Once I have heard of a book and
“mean” to read it, it probably goes on a list somewhere (thank God for
Goodreads). One of these books is
Atonement, which has been on my to-read list since the movie came out in
2007. I am not the biggest fan of Kiera Knightly so casting her in Atonement was basically a death sentence
to the book for me, but I heard it was amazing
and if that were the case then I could just read the book and I wouldn’t have
to bother with Kiera at all!
But I didn’t get it right away, and
the longer a book is on my list, the less likely I am to read it. There’s
always something new and shiny to catch my attention, and the book grows stale
on my shelf. The only way for it to re-gain my attention is if someone mentions
it. Fortunately for me, Atonement is
one of my friend’s favorite books. So I finally
read it.
Atonement is simply a work of art. It
starts on a summer day in 1934 as we follow 13-year-old Briony Tallis worry
about her cousins coming to stay, her newest play, and what exactly her sister is doing in the
garden with the servant’s son.
 |
| mostly moping |
Briony’s
descriptions of everything are fabulous. McEwan crafts a brilliant story around
this very young girl and whose misunderstanding of the adult world leads to
disaster. After the first half, we see a first-hand view of World War II first
through the eyes of a soldier, then a nurse. McEwan moves from a slow summer’s
day into the middle of a retreating army and into a busy wartime hospital with
effortless prose. Each could be a story unto itself. But altogether, the
finished piece is perfect. I don’t know what to tell you except if you haven’t
read it yet you should.
 |
| Ah, Briony. I love you. I hate you. I want to be you. |
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