Ian McEwan

[K.D.]

I've read 4 so far: Enduring Love, Amsterdam, Atonement and A Child in Time.

I liked Enduring Love the most.

Judith, Emlyn is definitely using the 2006 version of the list. In the 2010 version, McEwan has only 3: Atonement, Enduring Love and The Cement Garden.

[Ellen]

I liked the first half of Atonement enormously but really grew to not only dislike but, worse, be bored by her after the big scene. The Cement Garden was absolutely shocking & disturbing & so, of course, I liked it. Also it was concise & stayed interesting. The Child in Time was heartbreaking. I'd forgotten about it-it's one of my most-favorites-but-too-painful-to-ever-reread of his.
I really enjoyed Saturday. I didn't find the end illogical, as I've heard others complain of, but pointless & actually (surprisingly) too predictable. Terrorism brought home. Alternative happy endings to world crises. I wish he'd stayed subtle-he does have a flair for the melodramatic.

I've heard good things (but haven't yet read) about Enduring Love. Can anyone tell me a little about it? Just a little story or characters & style.
Thanks out there :)

[Aloha]

I wanted to read that book. The male protagonist is stalked by a man who has de Clairambault's Syndrome.

[Ellen]

Ok-I'm fascinated. Only now I have to go look up de Clairambault's Syndrome.

[Aloha]

Reading takes you to strange places, Ellie! LOL

[Ellen]

That's why we love it, right? :D

[Aloha]

Yep! :oD

[Ellen]

Just looked it up-which also read to reading an interesting article "why can't biologists read fiction."

Your so right-reading takes us on endless & endlessly interesting- journeys.

[Aloha]

I'm a horror fan. Now, that's one genre that leads you to interesting places. Because I love gourmet cooking and am into abnormal psychology, I took up a persona as a cannibal in that forum. I am now arguing with a zombie on how to cook her up. I threaten to cook potentially delicious forum members now and then. LOL

[Ellen]

ROTHFLMAO

[Hima]

Ellie wrote: "But still, only 10 Dickens to 8 McEwans?"

That is exactly my point.

[Aloha]

Dickens get really longwinded. Early in my reading life, I was into him for a while, but since have discovered plenty more authors I'd rather read.

[Ellen]

Oh I love Dickens. I love to crawl inside his little 19th century world & live there for a while.

[Tracey]

For me it's Atonement. The book conveys so many emotions and had me laughing, falling in love and crying bitterly at the hand dealt to the characters.

[Louise]

I loved The Child in Time, but was aided in this by studying it in sixth form. I also loved Atonement and Enduring Love. I couldn't get into Amsterdam or The Innocent, but will definitely try again. Haven't tried Solar or Saturday yet, but it's good to have a solid author in the wings for after a bad book!

[K.D.]

I read and loved the following (order is necessary):
1) ENDURING LOVE - because of the balloon scene
2) ATONEMENT - because of the library scene
3) THE CHILD IN TIME - so far it is the saddest
4) THE CEMENT GARDEN - because it's dark (incest)
5) AMSTERDAM - my least liked so far.
I am a McEwan fan and I intend to read all his works before I die. Even those not included in the 1001 list. :)

[Luke]

Saturday is one of my absolute favorites, and I really liked Atonement. It's been a while since I've read him, but I'm aiming to get through his other books on the 1001 list.

[Laura]

I've actually only read Amsterdam- although Ian McEwan is obviously an amazing writer I didn't enjoy the story; thought all the characters were unlikeable and the ending was both predictable and completely unbelievable.

[Arukiyomi]

If you've been married a while, Chesil Beach is a must read. I found it all the more poignant as my wife and I had our honeymoon in that very area of the UK.

For me, Chesil Beach is the only McEwan novel that has ended as strongly as it began. I find him very inconsistent. Enduring Love, Atonement, Amsterdam: all started out well and then tailed off for me.

[Cecily]

I've read seven of his novels (reviews here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...) and my favourite is On Chesil Beach, though I've found all of them impressive ("enjoy" isn't quite the right word, e.g. with The Cement Garden) with the exception of Black Dogs, which I didn't think up to his usual standard.

I think On Chesil Beach is an exquisite novel(la) and, as Arukiyomi said, it ends as strongly as it starts. Knowing the area possibly helps (which is true for me for several of his books) but I also liked the echoes with several other books I'd read in recent years: Margaret Drabble’s The Millstone, Lynne Reid Banks' The L Shaped Room and Julian Barnes' Staring at the Sun (all referenced in my review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...).