Recommended book--Atonement

My friends and I, even after two months of finishing this book, are still discussing this great novel: Atonement, by Ian McEwan. I mean, usually when we have read a book, we only discuss it for one day, two to three days tops, but for Atonement--almost two months.

I won't give away the plot for those who have not read the novel--however, part of our debate has been on the plot and some of the subplots and of the character Briony, herself. Was Briony mistaken or was she lying when she saw Robbie and Cecelia together in the library? Was she driven by jealousy or naivety of what she saw? When did she start to feel guilty after making false witness to the police? If she had not noticed them by the fountain the first time, what would she have thought when she saw the pair in the library, and would her statement to the police be different?

Then we go on to the other characters: Paul Marshall, Lola Quincey, the twins, Emily Tallis, all the other characters sans the lovers. In fact, I will give you a hint to those who haven't read the book: though Robbie and Cecilia are the main focus of the book and are essential characters with dynamic descriptions, it's the minor characters whose perspectives and demeanors bring out a the whole plot of the story, the driving force of the plot. How do you think Robbie ends up in prison and Cecelia ending up as a nurse in the war? What motivates Briony to rethink her testimony? Why were Robbie and Cecelia separated from the declaration of love from the very first night? Answer: the minor characters. In fact, one of our discussions has been regarding the scene in the nursery, with Lola and Paul Marshall and what may have happened regarding Lola's "chinese burns".

These questions and others my friends and I still talk about to this day. If you are in a book club and have not read this book, you must read it, it will make for stimulating conversation, if you have, re-explore this novel, don't be surprised if you do end up talking about it for weeks.

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Atonement by Ian McEwan

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