Atonement (novel)
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Atonement (2001) is a novel by British writer Ian McEwan. It is widely regarded as one of McEwan's best works and was shortlisted for the 2001 Booker Prize for fiction, an award that he had already won for his previous novel, Amsterdam. In addition, Time Magazine named it the best fiction novel of the year and included it in All-TIME 100 Greatest Novels.
McEwan utilizes several important stylistic techniques in the novel, including metafiction and psychological realism.
Atonement contains intertextual references to a number of other literary works including Henry James' The Golden Bowl, Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and Shakespeare's The Tempest.
In late 2006, Lucilla Andrews' autobiography No Time for Romance became the focus of a posthumous controversy, when it was alleged that the novelist Ian McEwan plagiarized from this work while writing his highly-acclaimed novel, Atonement. McEwan has protested his innocence.[1][2][3]
A film adaptation, to be directed by Joe Wright is currently in production for Working Title Films.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
Atonement is a complex novel that presents an intricate story told from several points of view. 13-year-old Briony Tallis sees her older sister, Cecilia, strip to her underwear in front of family friend Robbie after their argument leads to a vase falling into a fountain and Cecilia jumps in to retrieve it. Too young and naive to understand what she is witnessing, her overactive imagination and misguided sense of betrayal lead her to implicate Robbie in a crime he did not commit, the rape of Briony's 15-year-old cousin Lola, for which he is arrested and imprisoned. Growing to adulthood, Briony must deal with the consequences of what she has done. At the end of Part Three of the novel, it is revealed that Briony is the (obviously fictional) "author" of the first three parts. It is further revealed in the fourth section, titled "London 1999" and written from the perspective of Briony as a novelist in her 70s, that the first three parts were written by Briony as atonement for her "crime". The events of the novel take place in both England and France between the years leading up to the Second World War and 1999.
[edit] Objects/Places of Significance
The Trials of Arabella
The Tallis Estate: located in the Surrey Hills in English, the Tallis Estate is the site of the Tallis family party for the birthday of Briony when she turns 77.
The Vase
Dunkirk
The Hospital
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ An inspiration, yes. Did I copy from another author? No. Guardian Online. Retrieved on 2006-11-27.
- ^ McEwan hits back at call for atonement. Times Online. Retrieved on 2006-11-27.
- ^ McEwan accused of copying writers memoirs. PR inside. Retrieved on 2006-11-27.
[edit] References
- Study Guide on Atonement by Ian McEwan. Critical objects/places were used as a reference.
[edit] External links
- Atonement on McEwan's official website
- Atonement on InÉdit
- Complete Review review
- Ian McEwan on Mostlyfiction.com
- Salon review
- Ian McEwanon Blogcritics.com
- The most honored novels: Atonement has received numerous honors and is near the top of the list
- On ABC Radio NationalInterview with Ramona Koval
[edit] Literary Criticism
Finney, Brian. "Briony's Stand Against Oblivion: The Making of Fiction in Ian McEwan's Atonement." Journal of Modern Literature 27(3)(2004): 68-82
Harold, James. "Narrative Engagement with Atonement and The Blind Assassin." Philosophy and Literature 29(1)(2005): 130-145.
Schemberg, Claudia. "Achieving 'At-one-ment': Storytelling and the Concept of Self in Ian McEwan's The Child in Time, Black Dogs, Enduring Love and Atonement." Frankfurtam Main: Peter Lang, 2004.
