Atonement - Ian McEwan

"A person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn and not easily mended."

As far as I am concerned Atonement is up there with Birdsong. It is absolutely one of the best things I have

ever read.

I have a rule that I don’t read books if I have already seen the movie adaptation. I don’t much see the point in that. I like to be surprised by my books.

This did surprise me. Greatly. Firstly because the movie adaptation is pretty close to the original book. Secondly because this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of it at all.

Cecilia and Robbie have known each other since they were children. They have lived on the same grounds and played together their whole lives. Cecilia, who was born into a family of privilege, lives in the mansion house at the top of the grounds. Robbie, whose mother is the maid, lives in a cottage at the bottom.

Their differences were never an issue until they went to university, where they suddenly took to ignoring each other. This story begins when they return to their homes after three years in Cambridge. Things are different between them and neither one of them knows why.

Robbie realises it before Cecilia does. He writes her a letter and gives it to her younger sister Briony to deliver. But Briony is nosy. She reads the letter and allows her imagination, which is already full of misconceptions and misunderstandings about her sister and the maid’s son, run away with her. The consequences permanently alter all of their lives.

I don’t want to tell you too much else about what happens. You should read this book. I couldn’t put it down. The characters are vivid and lovable, the story is enthralling and full of twists. In the beginning you will certainly think that this is just a love story, but be warned that it definitely is not. It seems that way for a lot of the book, but by the end that you will see that there are lessons to be learned from it. The last chapter will smash everything you thought to pieces. Especially if you haven’t seen the film.

As it goes the film is a pretty good adaptation of this book. It seems to be scene for scene correct, as far as I can remember, with the exception of the last scene and the last chapter. In the film Briony reveals her story smashing secret to a camera, but in the book she seems to keep it to herself. I don’t know which is better. The latter leaves you yearning for justice, which I suppose is a good thing. When a book leaves you pining for something then it has clearly imprinted on you, and I suppose that is what an author should strive for. I do wish that some of the questions had been answered, though I can’t tell you which ones without ruining it for you. I shall just say ‘Does Briony tell her parents the truth in the one day?’.

I recommend this. Especially if you like books about the wartime period, which I have realised recently I do seem to enjoy.  

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

"Because when we love we always strive to become better than we are." 

I am really confused about how I feel about The Alchemist. On the one hand the story and its repetitiveness irritated me. On the other hand, I am not ignorant enough to think that this is a simple story about a shepherd and his adventures. 

An Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago dreams one night of a treasure that he knows in his heart is his destiny. Affirmation from a gypsy and a meeting with an extremely knowledgable king confirm that his dream was in fact a premonition, and he sets off in search gold. What he acquires on the way turns out to be much more valuable than what he seeks. 

If you're a spiritual person, this book might affirm your belief. It might encourage you to look for signs and whisperings in your own life about destiny and fate. At the same time you might become frustrated with it in the same way that you might become frustrated by your religion. It will cause you to question why we bother doing anything if everything is written and decided for us anyway. It might give you an excuse to plod along with your ordinary life, safe in the knowledge that what is meant to happen will happen. Or, it might just encourage you to go out in search of a more exciting destiny. 

What I loved the most about it was its tolerance of the three faiths. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all feature, and its characters, when they battle, do not fight over religion. In fact, they all accept each other despite their differences in belief, and appear to accept each other's Lords in the presence of one another. It's as if they all accept that they are worshipping one creator. 

The Alchemist is less than two hundred pages, so can be read in under a day, and I think it is well worth investing that time in it. It is a story of self discovery and God. If you're an atheist I don't think you will like it. If you're contemplating religion or are spiritual, then I think you have things to gain from reading it. It might encourage you to listen a little harder to life's omens. It will certainly give you a renewed optimism. 

Recommended. 

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Whenever you feel like criticising anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the same advantages that you’ve had.”

I prefer to read books without knowing anything about the story. I like to be surprised. I was very surprised by The Great Gatsby.

Firstly, I though that this novel would be written in the first person and from his perspective, or third person omniscient at the very least, but its written in first person and from the perspective of a gentleman called Nick Carraway.

Carraway was born into a wealthy family. He had a top class upbringing and was given a fine education. As a result, he has accumulated a gentlemanly attitude and an array of equally wealthy friends.

After a stint in the army, Carraway moves to a suburb of New York. His neighbour there is the incredibly rich and insatiably sociable Jay Gatsby, a man who earned his own money in a manner that nobody is quite sure of. Every weekend Jay Gatsby’s house is privy to a party lasting from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. It is here that they meet for the first time. An unlikely and unconventional fondness brews between the pair.

Gatsby turns out to be nothing like Carraway imagined. He is a man tortured by a lost love. A love that Nick happens to know.

The Great Gatsby is a story of high society, wealth and the American dream. It is an easy read and, if you pay a little bit of attention, it contains some important life lessons. Having money doesn’t mean you can have everything you want, nor does it necessarily make you happy. As long as you are willing to do whatever it takes to get it, you can earn more money than you could ever imagine, but you would still not be able to buy the heart of somebody else. And, on top of that, even rich people are miserable a lot of the time.

This is a good, easy read. There is very little suspense and, as my good friend Jade said, it isn’t exactly a page-turner, but the story is good, the characters and vibrant and the end, whilst not being favourable, is at least conclusive. Well worth your time!