• Atonement

  • By: Ian McEwan
  • Narrated by: Jill Tanner
  • Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (3,022 ratings)

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Atonement  By  cover art

Atonement

By: Ian McEwan
Narrated by: Jill Tanner
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Publisher's summary

National Book Critics Circle, Fiction, 2003

In Atonement, three children lose their innocence, as the sweltering summer heat bears down on the hottest day in 1935, and their lives are changed forever. Cecilia Tallis is of England's priviledged class; Robbie Turner is the housekeeper's son. In their moment of intimate surrender, they are interrupted by Cecilia's hyperimaginative and scheming 13-year-old sister, Briony. And as chaos consumes the family, Briony commits a crime, the guilt of which she shall carry throughout her life.

©2001 Ian McEwan (P)2003 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

  • Book Sense Book of the Year Award Finalist, Adult Fiction, 2003

"A tour de force. Every bit as affecting as it is gripping." (The New York Times)
"Enthralling...With psychological insight and a command of sensual and historical detail, Mr. McEwan creates an absorbing fictional world." (The Wall Street Journal)
"A beautiful and majestic fictional panorama." (The New Yorker)

Featured Article: 10 Great Contemporary Fiction Authors


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What listeners say about Atonement

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,537
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Book a dental appointmentut

This book hit me hard!!! (hence my joke about needing the dentist to set your teeth back)

It was a slow burner but ultimately I am glad I stayed with it

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story

I wanted to read this before watching the movie, and I’m glad that I did. It did move a bit slowly at times, and had a bit too much descriptive writing at times for my taste, but overall it was a great listen. I appreciated the ending.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

It Started Out As An Innocent Mistake...

Ian McEwan's book Atonement begins slowly as he first acquaints us with the characters. I stuck with it because all the 5 star reviews advised me too. I am so glad I did. As events began to unfold I fell in love with13 year old Briony, who writes plays and gives parts to all her cousins with rehearsals and performances for the adults. Briony witnesses her older sister"s first romantic encounter with a boy they have both known all their lives, but she does not understand what she is seeing. In trying to protect her sister and do what she believes is right she makes a terrible mistake which she won't fully realize for years to come. The story is funny, rich, and satisfying as it takes the reader on a poignant journey of how Briony's mistake effects her entire family. The author shows us how Briony slowly begins to agonize as she realizes the weight of her actions and she is compelled to try to set things right. This book is SO satisfying!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful.

I watched the movie years ago and it has haunted me ever since. The book added even more depth to this story. I loved it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Love The Book

The story is very poignant - but feels very real. I have loved the book even before the film came out - which was unusually true to the book. That was quite surprising. I've always been interested in Mr. McEwan's books as they are a very good study of human behavior in the direst of situations.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Atonement


The years of war so so so full of pain fears ok book but I was sad

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

McEwan’s Masterpiece

An unforgettable story of love, betrayal, innocence and guilt set in WWII England. Read with precision and limited emotion.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The movie was marvelous, and the book, brilliant.

Gorgeously written, full, and luscious with vivid and eloquent descriptions. I absolutely loved this book. So good, and the narration was beautiful.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

beautifully written

wonderful book, beautifully narrated, highly recommend if your looking for something deep ans tragic

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • cs
  • 12-25-04

Attonement ... reasons to read

The two previous pans of this piece of literature spurred me to add my review. Yes, there was such a complex set of possiblities of meaning that I did listen to the beginning and other parts more than once. For me, that's what you do with a really great book. Light fluffy books have their place, as do deep and complex books. Attonement tends toward the latter; towards literature as opposed to entertainment, though not in a highbrow and full of its own importance way. Its certainly really funny in parts. So that is what I would like to add to the discussion....read Attonement if you love books that lift you beyond your narrow existence.

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76 people found this helpful