Book Group Notes: Atonement by Ian McEwan

The Literary Lady’s Book Group Guides are designed to generate discussion at your book group or as a way of enhancing your own reading experience. The discussion points offer a ‘route’ through the book but don’t feel you need to stick too rigidly to it if an interesting topic comes up that needs further discussion!

About the Book:

At the heart of Atonement is a simple idea: on a hot summer’s day in 1945, a young girl gives a false account of a serious crime and spends the rest of her life coming to terms with her part in it. From this one transgression, the novel expands into an epic story of war, love, childhood and guilt. McEwan’s skilful and vivid writing presents the reader with a novel about the responsibilities and the power of storytelling. 

Discussion Points: 

- The novel is split into three parts – one summer’s day in Briony’s youth, Robbie’s experiences at France during the war and Briony’s life as wartime nurse. There is also an epilogue with the elderly Briony in 1999. Which of these sections resonated most with you?

- ‘What was guilt these days? It was cheap. Everyone was guilty, and no one was.’ Who is guilty in this novel? 

- What kind of family is the Tallis family? What do you make of the familial relationships and roles the characters engage in? 

- What part does war play in the novel? 

- What is the effect of McEwan’s visceral descriptions of war and violence? 

- How does the sex scene between Robbie and Cecilia contribute to our experience of the novel? What is the effect of Briony interrupting them?

- ‘Yes, I saw him. I saw him.’ What does Atonement say about truth and storytelling? 

- Geoff Dyer commented that with Atonement, ‘McEwan seems to be retrospectively inserting his name into the pantheon of British novelists of the 1930s and 1940s’. Does McEwan share similarities with writers like Virginia Woolf, D.H.Lawrence, E.M.Forster and Henry James?

- McEwan said he fell in love with Briony as a character. What was your impression of her? 

- Atonement was adapted for the screen in 2007. How does the film compare with the book? What would you have done differently if you made the film? 

Have you read Atonement? Join the discussion and leave a comment below! 

A Literary Alphabet: I is for Illustration

With little ones in our family again, I’ve been seeing familiar sights long buried in my memory. Toys I played with, tiny woollen mittens I used to wear and books which were once read to me. Looking over beloved storybooks, I realised how powerful illustration is to the mind. Illustrations are iconic to our memory– think Mr. Happy, The Snowman and the Very Hungry Caterpillar. Whilst the words may be lost between the pages of our ever-growing brain, the image remains long after we have put childish things away.

Illustration naturally reminds us of our childhood books but there are occasions when we grown-ups can enjoy this symphony between word and image too. Try Neil Gaiman’s The Sleeper and the Spindle with spell bounding illustrations by Chris Riddle or the brilliant Life Portrait series which tells the life stories of iconic women via drawings. I just love the engravings that appear alongside the text in Victorian novels. These illustrations depict a key moment within the text. The artist must convey hundreds of words in one picture. Rightly or wrongly, those illustrations stay with us as we read. They shape our impression of a character or situation strongly.

Illustrators have a lot of responsibility – like us, they must process the text and conjure up a corresponding image in their minds. But then they take the additional step of putting that image onto paper. Their image can become, or even replace our own. George Du Maurier, Victorian illustrator (and father of Daphne), believed there were two types of readers: the reader ‘who visualises what he reads with the mind's eye, unconsciously, perhaps, and without effort, but in a manner so satisfactory to himself that he wants the help of no picture’ and those who do ‘not possess this gift’. The latter type is who, Du Maurier believed, the illustrator is there to serve. He compares it to theatre – the action can unfold visually before us without any need for our imagination.

I think this underestimates both the reader and the power of pictures. I prefer thinking of illustrations as cues, or keys that can unlock our imagination. We can take the illustrated image and let our imagination run with it. When illustrators get it right, their drawings can be masterful suggestions to our imaginations. If books are there to transport us, illustrations sure can help us on our way.

Feed your illustration obsession by looking at how these artists have tackled illustrating scenes from Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park.

Catch up with more in my Literary Alphabet series here.

