Yes, I said awesome. But before I get into summarizing the plot, I just want to say how thrilled I am to be reading this beautifully constructed piece. Ian McEwan is able to construct beautiful sentences while maintaining clarity, something authors strive for. McEwan's writing style is varied, not jumbled, and he is able to gently emerge the reader into Atonement's environment . I found myself reading simply to uncover more of the aesthetic details of the Tallis' house and garden which, ironically enough, is not supposed to be particularly pleasing to the eyes. As I was reading, I didn't care if the house wasn't up to standard, but I wanted to picture it and be there anyways.
As I explicate the first eight chapters of the novel, I will give examples of McEwan's writing that go along with the scenes. I feel this is the best approach towards giving a good sense of what is happening, and describing why I think Ian McEwan's prose is awesome.
The novel opens with (Birony...Bryony...) Briony Tallis preparing for a play she has written. McEwan makes sure to illustrate Briony with the finest detail in the opening chapters. Briony is a headstrong thirteen-year-old, who contrasts with her older, more carefree sister, Cecilia. McEwan takes time and describes each sister's room as if he were simultaneously drawing the rooms with a very fine pencil. On pages 4 to 5 of Atonement McEwan describes Cecilia's room as being a "stew of unclosed books, unfolded clothes, unmade bed, [and] unemptied ashtrays." In contrast to Cecilia's room is Briony's room, which is a "shrine to her controlling demon." McEwan's description of Cecilia and Briony's personality (via their rooms) is a creative way to really show the reader how their two personalities contrast. Further description of Briony's room details her animal collection, describing them as looking as if they are "about to break into song." I really appreciate McEwan's colorful description of the animals here; it really lightens up the mood of Briony's overly-tidy room. Briony goes on with her plans for her play, and the story switches over to Cecilia. Cecilia is bored from being home for the summer, and in one scene decides to take a hurried stroll through the woods. This is another scene where McEwan's beautiful writing really allows the reader to feel the situation. My favorite quote from this scene paints a perfect image of a statue Cecilia is looking at. "The muscular figure, squatting so comfortably on his shell, could blow through his conch a jet of only two inches high, the pressure was so feeble, and water fell back over his head, down his stone locks and along the groove of his powerful spine, leaving a glistening dark green stain" (17). In that one sentence I was able to not only imagine the fountain itself, but also imagine the statue's age, and presence of where it lays. not only does McEwan finely detail, he also writes with rhythm and creates an atmosphere, without making a point of it. After some running, Cecilia notices a male acquaintance of hers in the garden also. After much trepidation they speak. And in a desperate attempt to retrieve a broken vase piece from a pool of water and "one-up" the boy, she removes some of her clothing in order to jump into the water. Meanwhile, Briony is witnessing all of this, not quite understanding the obvious budding romance. Later on Briony's play fails to go through, causing her to want to blame others. After the incident with Cecilia, Robbie writes her a letter telling her he loves her and has Briony deliver it. Chapter eight ends here, leaving one to ponder the impending doom.
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