Who Would Like This Book:
If you love sharply observed, morally complex novels with a witty, dark edge, "Amsterdam" might be right up your alley. McEwan's prose is as sleek and compelling as ever, pulling you through a tangled web of ambition, friendship, and ethical dilemmas. The book is short and brisk, making it perfect for readers who enjoy thought-provoking stories that can be devoured in a single sitting. If you're into contemporary satire that takes clever digs at media, politics, and the arts, you'll appreciate the way McEwan dissects the egos and failings of his not-so-likable characters. Fans of modern British fiction or novels that blend black comedy with contemporary morality tales should give this one a look.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers just couldn't warm up to the self-absorbed, often unsympathetic main characters, which makes it tough to care about their ultimate fates. If you need to root for at least one person in a book, you may find yourself frustrated here. Others felt the plot takes a few too many far-fetched or implausible turns, especially in the ending, which divides opinion - some saw it coming from miles away, while others found it over-the-top. And compared to McEwan's best works like "Atonement," "Amsterdam" can feel somewhat slight or underdeveloped. If you prefer sweeping character arcs or more emotionally resonant stories, you might want to start elsewhere in McEwan's catalog.
About:
'Amsterdam' by Ian McEwan opens at a woman's funeral where two of her past lovers, Clive and Vernon, are discussing her death and loss. The two men, a publisher and a famous composer, agree to protect each other from a lingering painful death, leading to moral challenges and disapproval of each other's decisions. The plot revolves around the unethical actions of the characters, the absurd conclusion, and the questionable recipient of the Booker Prize, with readers expressing disappointment in the predictability of the storyline.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings might include discussions of death, moral ambiguity, and themes of betrayal.
From The Publisher:
The Booker Prize-winning contemporary morality tale-cleverly disguised as a comic novel-from the acclaimed author of Atonement.
On a chilly February day, two old friends meet in the throng outside a London crematorium to pay their last respects to Molly Lane. Both Clive Linley and Vernon Halliday had been Molly's lovers in the days before they reached their current eminence: Clive is Britain's most successful modern composer, and Vernon is a newspaper editor. Gorgeous, feisty Molly had other lovers, too, notably Julian Garmony, Foreign Secretary, a notorious right-winger tipped to be the next prime minister. In the days that follow Molly's funeral, Clive and Vernon will make a pact with consequences that neither could have foreseen…
Ratings (8)
Loved It (4) | |
Liked It (1) | |
It Was OK (2) | |
Did Not Like (1) |
Reader Stats (21):
Read It (9) | |
Want To Read (10) | |
Not Interested (2) |
What can you read after
Amsterdam?
About the Author:
Ian McEwan is the bestselling author of seventeen books, including the novels Nutshell; The Children Act; Sweet Tooth; Solar, winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize; Saturday; Atonement, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and the W. H. Smith Literary Award; The Comfort of Strangers and Black…
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