the speck in your brother's eye and yet ignore the beam in your own." Confronts the issues of morality and mortality, self-deception and deceit, ambition and loss in a quick and amusing read.
shukween avatar reviewed Amsterdam on + 118 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
I began this book with great anticipation, having enjoyed Atonement and Saturday greatly; I finished it not liking the abruptness of the ending. It is as well-written as expected, I just could not make the leap as to the major plot turn that leads to the ending. It is a quick read.
reviewed Amsterdam on + 13 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
I like McEwan's work. I did not think this was one of his best, but it was very good nonetheless. It has some interesting twists and turns and held me to the end.
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reviewed Amsterdam on + 4 more book reviews
An unusual story. Ian Mcewan has become one of my favorite authors. Not just good story, but that "turn of phrase" that makes reading a pleasure. His skill is evident in all three of his books that I've read, and he has written many more. Right now I'm reading "Atonement" and it, too, is a page-turner.
reviewed Amsterdam on + 6 more book reviews
This was an enjoyable read, not sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting, but worth reading. It has parallels to the current "News of the World," Rupert Murdock and Rebecca Brooks hacking scandal in England today. Very well written and not your typical beach read. It's literature.
reviewed Amsterdam on + 52 more book reviews
Kind of trite.
reviewed Amsterdam on + 13 more book reviews
A New York Times Best-seller. Cover calls it a "contemporary morality tale that is as profiund as it is witt.." Set in Britain, it is the story of two old friends, each of whom has acquired a large degree of eminence in their respective fields, who make a pact.


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