A review of 'On Chesil Beach' by Ian McEwan
Note: The following review was originally published at Amazon.co.uk on 18th. September 2015. Link to original review: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R2436FVYV3R32?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp
'On Chesil Beach' is the first Ian McEwan novel I have read. I wouldn't say it's a great work, but it's perfectly fine in its own way, and it deserves five stars.
This is a period novel about a long-term relationship between a couple during the 1960s and how they differ in their idea of what romantic love means and involves: one character, 'Edward', believing it to be physical, the other, 'Florence', seeing it more about something equating to Platonic companionship. Edward and Florence marry and Edward has certain expectations about what happens next, which are not fulfilled. The novel isn't just about their marriage but also charts their relationship up to the wedding and after.
I also think this novel offers a commentary on Edward and Florence's generation, and in particular the way that mores and values changed during that dynamic social period. The two characters represent a juxtaposition: Edward is the Sixties juggernaut, in both a literal and metaphorical sense throughout the novel, while Florence is representative of the more reserved Fifties and the old country that people like Edward would cast aside as dull, snobbish and staid.
While I enjoyed the read overall, I'm not sure I would want to re-read this or view any sort of film or TV adaptation. It is quite a sad story and in truth I came away with a melancholy feeling. The subject-matter is depressing and I think the story ends on a downer, but realistically this is how things often work out in life. It's the sort of novel that most of us will recognise something of our own lives in. That does say something good about the writer. This touched me.
This is a period novel about a long-term relationship between a couple during the 1960s and how they differ in their idea of what romantic love means and involves: one character, 'Edward', believing it to be physical, the other, 'Florence', seeing it more about something equating to Platonic companionship. Edward and Florence marry and Edward has certain expectations about what happens next, which are not fulfilled. The novel isn't just about their marriage but also charts their relationship up to the wedding and after.
I also think this novel offers a commentary on Edward and Florence's generation, and in particular the way that mores and values changed during that dynamic social period. The two characters represent a juxtaposition: Edward is the Sixties juggernaut, in both a literal and metaphorical sense throughout the novel, while Florence is representative of the more reserved Fifties and the old country that people like Edward would cast aside as dull, snobbish and staid.
While I enjoyed the read overall, I'm not sure I would want to re-read this or view any sort of film or TV adaptation. It is quite a sad story and in truth I came away with a melancholy feeling. The subject-matter is depressing and I think the story ends on a downer, but realistically this is how things often work out in life. It's the sort of novel that most of us will recognise something of our own lives in. That does say something good about the writer. This touched me.
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