Amsterdam: A Novel
BOOKER PRIZE WINNER - NATIONAL BESTSELLER - A sharp contemporary morality tale, cleverly disguised as a comic novel, Amsterdam is "a dark tour de force, perfectly fashioned" (The New York Times) from the bestselling author of Atonement.
On a chilly February day, two old friends meet in the throng outside a London crematorium to pay their last respects to Molly Lane. Both Clive Linley and Vernon Halliday had been Molly's lovers in the days before they reached their current eminence: Clive is Britain's most successful modern composer, and Vernon is a newspaper editor. Gorgeous, feisty Molly had other lovers, too, notably Julian Garmony, Foreign Secretary, a notorious right-winger tipped to be the next prime minister. In the days that follow Molly's funeral, Clive and Vernon will make a pact with consequences that neither could have foreseen... Don't miss Ian McEwan's new novel, Lessons.
On a chilly February day, two old friends meet in the throng outside a London crematorium to pay their last respects to Molly Lane. Both Clive Linley and Vernon Halliday had been Molly's lovers in the days before they reached their current eminence: Clive is Britain's most successful modern composer, and Vernon is a newspaper editor. Gorgeous, feisty Molly had other lovers, too, notably Julian Garmony, Foreign Secretary, a notorious right-winger tipped to be the next prime minister. In the days that follow Molly's funeral, Clive and Vernon will make a pact with consequences that neither could have foreseen... Don't miss Ian McEwan's new novel, Lessons.
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Community Reviews
It was difficult to tell that this was supposed to be a satire until the last half. I've only read two other books by McEwan (Atonement and Machines Like Me). The latter also didn't really come into focus for me until the last 1/3rd or so. Not sure if that might be a pattern.
The book did end up being funny and interesting, but I was a little confused because some of the writing inside the head of Clive, specifically about music and about Molly and about nature, seemed perfectly serious and straight forward. It sort of threw me off the scent of the real shape of the novel. I'm not sure that I liked that effect.
It was fine, but it did not seem like an award winning novel. It wasn't as good as either Atonement or Machines and honestly not what I was expecting from McEwan, so I don't think I would recommend anyone start with this if they haven't read him before.
The book did end up being funny and interesting, but I was a little confused because some of the writing inside the head of Clive, specifically about music and about Molly and about nature, seemed perfectly serious and straight forward. It sort of threw me off the scent of the real shape of the novel. I'm not sure that I liked that effect.
It was fine, but it did not seem like an award winning novel. It wasn't as good as either Atonement or Machines and honestly not what I was expecting from McEwan, so I don't think I would recommend anyone start with this if they haven't read him before.
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