Do you love illustration? What does it mean for you? Do leave a comment below!  

A Literary Alphabet: H is for Hardbacks

Buying a hardcover is a momentous moment in the life of a literary lady. A hardback is something solid and permanent, stately and formal, unlike a flimsy paperback that can be bent and battered. Purchasing a hard cover is a symbol of trust in a new author or faith in an old one – otherwise you’re stuck with a cumbersome tome. It is, of course, more expensive to buy a hardback than wait for the paperback to be released… but sometimes it’s hard to resist the special quality of a hardback. There’s definitely a tactile element – the feel of good quality paper between your fingertips, the solidity of the covers, the hefty weight of it. And, then there’s the covers. Cloth bound hard covers are particularly enticing (you can feed your cover obsession on my Pinterest page). We all know its what’s inside that counts, but hardbacks definitely give good stories a wonderful wrap.

Do you love hardback books? Leave a comment below! 

A Literary Alphabet: G is for Garden

Literature and Gardens have bloomed alongside each other for centuries. In gardens, life is laid out plainly – things grow, things bloom, things die, life withers and wilts, flourishes and flowers amid sunshine, rain and storm. No wonder so many writers choose gardens as a source of inspiration, a fitting backdrop for the stuff of life. Here are four of my favourite garden novels…

Elizabeth and Her German Garden – Elizabeth Von Armin

‘Where the trees thicken into a wood, the fragrance of the wet earth and rotting leaves kicked up by the horses' hoofs fills my soul with delight. I particularly love that smell, -- it brings before me the entire benevolence of Nature, for ever working death and decay, so piteous in themselves, into the means of fresh life and glory, and sending up sweet odours as she works.’

A diary of a lady as she embarks upon a year of gardening. Here, the garden is Elizabeth’s sanctuary from the pressures of her life. Witty observations spring up like daffodils in this tapestry of sparkling prose. Save this for your Spring reading!

The Cement Garden – Ian McEwan

 ‘At the back of my mind I had a sense of us sitting about waiting for some terrible event, and then I would remember that it had already happened.’

A dark tale of four children left to their own devices when they become orphans. Weeds of lies, sexuality and jealousy tangle together to create this strange, uneasy story.

The Garden of the Finzi-Continis - Giorgio Bassani

‘Even in a city as small as Ferrara, you can manage, if you like, to disappear for years and years, one from another, living side by side like the dead.’

Focusing on a group of Italian Jews during the rise of Mussolini, it tells the story of the narrator’s relationship with the wealthy Finzi-Continis. Sweet innocence is slowly corrupted by the rot of fascism.

The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

‘And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.’

A childhood classic. Mary, a misunderstood and lonely girl, finds solace and rejuvenation within the walls of a secret garden. Evocative descriptions leave you wanting to escape down the garden path with her.

Do you have any favourite books about gardens? Leave a comment below…

A Literary Alphabet: C is for Classic

‘A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.’

-  Italo Calvino

For a lot of people, a classic is an old book that it sounds good to say you’ve read - probably written by a dead author, something quite long and something we know is ‘good for us’. I think we need to move towards Calvino’s definition of a classic as something that endures, transcends time and generation, and poses questions about and offer solutions for the issues of our time. Another quote from Calvino says that ‘there is nothing for it but for all of us to invent our own ideal libraries of classics.’ I love this idea. It puts the categorisation process into the hands of the readers. When you decide upon your classics you might ask yourself:

• Do I feel a strong connection to the book regardless of when it was written?
• Do I continue to think about the book well after finishing it?
• Do I find myself revisiting and rereading the book?
• Do I find the book has an effect on my life?

With this in mind I would start my list with Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence, Villette by Charlotte Bronte and Atonement by Ian McEwan.

What would make your personal list of classics?

