On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan

Well, if you fancied reading something lighthearted, then this is not the book for you. I like Ian McEwan very much and always find his books very perceptive and thought-provoking and this is no exception. However, one of the reasons I chose to read this was because it's a fairly thin book (only about 150 pages or so) and so rather naively I assumed it would be a happy story. Daft, I know. Silly Charlie.

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When the story opens we are introduced to Edward and Florance and the year is 1962. They have been married that day and are both inwardly contemplating the night of wedding nuptials ahead of them - something which they are far from united in. Edward is looking forward to the occasion whilst Florance is filled with dread, mostly because her head is filled all the things she has been told. It is in this situation that the era the story is set in becomes important. The early 60's where a strange and difficult period for a certain generation. Caught in between the the periods of sexual repression and sexual revolution, Edward and Florence find themselves at the mercy of different upbringings from opposite sides. Edward is well mannered and more forward thinking than sheltered, Florence whose only real love to-date is her classical violin playing. McEwan's choice of location reflects brilliantly the situation of the characters; Chesil beach being a stretch of land sandwiched between the English Channel and the Fleet lagoon. I felt that the water on either side of the beach reflected the two very different era's isolating Florence and Edward as they prepare for their wedding night.

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Ultimately the story has no happy ending. But it is a very elegantly written novel and again McEwan manages to pick up on the small details of his characters which give us clues as to their disposition and future actions. It was a very sad story but one which does really well in capturing the difficulties facing characters in a time of social flux, where past rules are no longer as relevant but where future rules are still evolving. It is beautifully written and I would definitely recommend reading it if you get a chance - just make sure that all others areas of your life are good when you do because the ending is so sad it will bring you down even if you're sky-high happy :)

Enduring Love - Ian McEwan

I couldn't actually put this down and read the remaining entire second half of it today - even missing the first game of the Six Nations to do so! Very intriguing and thought-provoking with lots and lots going on.

God, I am now so behind on my book log I can't actually remember what happened! I know it was good... and that I enjoyed it. This is a book about obsession and the effect that it has on people. I've seen the film a couple of times and really enjoyed that, but that primarily focuses on the obsession that Jed has for Joe. However in the book Joe becomes equally obsessed with the situation but in a very different way and ironically I think is the most prominent factor in his break-up with Clarissa.

McEwan paints Joe as a very intelligent character. In fact you might find yourself skimming over parts of this story as Joe narrates fairly lengthy monologues relating to the topics his character writes about. Sometimes they are interesting, sometimes not. But the impression you do get is that Joe is just as much of an obsessive character as Jed is although about very different things. Jed suffers from De Clerambaults Syndrome which causes the sufferer to believe that someone is in love with then - in this case Jed becomes convinced that Joe is in love with him after they both witness a ballooning accident one afternoon. Jed's obsession with Joe quickly accelerates and begins to encroach on his life, causing rifts with Clarissa as each struggles to understand the situation. Ultimately the story comes to a head when Jed visits Clarissa to tell her that he and Joe are in love...

Ian McEwan writes a very good book here, with an intriguing insight into human nature and explores different areas of emotional reasoning. The night Clarissa and Joe return home after the ballooning accident Jed calls Joe very early in the morning, but when questioned by Clarissa, Joe tells her it was a wrong number. Why does he do this? This is the early turning point for Joe. In lying to Clarissa, albeit for very innocent reasons, he begins down a path where he becomes just as obsessed with Jed's obsession with him. You could call Joe a control-freak in some ways. Joe's whole being is based around logic and rationalism, whereas Jed's character is based on emotion and blind faith. Joe can not understand Jed's obsession when as far as he is concerned he has given him no reason to base it on. Jed on the other hand sees Joe as a kind of wounded-spirit in need of his love in order to feel at peace with himself.

It's a very clever book and McEwan manages to evoke sympathy for both characters. You can't help but feel sorry for Jed, and you can also understand how Joe becomes so obsessed with ridding himself of something his rationalism will not allow him to understand. It's not a very long book but the exploration of human nature and the power of emotion (rational or otherwise) makes for very interesting reading.