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The Cement Garden The Cement
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. His next novel, novel, next . His progress. The novel concerns "a scientist scientist "a concerns novel The progress. , published in 1977 by Lucilla Andrews. Andrews. Lucilla by 1977 in published , - in - Amsterdam
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Ian McEwan Ian
Author Background
(1981) were his two earliest novels, both of which were were which of both novels, earliest two his were (1981) magazine named it the best novel of 2002, and it was was it and 2002, of novel best the it named magazine
Sweet Tooth Sweet
(1987), winner of the 1987 Whitbread Novel Award; Award; Novel Whitbread 1987 the of winner (1987),
No Time for Romance for Time No On Chesil Beach Chesil On
(1992). McEwan has also written two children's books, books, children's two written also has McEwan (1992). (1994).
Time , about the relationship between a science writer and a stalker, was was stalker, a and writer science a between relationship the , about Dogs
In Between the Sheets the Between In
B.A., University of Sussex; M.A. University of East Anglia Anglia East of University M.A. of Sussex; B.A., University lives in Oxford, England Oxford, in lives .) won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for 2005, and his novel novel his and 2005, for Prize Memorial Black Tait James the won , referring to Andrews’s autobiography, among several other works. works. other several among autobiography, Andrews’s to , referring in November 2006, a month after Andrews' death, McEwan professed professed McEwan death, Andrews' after a month 2006, November in
— Somerset Maugham Award; Whitbread Award; The Booker Prize; Fellow, Fellow, Prize; Booker The Award; Whitbread Award; Maugham Somerset — Aldershot, England England Aldershot, Black — June 21, 1948 1948 21, June (2005), follows an especially eventful day in the life of a successful successful a of the life day in eventful an especially follows (2005), —
— The Child in Time in Child The
Enduring Love Enduring The Daydreamer The
Saturday
Guardian Royal Society of Literature; National Book Critics' Circle Fiction Award Fiction Circle Critics' Book National Literature; of Society Royal
Birth Where Education Awards Currently Atonement
• • • • • Lilian Rose and McEwan David of son the Hampshire, Aldershot, in born was McEwan The Comfort of Strangers of Comfort The Saturday
The (1990); and and (1990);
(1985)
(2007) was shortlisted for the 2007 Booker Prize. McEwan has also written a number of of number a written also has McEwan Prize. Booker 2007 for the shortlisted was (2007)
, was published by Jonathan Cape and Doubleday in March 2010. In June 2008 at the Hay Hay the at 2008 June In 2010. March in Doubleday and Cape Jonathan by published , was Adapted from Wikipedia from Adapted innocence of plagiarism while acknowledging his debt to the author. author. the to debt his acknowledging while plagiarism of innocence ( Solar work this of reading surprise a gave McEwan Festival, the novel for inspiration with change, climate of threat the from planet." the save to hopes who and artists of expedition an of part was he "when 2005 in made McEwan a trip from coming environmental discuss to pole north the near ship a aboard weeks several spent who scientists novel, twelfth McEwan's concerns". 2012. August late in published was in passage a that specifically plagiarism; of accused was he 2006 In a memoir, from a passage echoed note a brief included had McEwan work. his for a source as book the using acknowledged McEwan of end the at in Writing His 1997 novel, 1997 His a film into adapted was It Prize. the Booker for shortlisted not was it although critics, with popular for Prize Booker Man the won he 1998, In 2004. in acclaim; considerable received movie acclaimed critically the 2007, In Prize. Booker for the shortlisted His worldwide. cinemas in released was McAvoy, James and Knightley Keira starring and Wright work, next neurosurgeon. Beach titled libretto a and oratorio an fiction, children's play, a stage screenplays, produced Berkeley. by Michael composed music England when he was twelve. He was educated at Woolverstone Hall School; the University of of University the School; Hall Woolverstone at educated was He twelve. was he when England where Anglia, East of University the and 1970; in literature English in degree his receiving Sussex, course. writing creative pioneering Bradbury's of Malcolm graduates first the of one he was stories, short of collection a was work published first McEwan's BBC the when 1979 in notoriety achieved He 1976. in Award Maugham Somerset the won second His obscenity. supposed of its because Geometry Solid play of his production suspended stories, short of collection and (1978) These Macabre". "Ian be nicknamed to him caused works these of nature The films. into adapted by followed were Innocent Blanche Violet (nee Moore). His father was a working class Scotsman who had worked his way up through up through way his worked had who Scotsman class a working was father His Moore). (nee Violet Singapore), (including Asia East in childhood his of much spent He major. of rank the to army the to returned family His posted. was father his where Libya), (including Africa North and Germany
