“A very interesting book”
“I agree, the ending was too reminiscent of the "Dallas" twist. It did feel a lot like something just tacked on at the end, too contrived.”
“SPOILER ALERT! Don't read this if you haven't read the book.By cheated, I mean that it seems like the author broke a covenant with the reader. At the end you find that the narrative you've been reading didn't happen at all. It's like, "And then she woke up and realized it was all a dream." McEwan's writing is more skillful than to be that hackneyed, but it was deceptive, nevertheless. I am willing to admit, however, that it could have been my failing as a reader to have not picked up on the fact that perts of the book were Briony's narrative. That's why I'm willing to check it out again.”
“Briony partially atones for her sins through her nursing work. The scene with the dying soldier is the one time that I think she comes close. And even though I think her actions early on were despicable, she was a child who didn't completely understand the circumstances and she was being manipulated by adults to stick with her story. There were 2 people who knew exactly what happened and chose to lie to save face. That's downright evil.Does anyone else feel that the author "cheated" or is it just me? I read the book several years ago, so maybe I have to take another look.”
“You hit it right on the nose Tamia b, although I'm not sure you meant that in a good way. I'm naturally drawn to historical NONfiction, and so there is no surprise that the sections on the war interested me more than the earlier chapters in the book.As it is, I loved how it suddenly dawned on me nearing the end that is was her story I was reading. The ending was very beautiful and I'm glad I made it to the end because it really did make the rest of the book worth it.”
“I tried reading the book before the movie, but gave up about halfway - everything seemed to move in slow-motion, taking ages to describe minute details, in the end I got frustrated and had to stop. I have seen the movie, it was mesmerising. And absolutely faithful to the book in that I could picture each scene in the book (that I got up to). I think the author is brilliant, but I think he'd make a much better playwright or screenwriter than a novelist.”
“I had a really hard time getting into it too, thenegativesex. But I never give up on a book, and now that I've hit part two I can't set it down! Maybe give it another chance?”
“I just could not get into this book. The details were beautifully written but the beginning was just so slow. I put it down after about 25 pages.”
“I think the ending proves that the "author" never changed after all those years...even at the end she is trying to "script" life the way she would have liked to have seen it happen (the sister doesn't die in the bombing, Robbie doesn't die in the war, the two get together and live happily ever after). At the beginning and throughout the novel, she lives in a fantasy world of her own creation--at one point she even admits regretting not recording actual details rather than making things up. The reader is wise to not trust anything she says.”
“Well, she hinted at two different endings . . . one that was happier than the other, it reminded me of scooby-doo. that's all.”
