Atonement by Ian McEwan

Title: Atonement

Author: Ian McEwan

First Published: 2001

No. of Pages: 351

Synopsis (from B&N): "Set in 1935 England, this "New York Times" bestseller is enthralling in its depiction of childhood, love and war, England and class, making it a profound--and profoundly moving--exploration of shame and forgiveness, of atonement and the difficulty of absolution."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: I can't begin to tell you how much I loved this book. The author's style is incredibly engaging. The plot holds your interest, but the book is also very strong on character development. The characters are fully fleshed out and you feel like you're reading about people you know and care about. The level of detail of the historical settings is very descriptive. I don't want to say anything much about the plot, as it's all important and I don't want to give anything away. I haven't yet seen the movie adaptation but I've also heard good things about it and am looking forward to watching it. A fabulous book, highly recommended.

Awards: Man Booker Award, 2001 (shortlist); Commonwealth Writers' Prize, 2002 (European region winner)

Challenges: 999 ("Booker/National Book Award"); Book Awards II; Complete Booker