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Enduring Love

by Ian McEwan

Enduring Love Cover

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

On a windy spring day in the Chilterns, the calm, organized life of science writer Joe Rose is shattered when he witnesses a tragic accident: a hot-air balloon with a boy trapped in its basket is being tossed by the wind, and in the attempt to save the child, a man is killed. A stranger named Jed Parry joins Rose in helping to bring the balloon to safety. But unknown to Rose, something passes between Parry and himself on that day — something that gives birth to an obsession in Parry so powerful that it will test the limits of Rose's beloved rationalism, threaten the love of his wife, Clarissa, and drive him to the brink of murder and madness. Brilliant and compassionate, this is a novel of love, faith, and suspense, and of how life can change in an instant.

Review:

"A remarkable novel, haunting and original and written in prose that anyone who writes can only envy." Washington Post

Review:

"Impeccably written — [McEwan] is the quietest and most lucid of stylists, with never a word wasted or fumbled." New York Review of Books

Review:

"A timeless tale about the way fate and faith shape our relationships — part existential fable about the human desire to control fate, [Enduring Love] is also, most affectingly, a story about the strength and fragility of married love." Glamour

Review:

"Eerie, slow-paced suspense worth its weight in caffeine for keeping you up all night." Entertainment Weekly

Review:

"[A] beautifully realized novel about our responses to violence. It asks us to choose between competing visions of events, and, in the process, forces us to examine the way we react to both art and life when something terrible happens." Boston Globe

Review:

"McEwan's writing is unflaggingly poised and, as usual, capable of excavating deep, painful trenches in the back corridors of the psyche and the heart." Miami Herald

Review:

"Cleverly imagined, beautifully executed — Mr. McEwan has few peers." The Wall Street Journal

Review:

"In lesser hands, the story might be overwrought and unbelievable, but McEwan's terse, lucid prose and sure grasp of character give resonance to this superb anatomy of obsession....Painful and powerful work by one of England's best novelists." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"The opening scene in Enduring Love is absolutely riveting....Enduring Love gracefully bridges genres; it's a psychological thriller, a meditation on the narrative impulse, a novel of ideas. McEwan's prose is deft, unself-conscious and a joy to read. Here's a book that kept me up all night, mesmerized and entertained." Elizabeth Judd, Salon.com
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About the Author

