On Chesil Beach: A Novel (edit title)

• Rated 4 stars

“Story of one man and one woman who grew up in the fifties and went to university and are thoughtful. Very precise descriptions of their intensely private feelings about themselves. Each keeps most of their feelings concealed from the other during their developing relationship, but on their wedding night they fail to communicate anything positive and instead say some mean things in anger, partially revealing important truths that would have been better discussed earlier.
Good argument for having sex before one's wedding night, and learning to live together nicely too, though this was pre-pill, I think.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Full of good stuff the literati critics can pull out and analyze to death but was it an enjoyable read? Not really.”

• Rated 5 stars

“The first McEwan novel I've liked.”

• Rated 3 stars

“I really enjoyed it. I love how McEwan writes. A master of saying so much succinctly.”

• Rated 4 stars

“This book ended up being a complete suprise. I hadn't heard about it, and just picked it up on vacation. It turned out to be intriguing and confronts a matter that most of us don't talk about. The ending was unexpected. I felt I had figured it out and despite evidence to the contrary, when it concluded with nothing satisfied for the characters, but with a message that this is who we are. ”

• Rated 4 stars

“my mother loved it”

• Rated 5 stars

“A fine book until the end when it becomes extraordinary.”

• Rated 0 stars

“I had a hard time getting into it. It never took off for me. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“I read this book in one sitting, that's how much I loved it. Not as good as 'Atonement' (or so I thought) but still McEwan at his best.

A truly captivating read.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Few books leave me saying 'Wow!' at the end, but this one did. McEwan writes masterfully, placing a newly married couple in time (1960s) while exploring their family and personal backgrounds, to help us understand, empathize, and ache for the predicament in which they find themselves. And he does it all in 203 pages. Wow!”