Helpful Score: 9
I just finished On Chesil Beach and it quickly moved into my top two books by Ian McEwan, the other being Atonement. McEwan efficiently provides the back stories of his two young protagonists and movingly depicts a wedding night decision that changes the course of their lives. A quick read full of memorable scenes of shared love, ambition and sexual insecurities, McEwan portrays a relationship that symbolizes the cultural divide of the 1960's, and captures the nostalgia and regret that often haunt us in our own lives.
Helpful Score: 8
This was my first time I read anything by Ian McEwan, but I am extremely impressed. At times the book can be hard to follow, it is creatively written. The characters are shown with all of their own flaws. At the end, I sat thinking about how one moment can change your whole life. Great book.
Helpful Score: 4
Ian McEwan is a writer of tremendous talent, and this book is further evidence. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 3
Like all his books, this is a carefully and eloquently written novel. The pace moves briskly, perhaps because of its length. McEwan expertly describes the insecurities of the two main characters. All of his books (including this one) are wonderful.
Helpful Score: 2
I listened to this one, read by the author, on Audio CD. It is a slim novel, the story of two virgins and a marriage destined for failure. Set in the early 1960's, before the era of "free love", it is heartbreakingly sad that the two people (who really loved each other) could not even talk about their sexual compatibility. Highly recommend.
