Amsterdam : A Novel

But AMSTERDAM, his most critically-acclaimed work so far, is too obscure, too crammed a book for this reviewer to highly recommend (Not that there is a need for it. This one, afterall, won THE Booker Prize). Here, four brilliantly constructed characters attempt to out-manouvre each other for no given reason (or is it perhaps because of pride? you decide). You will find it entertaining and inspiring to read how McEwan engineered each of his plots to deliver a psychological study (no matter how small the examination is) of his four major characters. You will feel their pain, their bitterness, their loneliness, their heartlessness, yet in a narrative that is straightforward and unsentimental. (His Julian Garmony, a cross-dressing politician of brilliant machiavellian talent, is one character youll either love or hate. McEwans account of Garmonys grasp of power simply is wonderful). Reading AMSTERDAM is like experiencing a Toni Morisson novel written by a PBS or an Economist (UK weekly mag) journalist, and this, I know, is not a bad thing.

This is a good introduction to McEwan, and a book highly enjoyable. But, as mentioned briefly above, the ending is quite lukewarm...

Clive, a composer, and Vernon, editor of the "Judge" broadsheet, have been friends for a while. They are former lovers of Molly Lane (dated her at one time or another in the past) , who died obviously of some type of disease but it is never really named. As the two enter a clear state of madness over this loss in their life, a pact is made. They agree if one of them is to go into madness as Molly did, the other one shall kill them. It is a euthanasia, which causes a chain reaction of events from beginning to end. As Vernon and Mollys husband (now a widower) dig up evidence that Julian Garmony, foreign secretary and former fling of Molly, is in fact a hypocrite, Clive tries to battle with his own demons of depression over the loss of Molly. This events lead to a stunning finale, and I was completely absorbed by every second.