Rating: 
Summary: A little disappointed
Review: I really wanted to like this as I'm a big McEwan fan. However, if I'm totally honest, I was a little disappointed with this, especially after all the excellent reviews. I don't think it ever really reached the emotional intensity of a Child in Time. Anyway, a below average McEwan is still worth the read.
Rating: 
Summary: A compelling, masterful read
Review: I started this book in an evening and wasn't able to put it down until well past 2 AM! There is a lot of detail in the first section of the book, but it really sets the scene for the events to come. The characters and the setting are masterfully constructed, and they only improve in later sections of the book. The part about Dunkirk is so vivid, you feel you are there with the soldiers.
This is an amazing book- you won't be disappointed if you read it!
Rating:
Summary: So Disappointing . . .
Review: Enduring Love was my first McEwan read, followed by Amsterdam. I held my breath for the release of Atonement, only to be sorely disappointed. During the very slow start I found stock characters from 1930s literature and very little dialogue or background which tied the characters together. I couldn't make it past the first 100 pages before deciding that it wasn't worth any more valuable reading time. I must admit that I didn't do a close reading - I didn't look for the metaphors or analyze the dialogue for its significance to the development of the characters. However, I didn't find it necessary to search for these clues when reading Enduring Love and Amsterdam, hence my disappointment. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this novel for pleasure reading. However, I concede that it may be worthy of study.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing to say the least
Review: I read reviews before buying this book and was excited to get reading. About halfway through the book, and many yawns later I put this book down for good.
The plot was very unstimulating, I could have cared less as to what happened to any of the characters. There was way too much discription and no real substance.
This book was a waste of money and a waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: Winner by McEwan
Review: Ian McEwan has written a winner. His characters are well-developed, and his story is entertaining. It would be difficult to beat this book. I'm glad I read it, and I'm thrilled to recommend it to others.
Rating:
Summary: A lovely book
Review: Not a whole lot of action, and the mystery is fairly easy to figure out, but the point of the whole book is the beauty of the writing style and the intricate development of the characters. A wonderful, wonderful read.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I've read this year
Review: Not much has appealed to me this year, but this is one book that I give five stars---excellent read!
Rating: 
Summary: A Classic in the making...
Review: This was a tough book for me to read. I tend towards easy reads, romance and fluff but immediately purchased this book based on NY Times review. I'd put it down and have to pick it back up. The intense descriptions were overwhelming at times. I can appreciate the author's way of bringing the story to life for us.
Rating:
Summary: yes, it is brilliant
Review: I enjoyed "Amsterdam" well enough and "Enduring Love" very much (great opener), but this is better by far. It is a wonderful page turner and the ending is so good that I only read 10 pages of the last chapter a night to savor it. I think this novel can attract wide readership, but that doesn't mean you want to run off and read his other works, which may be much too dark for the typical reader. I also would avoid reading plot summaries or all the stuff they put on the cover flaps..."Atonement" is more fun to read cold, since the plot is so ingenius and unexpected. And the writing is gorgeous. In short, this is a superb book and even my 75 year old Mom is raving about it.
Rating:
Summary: A Thought Provoking Novel About Pain, Loss and Redemption
Review: Atonement is one of those novels that begins slowly, grows on you and becomes impossible to put down. McEwan has crafted a tale that begins with the Tallis family in 1930's England and ends in 1999.
Briony Tallis is a 13 year old girl prone to fantasies and daydreaming who has a particular talent for writing. On a hot summer day in 1935, she witnesses a scene between her sister Cecelia and the housekeeper's son Robbie that confuses her and sets into motion events that spin out of control.
The novel follows the aftermath of this one day through Cecelia's, Briony's and Robbie's life which includes a stunning and heartbreaking description of the retreat from Dunkirk in 1940.
McEwan writes with exquisite detail about the surroundings and each character. Some readers may find this difficult but this novel is not meant to be read through at breakneck speed rather each detail is to be savored and refleced upon as he slowly builds to the stories climax. Once you come to know the characters you are hooked and this fine Booker nominated novel brilliantly concludes leaving the reader wondering if atonement is ever truely possible.
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