Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2779 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Review
`two characters so vibrant they step straight off the page' --The Tablet

Guardian
'In its precision, scope and force, this is an astounding novel, more tender than anything McEwan has hitherto produced'

Waterstone's Books Quarterly
`slow, detailed prose... reads like a pale memory of a forgotten age... a writer in complete control of his craft'

Customer Reviews

Sensitive and sad
This short book is a sensitive exploration of the consequences of thoughts not spoken and actions that are misunderstood. The fears and uncertainties at the centre of the novella might seem incomprehensible to younger readers, although deep down they may be as prevalent today as they were in the '50s and '60s.

As with all good short stories, the book is a snapshot of a few hours in the lives of its main characters, Florence and Edward. interspersed with flashbacks into their pasts, and how they met and fell in love. The writer alternates between viewpoints, so that the reader is privy to the build-up of misinterpretations that leads inexorably to the denouement. Such is Ian McEwan's skill as a writer that, despite so short an acquaintance with the young lovers, I really felt for them, and longed for something to release them from their tongue-tied misery and guide them to a happier conclusion.

McEwan is a master of the English language. His prose flows through the feelings and uncertainties of his characters, capturing every nuance of sensitivity. My only criticism is the last chapter. The book would perhaps have been stronger if the ending had been left in the air. The frenetic rush through another forty years left a feeling of breathlessness, although it did serve to underline the futility and waste that was all too avoidable - the hints and opportunities were there, but Florence and Edward were too young and naïve to realise their importance or the implications of ignoring them.

What remains after finishing the book is a sense of sadness and loss, but this is no deterrent to reading it. I loved it. Buy it and see what you think. Just don't expect a punchy story. Instead be prepared for a feast of sensitivities and emotions.

LOVED THIS BOOK AND IT'S MESSAGE
I loved this book and didn't expect any more or any less from it. I took it for what it was, which is the account of one tragic day. Beautifully written, this book should be given to all those people who on the verge of a break-up, just to make them think ... is this what I really want? It teaches couples to share your feelings with each other or else risk losing something so important... I think that's the really crucial message from this book. How many broken hearts could be avoided if we did that?? Am I being soft....?? That's Mr McEwan for you!

On one final note, I praise the author on his handling of the female point of view. Many times I have read a book and known it was written by a man... not in this case, beautifully done!

Tragic, doomed
McEwan handles this tragic, doomed love affair beautifully: the awkwardness; the rapture; the misunderstanding; the fumbling; the devotion. Yet the final coda, telescoping 'the rest of their life' into seven pages, seems almost to be notes for a longer work that the author decided not to complete.