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On Chesil Chesil On
224 pp. 13:9780307455826 Random Hosue Random - Ian McEwan, 207McEwan, Ian On Chesil Beach On Chesil Book Summary Ian McEwan Ian ISBN On Chesil Beach Chesil On
.) spotlights the talents of a literary grand master at the top of his game. of histhe top game. master at grand literary spotlightsthe of a talents
From Barnes & Noble & Noble Barnes From He longs to consummate the marriage; she is repelled by the very idea. Locked inthe very idea. Locked by repelled the is He toshe longsmarriage; consummate are and victims needs, they their fears to discuss and their unable inhibitions utterly British brand repression of ofdistinctively but experience a notof personal only skills is his Onegreatest ofthe McEwan's revolution. in sexual crumbledestined to forever. which changes life in irrevocable moment precise, the abilitytolimn rueful this tale, few of the pages first within telegraphed that is And moment although and elegiac, it when Brief occurs. devastating force tragic, of itsitnone loses Beach ( Ian McEwan's emotionally charged novel follows an inexperienced young couple an young follows inexperienced charged Ianemotionally novel McEwan's love, in much 1962. Very in hotel Dorset weddingnight disastrous a through at their reasons. for different but nervous, predictably Edward Florence are and
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control were pills no longer – first century? Has the nature loveof –
Ian McEwan Ian . What of the effect is readingsuch a compressed storyline,
Discussion Questions Discussion Questions represent a departure for Ian McEwan?In what ways does it On Chesil Beach Chesil On
.)
On Chesil Beach On Chesil Beach fashioned? Whatfashioned? contributed to that shift? What are your recollections, or shared those 1. What do opening the novel’s tell lines us about Edward How and Florence? did your perceptions changeof them throughout the subsequent pages? What diddetails you eventually knowabout thatthem they fully never revealed to one another? Edward’s2. Is libido truly the primary reason he proposes marriage, or otherwere involvedfactors (perhaps ones he did not admit toeven himself)? Are relationships harmed or helped by cultural restrictions againstsex before marriage? Would this havemarriage taken place if the couple had when birth met just a rumour? 3. Edward replays the words “with my body I thee worship” in his mind. What might –
Questions issued by publisher ( 16. In what ways does enhance the themes in his previous fiction. that night? 15. Discuss the structure of weaving one night with the years before and after it? How did it shape your reading to see only Edward’s point in the view of Whatend? might Florence’s perspective have looked like? 13. How would Edward and have Florence fared in the twenty changed as western hassociety evolved? author14. The tells us that the marriage ended because Edward callous, was and that ran as Florence him, from wasshe at the same time desperately in love with Whyhim. did Edward respond the way he did? Why it so was difficult for tothem be honest about their feelings? wouldHow youreacted have 11. Discuss the novel’s setting, which forms title. its What isthe effect of the creakyhotel McEwan creates, and the crashing permanent on waves a beach where the temperatures are still chilly in June? What does it say about the newlyweds that the this is scene of their wedding night? 12. In the end, Edward explores “whatvarious ifs.” Would their marriage have lasted if he had consented to her request for platonic arrangements? living What are the best toways predict whether a couple can sustain a marriage? 9. To what extent the financialwas gulf between Edward and Florence a source of trouble? Howmight the relationship have unfolded, particularly timeduring period,this ifEdward, not Florence, beenhad the spouse with financialsecurity? 