Ian McEwan: On Chesil Beach: A Novel

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Liked It

3 of 3 members found this review helpful.

Rated 4 stars

“On Chesil Beach is a welcome, if morose, new creation from Ian McEwan. Where Saturday went from being a moment by moment masterpiece to a contrived mess, Chesil Beach has no room to devolve. In four scant chapters, McEwan manages to create the two leads, their families, and all the history that leads up to the moment when two young strangers are meant to consummate their marriage. McEwan writes frankly and believeably about sex from both male and female perspectives, and stages the story...”

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Didn’t Like It

3 of 5 members found this review helpful.

Rated 1 stars

“What a boring little book about 2 sexually naive, repressed young people. The 60's weren't THAT long ago.”

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Community:

Rated 3.471014 stars

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Rated 4 stars

Newest Comments

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laurie m said:

“Having just read Henry James' Washington Square, I thought this was James like but 100 years later. McEwan tells a mean story and has a very good command of the language to go with it. The only flaw was the ending- too quickly resloved and one sided. I have enjoyed several of his other books, too.”

posted Wednesday, February 18 2009

kate s said:

“A short but compelling read. Depicts a tragic lack of communication between newleyweds in a time when sex was a taboo subject. Illustrates jus how much times have changed!”

posted Thursday, June 12 2008

amanda h said:

“The focus of this short novel is a disastrous wedding night in 1962. But short though the novel is, McEwan takes his time describing and examining, almost caressing in language the moments that make up the beginning and end of this marriage. The novel is everything that the wedding night in question is not: exacting, clear, insightful and sensitive in its examination of the elements in play.

Edward’s problem is that he is too fiery and reacts too quickly. Florence’s flaw is that she is too cerebral, too slow to burn. The story tells the tragedy of a generation, which took too much to heart the extremes of male and female sensibility.

Above all, this novel is a portrait of two lovers caught between the 50’s and the 60’s. The interaction between them is caught at this cusp. It is a story of the inability to communicate, communicated ludicly from back story to present moment. Ian McEwan has written a novel short enough to engage, and considered enough to satisfy. He makes love to the modern reader of literary fiction, and he delivers! I am in awe of his artistry, insight and craftsmanship. His best novel yet!”

posted Saturday, February 2 2008

rachel b said:

“I thought this was an interesting story. A very quick read, and pretty depressing. Makes you think about the importance of communication and openness!”

posted Sunday, January 20 2008

rachel b said:

“I thought this was an interesting story. A very quick read, and pretty depressing. Makes you think about the importance of communication and openness!”

posted Sunday, January 20 2008