Ian McEwan has written two collections of short stories — First Love, Last Rites and In Between the Sheets — as well as seven novels: The Cement Garden, The Comfort of Strangers, The Child in Time, The Innocent, Black Dogs, Enduring Love, and most recently, Amsterdam.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
cupcake200, May 1, 2009 (view all comments by cupcake200)
Ian McEwan’s novel Enduring Love showcases many real aspects to life. The relatability of McEwan’s novel makes it a good read. Why I liked the novel was because of many factors within the read. The book tells of a man, Joe, who becomes sucked into a destructive path after he witnesses a bizarre hot air balloon accident. This book would please anybody who has ever had any type of a relationship; all ages, all backgrounds. After reading Enduring Love, you will want more of McEwan's style and stories. This story tells of an ordinary love fighting to endure.
When beginning the read, one does not need to know a lot of background information to enjoy the story. The book takes place in England and has a British tone to it. The "love" that Parry ends up having for Joe might seem crazy and unbelievable to the reader. However, if one reads with an open mind, the reader can see that his odd love can relate to different aspects of life. The fact that the reader does not know anything about the plot going into it is one aspect that makes the book interesting. The lack of background information emphasizes the plot structure of the novel.
The main points of the novel are fairly simplistic. The plot of the story is simple, yet the ideas behind it are complex. The book begins with a tragic hot air balloon accident witnessed by five strangers. This event affects all of the characters, however the plot focuses on three: Joe, Clarissa, and Parry. Joe describes the incident- “I’ve never seen such a terrible thing as that falling man” (17). Even though the balloon accident seems to be the climactic part, what is more significant is the instant connection Parry has with Joe. Joe states, "…to deliver me from the radiating power of Jed Parry’s love and pity” (29). Joe's marriage to his wife Clarissa is also shaken by the event. They try to cover it up with physical love- “The darkness beyond the gloom of the bedroom was infinite and cold as death. We were a pinprick of warmth in the vastness. The events of the afternoon filled us, but we banished them from conversation.” (37). As Parry begins to stalk Joe more and more, Joe and Clarissa begin to worry and their love seems to fault. Joe tries to forget it by unplugging his phone, saying “By our bedside in the dark, the phone remained silent. I’d unplugged it many hours before” (56). The plot continues to develop with the "love" between Joe and Parry strengthening, and Joe and Clarissa's marriage falling apart. By the end of the novel, Clarissa states "A stranger invaded our lives, and the first thing that happened was that you became a stranger to me" (235). The plot developments are one part that make the novel a good read.
Overall, the book achieves it's goal of telling a story of love, fate, destruction and fear. The abundance of themes in the novel makes the book a perfect read for just about anybody. The book does not tell about unrealistic situations that the reader could never place themselves in. The story is real and believable. The more one reads of the novel, the more one becomes drawn in. At the beginning the reader wonders what McEwan will do with the remaining 200 pages of the novel after the balloon accident. Just when one does not expect another event to occur, it does. Even if the reader cannot relate with the type of love Joe and Clarissa have, one can take their love and relate it back to a different type of relationship in their life. The novel is written as if Joe is actually telling you the story. McEwan also adds in personal letters that allow the reader to get other characters emotions and point-of-view. The emotions of the characters are defined and understandable in the novel. McEwan's writing is very descriptive and allows for the reader to get a better understanding of the story and the characters. Overall, McEwan’s writing makes the novel memorable.
Ian McEwan’s novel Enduring Love is a worth while read. It strings together many real-life themes and ideas into one story. McEwan’s use of characters, plot, style and relatability all contribute to an overall unforgettable novel.
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lechatnoir, May 4, 2008 (view all comments by lechatnoir)
What a page-turner! I first discovered McEwan when I saw the film Atonement, then read the novel on which it was based, and decided I wanted to read more by him. I was not disappointed. A great way to start the summer reading season!
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780385494144
Author:
McEwan, Ian
Publisher:
Anchor Books
Location:
New York :
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Psychological
Subject:
Suspense
Subject:
Gay men
Subject:
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Subject:
Chiltern Hills
Subject:
Domestic fiction
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Copyright:
1998
Edition Description:
Trade paper
Series Volume:
A271
Publication Date:
December 29, 1998
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Yes
Pages:
272
Dimensions:
8.02x5.26x.76 in. .49 lbs.
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Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z
Languages » Foreign Languages » Spanish » Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z

Enduring Love Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$7.95 In Stock
Product details 272 pages Anchor Books/Doubleday - English 9780385494144 Reviews:
"Review" by , "A remarkable novel, haunting and original and written in prose that anyone who writes can only envy."
"Review" by , "Impeccably written — [McEwan] is the quietest and most lucid of stylists, with never a word wasted or fumbled."
"Review" by , "A timeless tale about the way fate and faith shape our relationships — part existential fable about the human desire to control fate, [Enduring Love] is also, most affectingly, a story about the strength and fragility of married love."
"Review" by , "Eerie, slow-paced suspense worth its weight in caffeine for keeping you up all night."
"Review" by , "[A] beautifully realized novel about our responses to violence. It asks us to choose between competing visions of events, and, in the process, forces us to examine the way we react to both art and life when something terrible happens."
"Review" by , "McEwan's writing is unflaggingly poised and, as usual, capable of excavating deep, painful trenches in the back corridors of the psyche and the heart."
"Review" by , "Cleverly imagined, beautifully executed — Mr. McEwan has few peers."
"Review" by , "In lesser hands, the story might be overwrought and unbelievable, but McEwan's terse, lucid prose and sure grasp of character give resonance to this superb anatomy of obsession....Painful and powerful work by one of England's best novelists."
"Review" by , "The opening scene in Enduring Love is absolutely riveting....Enduring Love gracefully bridges genres; it's a psychological thriller, a meditation on the narrative impulse, a novel of ideas. McEwan's prose is deft, unself-conscious and a joy to read. Here's a book that kept me up all night, mesmerized and entertained."
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