![]() ![]() In Part 2 the war has started and we follow Robbie during the Dunkirk retreat in 1940. It wasn’t at all what I expected from this critically acclaimed novel. But after a while, I started to – dare I say it – get a bit bored with this privileged family and their squabbles taking place in a typical Jane Austen setting. At first, I enjoyed getting to know the characters, getting a peek into their thoughts, seeing situations from different points of view, exploring different interpretations. Whilst rather annoying, she feels 100% authentic and I had no problems imagining her in real life. Especially 13-year old Briony stands out. There is no doubt Ian McEwan is a good writer and his character portrayals are exceedingly well done. We are introduced to the family and their guests and Briony commits the action, which will haunt her for the rest of her life. ![]() ![]() The first part of the novel takes place at the Tallis family’s mansion in Surrey over a few days during the summer of 1935. Briony’s imagination leads her to create her own narrative, which has life-changing consequences for her sister Cecilia and Robbie, the gardener’s son. ![]() The consequences are a lot more serious in Atonement though. Like Catherine in Northanger Abbey, Briony Tallis is a young girl with an overactive imagination. It sets the scene for the first part of the book. Atonement starts with an epigraph, quoting from Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. ![]()
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