A Literary Alphabet: B is for Bookshop Dreams

For some of us, a bookshop is a spiritual home. It is where we begin new journeys, learn new things and feel comfort in being surrounded by like-minded souls. My love of bookshops has got me dreaming about the ultimate fantasy bookshop scenarios…

1. To enter a bookshop and find a display table with your name on it, stacked with recommended books tailored to your every whim and desire.
2. To go up to the cash desk and discover an unused book voucher in your purse. Free Books = unbeatable.
3. To enter a bookshop and find a bed with a meringue-like duvet and for it to be perfectly acceptable to lie down with a book.
4. Arrive at a bookshop and find that one of your favourite authors (whether living or not) is doing a book signing.
5. Finding a signed, first edition among the shelves.
6. Discovering your favourite bookshop operates within its own time zone that allows you to browse for hours but takes up only seconds in real time.
7. Stumbling upon a secret, forbidden floor of books.
8. Encountering your very own Mr. Darcy (or Mr. Knightley) when you both reach for the same book. Cue romantic plotline.
9. (One for the writers) Finding your own book for sale with the perfect cover and a picture of you looking perfectly photogenic.
10. Being allowed a bookshop entirely to yourself. Imagine a completely quiet shop floor with just the words of Dickens and Defoe, Shakespeare and Shelley for company.

Whilst these fantasies are very enticing to the imagination, when it comes to bookshops all we really want is to step inside, be transformed and come away with a new adventure.

Which of these do you love? Have you had an amazing experience in a bookshop? Let me know in the comments section below!

Read More: The Joys of the Second Hand Bookshop

Getting Children into Reading: Part Two - Ages 5-12

‘You can find magic wherever you look.  Sit back and relax all you need is a book!’ - Dr. Seuss

In the last post of this series, I looked at getting under five year olds into reading. In this post, I’ll talk about some of the ways you can make your five to twelve year olds fall in love with reading for life. Primary school is a crucial time for a child’s relationship with reading. Reading can easily become something associated with the bind of school and homework and academic attainment, so it’s important to make sure that your child is having time to actually enjoy and cherish books.

• Get them to write a letter to their favourite character. They could write to Matilda and ask what it felt like to have magical powers. Or they could write to Newt Scamander about some of the magical beasts they’ve discovered.

• A wonderful way to get children to interact with a book is to get them to illustrate a story or scene. This will encourage them to draw out the imaginative, striking images within the text.

• Watch adaptations of their favourite books. Encourage them to think about how watching a film is different to reading a book.

• Give them book vouchers and encourage your friends and relatives to do the same. The novelty of being able to buy a book will give them a sense of excitement about reading what they choose.

• Heighten their reading experience by employing sensory techniques. Employ a range of textures, sights and sounds for them to explore as they read.

• Let them read to you. This is a great way of bonding over books as well as being an opportunity to help them with pronunciation.

• Now is a great time to get children into creative writing. Staple together some sheets of paper so they have a ‘real’ book to work with. It’s a good idea to give them a prompt of some kind like ‘heroes and villains’ or give them a starting sentence like ‘I opened the mystery door and…’

• Take trips inspired by your reading. Open up the worlds they are exploring a little more by visiting museums and other places connected to a book. Reading Goodnight Mister Tom, for example, could be enhanced, by visiting the Imperial war museum.

• Ask them questions about what they read. This will help them to draw out the issues being explored in their storybooks, develop empathy and increase engagement.

Coming Soon: Getting children into reading – teens.

Which of these ideas appeals to you? Let me know in the comments below…

Agatha Christie: Five Favourites

The works of Agatha Christie offer something of a paradox. We know when we open the book what we’ll find, we know the familiar old tropes and characters. And yet these expectations are constantly skewed and subverted by Christie so that we are swept along right until the final twist. There is however one certainty with Agatha Christie – pure entertainment. Here are five of my favourites…

The ABC Murders

Demonstrating her unique skill of skewing the significance of something ordinary for sinister consequences, Christie gives us The ABC Murders in which a murderer works through his victims in alphabetical order. Amid the panic and frenzy, the murders have evoked across the country, Poirot must apprehend the killer before he reaches the next letter.

