His mother’s husband was killed in combat and she was able to marry her McEwan’s father Ian McEwan was born several years later. At the onset of WWII McEwan’s mother was having an affair with McEwan’s father, but was married to another man. One could claim that McEwan was inspired to use World War II as the backdrop to his story because of his own parents love story. Atonement brings to life the importance of perspective. It will make you sigh, laugh and maybe even cry. I don't often reread books anymore due to the sheer quantity of amazing novels out there that I must get my hands on, but I can definitely say this is a book I will revisit, perhaps a few times, in the future.Ītonement is a fantastic love story about childhood friends. She is so frustratingly self-absorbed and narcissistic in the beginning of the novel, and her imaginative whims that so many young girls possess lead to such a catastrophic turn of events. The characters, especially that of the young Briony, were so well-drawn. This was my first foray into Ian McEwan's writing and it definitely won't be the last. I became so wrapped up in the characters, the story, and the heart wrenching consequences of one thirteen-year-old's misinterpretation of a number of events and a rash decision. I actually listened to this book, mostly while driving, and I'm quite lucky I didn't wind up in a ditch somewhere due to my complete inattention to my surroundings. I loved the book just as much as the movie. I find it difficult to read a book after I've seen the movie since I have so many preconceived notions of the characters' appearance and eccentricities locked into my head visually. All of this is to say that after having such a wonderful experience with the movie adaptation, I began to worry that I'd ruined the possibility of having a good reading experience with the novel. Needless to say, I was completely entranced with the storyline and the cinematography. I rented the movie last summer from Netflix and as soon as the movie ended, I stared at the blank screen for a moment, blinked a couple of times in wonderment, and then hit play and watched it in its entirety a second time. I usually make a point of not seeing a movie before I get a chance to read the book, but the opposite is true for my experience with McEwan's Atonement.

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