Atonement - [short] Book Review
tw/ sexual assault
Should we trust what we see with our own eyes? Is what we are observing true or even partly accurate? Without knowing the clear context of the setting, it is quite possible to make a wrong judgment. Something which the protagonist of McEwan’s novel does. Due to her vivid imagination and misinterpretation of adult life, Briony damages the lives of her sister, Cecilia and the steward’s son, Robbie.
McEwan’s acclaimed novel Atonement follows three unfortunate characters whose lives change entirely after a crime committed one summer day, the impact of which leads to misery and demise and years-long impression of repentance.
One of the reasons I am fond of this book is due to McEwan’s writing. I have to admit the prose was challenging for me in the beginning — especially the long, complex descriptions of location settings — however, after steadily learning his style, it became easier for me to comprehend well and eventually fall in love with his prose writing. I did struggle somewhat with the complicated descriptions of site areas but having watched the movie adaptation previously, the visualization was clear and the language in the novel lucid. I would suggest watching the movie adaptation for clear perception if you struggled to understand the portrayal of certain location areas or war equipment terminology.
Another reason why I really enjoyed reading this novel is how the first part of the book takes place on a single summer day in 1935. Upon reading part one, you would think the events carry on for a whole summer, however, the incidents occur one scorching summer day. The tone of the story dramatically changes to a somber one in the second and third parts of the novel. In part one, as it transpires in summer, the atmosphere of the story is vivid and lively from Robbie’s encounter with Cecilia by the fountain to Briony and Cecilia’s brother return home to the brilliance of Cecilia’s green evening dress; in part two, the mood shifts to a darker tone due to destruction and unrest of the World War II; in part three, fatal implications of war are clearly witnessed at the hospital Briony works at. The story was always a gloomy one considering a stubborn misunderstanding that led to family disintegration and war demise.
In a way Briony always wanted to be like an adult — writing stories for adult admiration, believing she understands what carries on between adults, reporting a crime. As she witnesses Cecilia’s love affair with Robbie, she believes she is doing the right thing by protecting her sister from a sex “maniac” , unable to understand that her sister has her own feelings, her own thoughts. While it is true Briony was only 13-years old when she falsely accused Robbie of a crime done against her cousin Lola, it needs to be taken note that she is still young, unaware of the affairs carried in the adult world. The one responsible should instead be the perpetrator, Paul Marshall, not a young girl. This does not mean Briony is not to be blamed, but it is not entirely her fault. Nevertheless, I dislike her selfish stubbornness as a child and her timid act of penance as an adult.
It is evident that the title of the book is an ironic one. Briony imagines she atones for her sins done against her sister and Robbie by giving them an inventive happy end. She also believes that she would patch things with Cecilia by doing everything right. Briony never atones for her sins; in order to make herself feel a little better, in order to forgive herself, she creates a fantasy of repenting and being forgiven.
Reading Atonement made me both, infuriated and upset, and the book was met with my tears of sadness towards its end. The book is not really about repentance, but the impression of it. I would highly recommend reading the novel and watching its movie adaptation. It is true that small mistakes could lead to great consequences, but a major mistake — a crime, a sin — results in chaos and ruination.
