Atonement: A Novel
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A symphonic novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and forgiveness that provides all the satisfaction of a brilliant narrative and the provocation we have come to expect from the acclaimed Booker Prize–winning, internationally bestselling author.
One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century • A Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of the Century
“A beautiful and majestic fictional panorama.” —John Updike, The New Yorker
On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. But Briony’s incomplete grasp of adult motives—together with her precocious literary gifts—brings about a crime that will change all their lives.
As it follows that crime’s repercussions through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century, Atonement engages the reader on every conceivable level, with an ease and authority that mark it as a genuine masterpiece.
One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century • A Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of the Century
“A beautiful and majestic fictional panorama.” —John Updike, The New Yorker
On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. But Briony’s incomplete grasp of adult motives—together with her precocious literary gifts—brings about a crime that will change all their lives.
As it follows that crime’s repercussions through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century, Atonement engages the reader on every conceivable level, with an ease and authority that mark it as a genuine masterpiece.
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Community Reviews
I consider myself a fairly competent reader, but I had no idea what was going on half the time. Or maybe my daydreams got the best of me and I simply wasn't paying attention. I hated this book. I personally don't care for the writing style. The plot was annoying, and it made me angry. Not a fan at all.
I loved it!! The writing is so fluid and amazing, and the way the book is structured is too. The way it shows different perceptions is so great. The plot had me hooked! I literally couldn’t put it down. The ending is so gut wrenching
i read this book bc i heard about the movie and it was really different to what i expected. the writing was enjoyable enough but the actual way the story is carried out was just okay. i tried reading someone elseâs 5 star review to understand if perhaps i was missing something, but i think the emotions it stirred up just werenât as strong for me as for some others. still, it poses an interesting question of fault and guilt. iâm still not sure how i feel about the wrong that was committed and i especially felt weird about how lolaâs character is described and how her storyline plays out. intriguing for sure!
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