1. Atonement

Atonement
/əˈtəʊnm(ə)nt/ Noun
The action of making amends for a wrong or injury. (In religious contexts) reparation or expiation for sin.

     The book I had the pleasure to read this summer was Atonement, by Ian McEwan. This book was not only recommended but also given to me by last year's language assistant from high school, Lisa, who I thank for opening my eyes to a new type of literature I had never dared to read.

    This 400-page book is about a wealthy English family from the '40s and their secrets. It all starts with young Briony who sees her sister, Cecilia, strip off her clothes in front of Robbie, the gardener. Briony, who has a very imaginative mind, makes up the story that Robbie is a sex predator and when her cousin, Lola, is raped she tells the police that it was him. The book is divided into 3 parts (spoiler alert): The first one happens during the summer of 1935 in the family home and ends up with Robbie being taken to jail; The second one develops during the Second World War from Robbie's perspective, and the third one goes back to Briony's perspective being a nurse towards the ending of World War II and ends with the coming back of Robbie being happy with Cecilia. There is, although, an epilogue during 1999 where we discover that the third part was all made up by Briony who, in seek of redemption and atonement, created a happy ending for her sister who, like Robbie, died during World War II.

    This book, though it was written in 2001, reads like a classic. The brilliance of the author is proved several times during the book; with his landscape description, the psychological descriptions of the characters, his own critic to the book and the devastating ending. This book is the first "mature book" that I have read but, if all the classics are this marvellous, I want more.

    I can also say that the film was quite good. It has a conductive sound, which is a writing machine and does a great job bringing the characters to life. I even feel like the second part is better in the film than in the book, in my humble opinion, because it summarizes it beautifully and simply. The film also has Kieran Knightly (Elisabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice) as Cecilia, James McAvoy (Split and X-Men) as Robbie, Saorise Ronan (Jo in Little Women) as young Briony and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock and Dr Strange) as Paul Marshall, among others. The cast just stunningly elevates the film.

    My favourite quote from the book would be one of the last thoughts of Robbie before dying in France during World War II.: 

“He knew these last lines by heart and mouthed them now in the darkness. My reason for life. Not living, but life. That was the touch. And she was his reason for life, and why he must survive.”

    Sometimes, when I pick up the book, I like to run my fingers through the pages and feel them. While I'm doing so, a scent of sunscreen and sea bring me back to the beach where I spent so many hours reading it, surrounded by my friends and I worry not to smell it too long in fright of the scent fading away. 

Finally, I think that, in the future, when I read this book I will be delighted to have my annotations in it (and yes, I said annotations, which to many people are a crime).