Atonement
by Ian McEwan
351 pages
First Sentence:
The play-- for which Briony had designed the posters, programs and tickets,constructed the sales booth out of a folding screen tipped on its side, and lined the collection box in red crepe paper--was written by her in a two-day
tempest of composition, causing her to miss a breakfast and a lunch.
The line on the bottom of the front cover says "A beautiful and majestic fictional panorama." And it's true. This may be one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. Which is not to say pleasant. The subject matter, adult themes and the violence of war, are certainly difficult to get through at times. But they are all a necessary part of the journey.
As I neared the last 100 pages of the book, I was suddenly seized with a terrible fear: that no matter what happened at the end, there would be nothing more to read. I have never experienced this sensation before. I had to put the book down that night because I was paralysed with the thought of it being over. Even now I am considering picking it back up to reread it right away. Unfortunately I have promised the book to a friend and I have a few books to read to complete one more reading challenge. It will just have to wait.
*WARNING* possible spoilersBriony is the fanciful 13 year old who witnesses a scene that she doesn't understand. She misinterprets what is happening and falsely accuses an innocent young man of a heinous crime. The man is given the option to be freed from prison in order to serve as a soldier in WWII, where his only goal and comfort is to survive to get back to the woman who loves him. In the meantime, Briony has grown up and realises the full extent of her deed.
I found the settings to be very telling as to the states of mind of each the characters. The near ruin of the family estate in the first half of the book mirrors the breakdown of the inner state of each character in their turn. Briony is outgrowing the childish world she has always existed in. Cecilia and Robbie both are outgrowing the carefree friendship of a lifetime as playmates for the more complicated position of lovers. The family is breaking down as the father is away from home nearly continually and the mother is menaced by migraines and disappointment in her children.
The second half of the book is set in the throws of war. Robbie, Cecilia and Briony all lose the last threads of innocence as they witness the terrors of gruesome death all around, Robbie as a soldier and Cee and Briony as nurses. And believe me, the words paint a grueling picture. I won't say anything more about the story as I don't want to ruin it for anyone else.
That would be the poster for the movie that was finally widely released over the weekend. And I watched it last night. Now the book is predominately introspective so I wasn't sure how that would translate onto film but, being nominated for 7 Golden Globes, I figured that they must have done a pretty good job of it. They did. The movie was just as much a "beautiful and majestic fictional panorama" as the book was. My husband pointed out how heavily imaged it was. More story is told through pictures than through dialogue. It was beautiful and uncomfortable in exactly the same way as reading it had been. If you have the chance to see this in the theater, smuggle in some tissues and forgo the buttered popcorn. It's hard to wipe away tears with salt and oil on your fingers.
