Atonement

mass market paperback

English language

Published Nov. 11, 2007 by Seal Books.

ISBN:
978-1-4000-2555-8
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OCLC Number:
884833385

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On a summer day in 1935, young Briony Tallis witnesses a moment's flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant. But Briony's misunderstanding of adult motives and her precocious imagination bring about a crime that will change all their lives, a crime whose repercussions Atonement follows through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the 20th century. --back cover

68 editions

The Weight of a Single Moment

As those who follow this account know well, I'm a sucker for beautiful writing and willing to excuse almost anything else. This book has its moments, and it is a beautifully crafted story, but for my taste, it's just too slow and too quiet. I get what Ian McEwan was trying to do; still, I found it hard to maintain interest. What I did love was the introspection and how the characters are defined by a single pivotal moment and everything that follows. In hindsight, we all have moments like that - turning points that define how we understand our lives.