Atonement
discussion
I HATED this movie is the book worth reading?
I never saw the film but I recall really liking the book and others of McEwan.
I haven't seen the movie, but in my opinion the book was b o r i n g!
I always read book first - I don't really see the point of turning a good book into a film - 99% of the time they end up getting it wrong. In this case, I recommend the book; as for the film you know it's going to be rubbish when you see Keira Knightley in the cast.
The book is a far better read than the film, its so intense at times the film didn't portray this>
I am not a big fan of McEwan and I was not very fond of the book "Atonement." However, that being said, Ian is a very fine writer, and this is probablably his finest work. He just does not come right out and say what he means. He writes great sentences; he doesn't dice words and he does not waste them needlessly. Most of his books are fairly short. Such is the case with "Atonement", which is very hard to get into at first - I almost shelfed it. But if one sticks it out, "Atonement" gets quite a bit better. I guess that Ian McEwan is just not for me and not for everybody.That being said, I have no desire to see the movie.
I rarely get around to seeing the movies of books, except for The English Patient, so long ago. I love Ian McEwan's writing. I tend to "see" the characters long after finishing the book. Guess I should get out to see more movies!
Cameron wrote: "I am not a big fan of McEwan and I was not very fond of the book "Atonement." However, that being said, Ian is a very fine writer, and this is probablably his finest work. He just does not come r..."Greetings Cameron in Kansas from London! You have the name of the moment...Wiggins...our Bradley has just won the Tour de France...the first time a Briton has won the event in its 109 years! Go Wiggo! Seriously, I have a major gripe with Ian McEwan...in as much as he used my name...O'Byrne...for an odious character in a notorious short story called 'Pornography' in his 1st collection,'First Love,Last Rites' in 1977? One day I will be revenged! I was interested in your use of language too,Cameron...'dice' where we in England would say 'mince' & your use of 'shelf' as a verb where we'd say 'shelve'.Isn't this though, one of the greatest glories of the English language?...its sheer breadth & depth,its endless flexibilities & its constant development? Good reading,sir!
If you hated the movie don't bother. I hated the book (read it for my bookclub) and find McEwan's writing unnecessarily torturous. As friends told me and as people have said here, the movie closely followed the book. There are two many good books out there that you will love to waste your time on this one.
McEwan is a very patchy writer. But some of his work is of merit.
Lorraine wrote: "I thought this was one of the best books I'd ever read - the movie was only so-so. The book has three parts, each from a different point of view, and I really enjoyed each section, but the middle ..."I'm the opposite :) I had a hard time getting into the book to begin with and had a hard time getting through the middle. I've only seen parts of the movie and it's usually the same parts when it's on television. From what I've seen I've enjoyed it.
Overall I think both the book and movie are worth checking out.
I surprisingly love the movie more than the book. But whether it's worth reading depends on what writing style you're fond of. For some people I know, they just find his words too flowery.
The book took me less than a weekend to read. I enjoyed the use of the language. I have not seen the film, not really interested in the interpretation of my own experience from a different perspective. Does that make sense?
Kevin wrote: "The book took me less than a weekend to read. I enjoyed the use of the language. I have not seen the film, not really interested in the interpretation of my own experience from a different perspec..."makes perfect sense to me. I almost never see film adaptations of books I've enjoyed
i recommend that you read the book. that is that.
Lisa wrote: "When you realize what it is that you've been reading, you have to go back and reconsider the entire story in that light."
I totally agree. I love books that make you rethink the entire plot at the end - I think a book that does this successfully, such as Atonement, is definitely worth reading.
I totally agree. I love books that make you rethink the entire plot at the end - I think a book that does this successfully, such as Atonement, is definitely worth reading.
the film was utter rubbish and the "atonement" appallingly patronising.
Jen wrote: "I always read book first - I don't really see the point of turning a good book into a film - 99% of the time they end up getting it wrong. In this case, I recommend the book; as for the film you kn..."she's Anna Karenina now! there are no words.
I thought Atonement was haunting. it evoked a lot of anger at the unfairness of it all, and how nasty and selfish Briony was. It showed not everything is fair in life and sometimes horrid people are the ones who survive and have success. The story line was unique and heartwrenching. I found it believable and written with passion and insight. A book you remember long after you have finished it.
The book is absolutely worth reading. Ian McEwan is a genius and Atonement is so beautifully written and thought provoking. Never judge the book by the movie, although to be honest I rather liked the film and found that it was quite faithful to the book.
Well, I haven't seen the movie yet, so I can't make any comparison between the book and the movie, but I've read the book and I loved it. I think it's worth reading, it's wonderfully written and it tells a beautiful story.
The story is a bit dragging but the prose is really great. I didn't expect to like it this much. The characters turned out to be really credible for not being credible. Briony, in particular.
