Enduring Love was my fifth Ian McEwan novel and it definitely reaffirmed the author's status as one of my favourite fiction writers. McEwan invents an engaging plot, in which a man's life changes irrevocably after he witnesses a ballooning accident, but it is the psychological and philosophical questions McEwan raises that make the book so memorable: to what extent is God a product of our evolutionary history? Is belief in a higher power based in reality or rather in a desire to fend off feelings of loneliness? What defines "insanity?" Which is easier: trusting yourself or trusting a loved one? Which is more reliable?
The subjectivity of revelation and interpretation becomes one of the novel's main themes; one person's insight equals another's madness. McEwan weaves sanity and insanity so tightly together that, at times, the reader can't tell them apart. The book also turns on the pivot of coincidence, the bizarre quirks of fate that both plague and delight human life. The story constantly asks, "what if...?", which is precisely what makes it such a haunting read.
1 comment:
I think the first chapter of Enduring Love is just about the most amazing piece of writing ever written. I may have to go back and reread this one. Perhaps only a slight exaggeration to say McEwan is the best living writer in the world at the moment. As you can see I'm a great fan...
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