Thursday, July 21, 2011

Review : On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

Author: Ian McEwan
Category : Contemporary Fiction
Format: Hardcover ( 203 pages)
Publisher: Nan A. Talese ( 5 June 2007 )
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385522401
ISBN-13: 978-0385522403

Goodreads description :
A novel of remarkable depth and poignancy from one of the most acclaimed writers of our time.

It is July 1962. Florence is a talented musician who dreams of a career on the concert stage and of the perfect life she will create with Edward, an earnest young history student at University College of London, who unexpectedly wooed and won her heart. Newly married that morning, both virgins, Edward and Florence arrive at a hotel on the Dorset coast. At dinner in their rooms they struggle to suppress their worries about the wedding night to come. Edward, eager for rapture, frets over Florence's response to his advances and nurses a private fear of failure, while Florence's anxieties run deeper: she is overcome by sheer disgust at the idea of physical contact, but dreads disappointing her husband when they finally lie down together in the honeymoon suite.

Ian McEwan has caught with understanding and compassion the innocence of Edward and Florence at a time when marriage was presumed to be the outward sign of maturity and independence. On Chesil Beach is another masterwork from McEwan — a story of lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.

My Thought :
On Chesil beach is a short novel by Ian McEwan. It's a story about a wedding night of newly married couple, Edward Mayhew and Florence Ponting. They are young, in love, virgin and inexperience. On their wedding night, Edward is so excited to intimate with his new wife. On the other hand, Florence is scared of the idea of sex. They have their own fear, but never talk about it. The lack of communication make thing getting worse. Finally, Edward and Florence decide to separated. Years later, Edward regret the decision he made. The ending of this book is heartbreaking.

On Chesil Beach is the first novel I've ever read by Ian McEwan. Ian McEwan is an amazing writer. With a simple idea about love, marriage and sex, McEwan can make the whole story is very interesting. This book is written with slow pace and amazing detail. From the ending of this book, we can learn that love is not enough, we have to be patient and learn to communicate to make a relationship work. Everyone have their own fear, so communication is the best way to make a couple to understand each other.

Overall, I really enjoy On Chesil Beach and highly recommend this book to everyone.

I give On Chesil Beach 4 out of 5 stars.

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