The novels opening horrific scene (a man is killed while trying to save a boy in a runaway hot air balloon) has been praised, and rightfully so, but this is merely the first step in Ian McEwans masterful psychological suspense novel. The protagonist Joe Rose is a frustrated scientist turned journalist who attempts to help save the boy while picnicking in the Chilterns with his live-in love, Clarissa. After the accident, Joe locks eyes with a stranger, Jed Parry, who also attempted to help, and from this simple scene Joes life begins to unravel as Jed, an unstable man, stalks him.
A couple of chapters are devoted to insane epistles written by Jed to Joe, and we share Joes growing despair as his love life with Clarissa comes apart as Jed inserts himselfor attempts to do soby insisting that Joe is the love of his life and that Joe needs to accept Christ. Theres a sense of impending calamity in every page. In between, McEwan explores the dichotomy between science and religion, logic and intuition, sanity and delusion. McEwans writing is sharp, witty, and thoughtful.; his characters are vivid and realistic. Highly recommended.
A couple of chapters are devoted to insane epistles written by Jed to Joe, and we share Joes growing despair as his love life with Clarissa comes apart as Jed inserts himselfor attempts to do soby insisting that Joe is the love of his life and that Joe needs to accept Christ. Theres a sense of impending calamity in every page. In between, McEwan explores the dichotomy between science and religion, logic and intuition, sanity and delusion. McEwans writing is sharp, witty, and thoughtful.; his characters are vivid and realistic. Highly recommended.