And Then There Were None

The reassuring presence of Poirot or Miss. Marple is absent in this novel in which ten people are invited to a deserted island by a mysterious host. It emerges that each guest is responsible for a death in some way and an avenging angel begins picking them off one by one. Christie is masterful at creating the sense of paranoia in the book which will have you looking over your shoulder as you read.

Five Little Pigs

This is a neglected Christie classic that deserves more praise. It takes place sixteen years after the death of Caroline Crale, a woman who died in prison after being convicted of killing her own husband. But her daughter believes she was innocent and asks Poirot to dredge up the past and re-examine the circumstances of the fateful day.

Sleeping Murder

In Sleeping Murder Christie explores memory and trauma. It focuses upon a new bride whose new home evokes a sense of unexplained terror in her. As irrational as her fear seems, there is far more truth to her imaginings than first meets the eye. Luckily, Miss. Marple is her new aunt-in-law…

After the Funeral

“It's been hushed up very nicely ... but he was murdered, wasn't he?" So says Cora Lansquenete, sister of the late Richard Abernethie at his funeral. The claim is laughed off - such outbursts were to be expected from eccentric Aunt Cora. But when Cora is murdered it certainly seems as if she was on to something. Cue family secrets, counterfeit wills and hidden resentments.

What is your favourite Agatha Christie book?

Writers on Reading

Reading is something that to us bookish kind seems so inherent, so necessary, so commonplace. But, once in a while, I read a quotation that reminds me that to read is a powerful, crucial and magical act. Here is a collection of a few of my favourite quotes about reading by writers…

‘Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.’ - Harper Lee

‘The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village.’ - Roald Dahl, Matilda

‘Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.’ - Mark Twain

‘The only important thing in a book is the meaning that it has for you.’ - W. Somerset Maugham

‘Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself.’ - Angela Carter

‘I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.’ - Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.’ - C.S. Lewis

‘Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real.’ - Nora Ephron

‘Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another's skin, another's voice, another's soul.’ - Joyce Carol Oates

‘I had found my religion: nothing seemed more important to me than a book. I saw the library as a temple.’ - Jean-Paul Sartre

‘Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators.’ - Stephen Fry

‘For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.’ -Anne Lamott

‘If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.’ - J.K. Rowling

‘Literature is my Utopia’ - Helen Keller

‘There is creative reading as well as creative writing.’ - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Which of these quotes resonates with you? And what does reading mean to you?

How to do...Lazy Summer Reading

Summer reading. Two words that work beautifully together. Make use of these longer, languid days and have yourself some lazy summer reading. Here’s a step by step guide to how….

Step One: Find a spot. Summer reading is all about location. Banish the blanket, throw off the duvet and venture outside for the perfect reading spot. A shady spot in the garden in dappled sunshine would be perfect. As would a deckchair on the beach. Find a place where the scent of summer is all around you – by a rose bush, in your back garden with the smell of your neighbour’s barbecue wafting over.

Step Two: Select your book. To me, perfect summer reading should be about transporting you away – to a different country, a different time, a different world – even if you’re not going on holiday. They should be books with a hint of the enchanted about them that make you fully appreciate the magical promise that lurks in the air in summertime. At the moment I’m reading The Seven Sisters by Margaret Drabble, about a group of women travelling around Italy. Miranda’s Notebook has some excellent suggestions for your literary summertime here.

Step Three: Food and drink. I love the idea of a literary picnic – I’m imagining a wicker hamper filled with books and food. I love the practicality of this vegetarian picnic loaf by Paul Hollywood (make sure you use a veggie pesto). I’ve been adding blueberries and raspberries to my ice cubes to make a colourful and delicately flavoured water or lemonade.

Step Four: Optional extras. Now for a little staging. Hang up pretty, floral bunting, light scented candles, lay out a blanket and put up a parasol. As for sound, you could have some jazz in the background to lend an air of decadence or simply be content with the sound of birdsong and the rustle of the breeze in the trees.

For more summery ideas, read my 7 Ways to Enjoy Summer post here.

What are you reading this summer? Let me know in the comments section below...