I reallllly liked the book. I would reread it. I have not seen the movie so I know this won't be much help.
I read the book before I saw the movie and, unusually, I wished that I had done it the other way around. I thought that the interpretation of the movie was interesting. Atonement and Chesil Beach are my favourite McEwan books. I didn't like Solar and I've recently read Sweet Tooth which didn't appeal to me very much either.
I liked the book and the movie. The movie was about the same as the book. It followed the story pretty accurately. Just read a sample of the book and see how you find it.
I found neither very memorable (the green dress on Keira Knightly in the movie is what sticks in my mind most). But I do recall enjoying reading the book more than watching the movie. If you're in a McEwan type of mood, try Enduring Love. It's my favorite book by him, and I think it's the most engaging.
No. Not if you didn't like the movie.
I loved the book. I thought the ending of the movie was hard to follow and better explained in the book:SPOILER:
(where the little sister imagines that they're saved, but they're not)
The book is much better than the movie. I really liked the book, but I thought the scene about Dunkirk in the movie went on longer than the actual battle of Dunkirk did.
I really loved this book, I found the movie to be unwatchable...which is probably me just being dramatic, but I could not get through it.
No. The writing is a drag.
If you didn't like the movie because you thought it was slow and boring, than you won't like the book. The reason I didn't hate the movie is because I was very attracted to it visually. It is a very slow movie but it's very visually descriptive and I thought in that sense it was a beautifully shot film. The book however I found to be a bit too descriptive and wordy, it made the slowness of the movie seem even slower than it already was. In my opinion if you didn't appreciate seeing the visualization in the movie (that being the only part worth the time for me) than you definitely won't like reading the visualization in the book. I was not a fan.
Atonement is my favorite book by McEwan. I loved it and the movie was a decent adaptation for once so you probably wouldn't like the book.
No it's not worth reading in my opinion. :)
If you hated the movie, then you'll probably hate the book too. I loved the movie and though I thought the book was too long and boring, in the end, I liked it too.
The book is rather different from the movie, a lot better in fact. I would say give it a try...
If you hated the movie, then DO NOT attempt to read the book, hahaha.
I haven't seen the film, so I can't comment on that. The book is typical McEwan - some good ideas, moves along at a decent pace and is well constructed. But at the same time I always find his books very irritating - I always get the feeling that he is trying to be clever or seek a reaction, and that gets on my nerves. So the book is good, well worth reading, but with reservations at least for me. Maybe, if you want to start reading Ian McEwan, you should start with an easier one to read (like The Innocent).
Didn't see the movie, but loved the book.
I enjoyed the book, but disliked the movie so much on first viewing that I stopped watching long before the end. I tried to watch the film again about a year later and while I did get to the end, I didn't think the film was anywhere near as good as the book.
No, the book isnt worth reading
I really hated the book...I think the review letter she recieved in the book tells the entire story. A lot of WORDS between bits and pieces of a story.
The book is worth reading.Great ending!
Usually the book is going to be better. Atonement was no exception to the rule.
Haha! My first thought when I saw your post was "I hated the book, is the movie worth seeing?" My whole book group agrees this is one of our all-time least favorites.
I liked the book - it's well written and a lot less obvious in what occurred until later. Briony has no concept of what she really saw or what harm she is going to cause. I was bored by the part in the book dealing with the war..skimmed at lot of it to get to what was an obvious ending to me.
Yes, read the book. It's well worth it. I was unimpressed with the movie. Some books are better left off the big screen.
Are you kidding? It's Ian McEwan. All of his books are worth reading. IMO, the movie was good, but (as is usually the case) not nearly as good as the book
Atonement is arguably McEwan at his best especially considering how much he has fallen off track with his recent efforts. I haven't read through all of these posts so I don't know whether the original poster has replied to this question or not, but it may depend on what specific elements of the movie you hated. The movie, as I recall, did a pretty good job of remaining faithful to the book, so there could very well be much for you to dislike about the book if you felt so strongly about the movie.
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As a Briton...'Britisher'(I hate this Americanism!!...& 'Brit' is almost as irritating!) I have to say that only the equivalent of OC/Valley girls says 'brill'!
I saw & heard McEwan & the screen-writer Christopher Hampton in London,after a special screening of 'Atonement',talking about the problems in adapting a novel for a feature film. Believe me William,it's a hell of a task.They agreed to allow Hampton some leeway in the screenplay,& McEwan was happy-ish to let Hampton have his way.(rather like letting your baby walk free!).A film has different exigencies.The book is better than the film but I must say the film had some great moments(the scene on the beaches where the British soldiers,with death & chaos all around, sang that hymn in the band-stand had me moist-eyed .Enjoy your reading!