10. Chapter four recounts the moment when Edward tells Florence he loves her because she’s “square,” not in of spite it. their Are opposing tastes the product theirof temperaments or the episodes in their young lives? What your is understanding her revulsion to of sex? 7. What did Edward’s decision to go to London indicate for college about What goals? his was Florence’s dream for her future? Was marriage a greater social necessity for her, as a woman? Would asher career a musician necessarily have been sacrificed ifshe had remainedwith Edward? 8. Compare Edward’s upbringing to How Florence’s. did their parents affect their attitudestowardlife? How did the limitations of Edward’s mothershape his feelings about responsibility and women? Was Florence drawn to her mother’s competitiveness? by who lived relatives it, of the emerging youth culture of the late 1960s and ’70s? Florence5. Were and Edward incompatible in ways beyond sexual ones? What do their difficulties in bed say about their relationship Oraltogether? is ansex isolated aspect of a marriage? 6. Chapter two describes how and Florence Edward the met; first paragraph tells thatus toothey were sophisticated to in believe destiny. would How you characterize the kind of they love developed? What them believemade they were for one perfect another? Are any two people perfect for one another? have beenhave the intention in including that line whenversion this of the marriage ceremony written? was How does it make Edward feel? 4. Ian McEwan describes the novel’s time period as an erawhen youth was not glorified but adulthood Wewas. are also told that Edward born was in 1940, while parentshis contemplated possible ofoutcomes the war with Germany. At what point did Edward and solemnity Florence’s become as oldviewed
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. and —
work is work Amsterdam read -
and
Brad HooperBrad —
Reviews Ian McEwan Ian consists of a single sex scene, one played, because of the On Chesil Beach Chesil On
delusion, desire and repression, opportunity lost or rejected
- On Chesil Beach
The Cement Garden, The Comfort of Strangers, Black Dogs
.) Conventional in construction andrealistic its inrepresentation of addled .) It should not as come a surprise that Florence and Edward, newlyweds who cannot is moreis a novella than a novel, inweighing at around 40,000 words, but those otherlike
The bulkThe of brevitynovel’s and accessibility, in something like “real time.” Edward and Florence have retreated, on their wedding night, to a hotel overlooking suite Chesil Beach. Edward wants sex, Florence is sure doesn’t.she The situation isminiature and enormous, dire and pathetic, tender and irrevocable. McEwan treats it with a sympathy,boundless one that the reader enlists even as it disguises the fact that this novel seeming of ismanners as fundamentally a horror as novel any McEwan’s written, one that with it carries a CronenbergDavid sensitivity to what McEwan calls “the secret affairbetween disgust and joy.” YorkNew Times
among them
— Starred Review Audio version ( psychology, ingenious the is novel for limitedits but deeply resonant focus. Booklist Most criticsfound McEwan'svivid prose both wry and heartrending.... Some critics complained about the novel's narrow focus, unlikable characters, and explicit descriptions of the newlyweds' attempts to consummate their marriage. however,Others, appreciated McEwan's obvious compassion for the Mayhews. Bookmarks Magazine discuss their previous sexual experiences (or lack thereof), do not communicate out loud with one another until all their emotions over atboil the conclusionof firstthe night oftheir honeymoon. That are their lives constructed as narratives and memories makes this novella a particularly good choice for McEwan to perform his own work. McEwan provides a sense deft cadence,of timing and emphasis. McEwan reads this poignant, sad and occasionally amusing gem with entrancing skill, andprecision perfect pace. In short, McEwan's performance mesmerizing. is An excellent addition to the recording a is thoughtful interview with the author.The conversation provides insight into McEwan's ofchoice setting, periodtime (1962) and characters. McEwan reveals that he out tries his inworks progress on audiences, a technique that pays off beautifully. This author outstanding. Publishers Weekly This breathtakingThis novel, Ian McEwan's the11th, tells story of that night. aLike number his previousof books BeachChesil books in it nois important asense miniature. Instead,it takes on subjects of universal interest innocence and naiveté, self creates a small but complete arounduniverse them. McEwan's prose is as masterly as ever, here striking a remarkably subtle balance between detachment and sympathy, dry wit and deep compassion. It reaffirms my conviction that noone now writing in English surpassesor even matches accomplishment.McEwan's Washington Post (
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