On Chesil Beach [Deckle Edge] [Paperback]

 

 

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Was anyone ever as naive and blundering as Florence and Edward? These two young people in their early twenties demonstrate a depth of ignorance that dooms their wedding night. Ian McEwan's novella ON CHESIL BEACH covers the few hours in 1962 during which Florence and Edward eat a mediocre wedding dinner in a hotel suite, move to the bedroom where they botch the whole thing badly, and fail to say the one thing, offer the one reconciliaton that could have saved them.

The overriding gift of this little book is McEwan's beautiful writing, which truly takes center stage. The plot is closely contained within Florence and Edward's relationship and the events of their wedding night, and there is barely enough supporting documentation to justify his clumsiness and her terror.

The point is universally made by reviewers that all this was before the Sexual Revolution of the sixties and early seventies. It hardly seems enough to explain the complete lack of communication between these two, and especially Florence's fear of sex. McEwan throws out a few clues about the relationship between Florence and her father but chooses not to develop them, and it's a noticeable choice in such a short book.

Another choice McEwan made was to define the story so closely. ON CHESIL BEACH is unusual in this regard: it's a book that could have been longer. After the fine dissection of the wedding night, the last section pelts through several decades, as if the only thing about these two worth discussing was over and done with. The harsh last minutes of the wedding night, on the beach, might have been a fulcrum point for a longer story. That was not McEwans' choice, however.

As a character study and an exquisitely disciplined exercise, ON CHESIL BEACH comes through beautifully and is a strong contender for another Booker Prize for McEwan. Yes, there are questions unanswered, but you have to suppose that was McEwan's intent all along. This is a book to be remembered and mused over for a long time.

The media reviews which have typified this book as symbolic of the "sexual revolution" of the 1960s are shortchanging McEwan's abilities as an observer and writer. He has managed to compress the life stories of two people within a meagre framework. The economy of his prose is only matched by his skill in conveying how two people develop into adults. That adulthood sits uncomfortably on both. Young, inexperienced and hestitant, McEwan's characters stand out as living refutations of 1960s stereotypes. As a testimonial to excellent writing, this book is without peer.

McEwan uses the setting of two people on their wedding night to weave an account of the post-war era. The pair were born at WWII's conclusion, but came to maturity in turbulent times. On the one hand, the long-standing British Empire was coming apart at the seams. India had already departed and African and Caribbean nations were struggling to follow suit. It was a time of seemingly great instability. On the other hand, it was also the age of John F. Kennedy. Kennedy seemed to offer fresh promise and the British people developed an ambition to follow that path. That attitude of hope was imbued in both Edward and Florence. Both, from vastly different backgrounds, groped through their young lives for means to depart from the norms they experienced as children. They have little tie to the "old values", but have only the vaguest notion of what new ones they should adopt. Britain, long in thrall of a class system, might cast off the shackles of conformity. Edward and Florence aren't truly aware of this shift in society, are inexperienced and fumbling in their sense of experiment. Both are aware of what they think they want from life, but neither is truly cognisant of the other's aims. Indeed, the two are so caught up in a vision of their future lives that they fail to comprehend each other. It's a scene set for tragedy.

The tragedy occurs, of course. Regrettably, it occurs over one of the most fundamental aspects of life - especially married life. Neither understands the adjustments two people living together must make. Florence has never had a person to share intimacies with, and she feels wholly alone until this night. Edward has been swept along by the male bombast about real or imagined associations with girls. Lacking the forceful personality that might have allowed him to use his looks as a weapon for conquest, he's remained alone, limited to what boys do who cannot bring themselves to chance romantic adventures. He's come to the conclusion that marriage will lead automatically to connubial bliss. He's not the first to suffer such disappointment, but with Florence, the flawed outlook turns into a catastrophe.

This is not a book to take lightly. Its brevity can be deceiving. The attentive reader, however, will discern McEwan possesses a singular ability to build characters. "No man [or woman] is an island" the saying goes. McEwan, however, knows how individuals can build their own worlds until circumstances force a more global outlook. If they aren't prepared to enter that wider environment or lack someone who can ease them into it, the result can be a quick withdrawal. It's like the story of the reseacher dropping a fly into the centre of a spider's web. The spider simply flees. Florence, who has woven a web of insecurity around herself, also takes flight. Can Edward bring her back from her escape? [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Short-listed for Booker? Must be for author's reputation. A sloppy dull account of apparently the first night ever invented in history of a jittery couple, that reads like very bad English romantic fiction. The detailing of being so much in love (truly or for show) then being disappointed, is antithetical by the end of act 2 scene, especially when there is no whisper of concern prior except for lack of knowledge. The one authentic lovely scene on the beach does not redeem this surprisingly annoying read, and that scene's aftermath is written as if he had to stick to a deadline and word count. (For comparison/beauty, read a smilar account/first night scene, early in The Falls, by Joyce Carol Oates: it's superlative.) Also, a substantive editing error in reference to Internet commerce time frame.

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4.0 out of 5 stars More Bookish Thoughts...
I currently count Ian McEwan among my favourite novelists so I was excited to read his latest work, On Chesil Beach. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Reader Writer Runner

5.0 out of 5 stars glows with authenticity
This novel took me by storm. Not so much as I was reading it, but afterwards. "Chesil Beach" is a unique gem among many shiny stones. It glows with authenticity. Read more

Published 22 months ago by mocha

5.0 out of 5 stars As worthwhile as it gets
Wonderful story, excellent writing, perfect ending. The subtle misunderstandings among people, especially friends -- the plausibility and complexity of it all -- is what made this... Read more

Published on Mar 28 2010 by Andrew Delong

3.0 out of 5 stars Very indifferent
My feelings about this book are of great indifference. I neither loved it nor hated it. There are aspects that just didn't do it for me - it is a dark story, and seemed to drag... Read more

Published on Aug 28 2009 by MD

2.0 out of 5 stars niether loved nor hated it
the storytelling is fantastic - but i was in the end quite disappointed as i had hoped the actual story to be richer. i suppose i just did not understand the characters. Read more

Published on Jan 5 2009 by CeeGeeKay

3.0 out of 5 stars Fell Flat
It is 1962. The story opens with Edward and Florence just married and in their honeymoon sweet eating dinner. They are both nervous, as can be expected of two virgins. Read more

Published on Dec 28 2008 by Teddy

3.0 out of 5 stars The world's longest foreplay
One might expect that in a short 166-page book, major events would occur fairly early on, before the page numbers get too high into the double digits. Read more

Published on Oct 13 2008 by Book.........er

5.0 out of 5 stars Ending makes the novel
The novel comes to a slow boil and its ending is quietly devastating in how acutely it paints the haphazard ways our lives turn and how we will never be able to judge if we did... Read more

Published on April 20 2008 by BookBabe

1.0 out of 5 stars Unimpressive
Despite the shortness of this novel, I still found this a difficult book to finish (though the fact that it's not as lengthy as the majority of his novels is the only reason that... Read more

Published on April 10 2008 by Elle

1.0 out of 5 stars Lacking Plot
This novel was completely lacking in plot. I believe the author tried to make up for it by creating a long drawn out history of events leading up to the climax (or lack there of)... Read more

Published on Oct 25 2007 by Kathryn Shaw

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