Ian McEwan The Comfort of Strangers

Atnonement blew me away, & got me into Ian McEwan big time. I have to say that the Comfort of Strangers is disappointing, though. There is simply too much canvas painting with too little psychology. The couple are banal & dislikeable, Robert is Gothic monster, & one feels no empathy with his abused wife, despite his violence (which she's grown to love).

There IS considerable craftsmanship at work in this portrayal- but it's largely in the service of providing a spurious scenic, faux-atmospheric backdrop to something too contrived to be believed.

I confess that I ended up scimming most of The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan as I found the characters so banal at the beginning-their main attribute seemed to be forgetting the blasted map-but I kept on reading just to see if anything more interesting turned up. I just didn't get the atmosphere of Venice that other reviewers feel catapulted them into all that love-making. And then the really implausible climax with that creepy couple. I know I've lived a sheltered life but does anyone really believe people like that are around? I have enjoyed other McEwan novels, even the one about the stalking religious fanatic(Enduring Love?) so I was really surprised that this one left me so cold. Good point was it was short but it was implausible and had a nasty theme.

Haunting tale, un-nerving yet page turning material gradually turning into a Stephen King style horror story.

Ian Mcewan's vivid imagery is potrayed splendidly throughtout this novel. An intoxicating read that will leave your mind reeling and your body numb.

The story follows Mary and Colin, a couple on the edge of falling apart. The influence of the exotic and mysterious setting, and the introduction to exuberent locals, bring lust and passion back into their relationship. Their new found obsession for each other leaves an everlasting impact on both them and the readers. You will never forget the impact this book has on you.

The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan is highly descriptive, but the reader sees everything with blurred vision; the characters are never completely imaginable (with the exception of Robert) and although it is obviously set in Venice, this is never explicitly stated. This gives the novel a far greater impact on the reader- it (I'll leave it up to you to find out what)could have happened to any young, metropolitan couple, anywhere in the world. Colin and Mary are very easy characters to relate to. We are led into a world of desire and 'evil' power, in the same way as Colin and Mary, we see their fate but don't believe it..

Read it and see..!

For those who don't know this author already, Ian McEwan is one of the darlings of the British literary scene - forever up for prizes or awards. I have read most of his books but this one (one of his earliest) is my favourite. Set in a mediterranean resort (Greece? Italy?) a 30-40 something couple are having an intimate, relaxing holiday. As you read the book you slip into their easy frame of mind, feel the heat of the sun and the taste of their food. I can't remember how but they strike up a casual acquaintance with a local man and, over the course of their holiday, get to know him better. There's something troubling about this man but the couple don't quite focus on it and that's their downfall. When you get to the scene where they are all round his place for dinner, begin to steel yourself! You will not forget this book easily.