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On Chesil Beach | 
 enlarge | Author: Ian Mcewan
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: £6.99
Buy Used: £0.98
You Save: £6.01 (86%)
New (33) Used (30) Collectible (1) from £0.98
Rating:  60 reviews
Sales Rank: 126
Media: Paperback
Pages: 176
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5 x 0.6
ISBN: 0099512793
EAN: 9780099512790
ASIN: 0099512793
Publication Date: January 3, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: wear on corners and edges, spine and cover are creased and slightly marked.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 55 more reviews...
Creatively Impressive July 8, 2008
D. Carr (England)
Set in the 1960s, McEwan has delved into the emotions of a newly married couple as they embark upon their wedding night. Inexperienced and nervous, they both have their own expectations and fears of what is to come. McEwan plunges the reader deep into the consciousness of two very different individuals. Their dilemma is expressed in such an astonishing, yet delicate, detail that you can literally feel the awkward embarrassment of the `young innocents'. Climaxing to a disturbing end, stubbiness and misunderstanding are proven to be the solitary factor that changes the fait of the couple. Although the book was creatively impressive, it left me frustrated that the consequences of the climax weren't explored in more depth.
Disappointing July 5, 2008
D. G. May (united kingdom)
Dont know if I missed something here, but found it very hard going, not at all what I expected. Basically the story of Florence and Edwards wedding night, with lots of flashbacks. Not for me, I was really disappointed.Very slow. Caz
 Still happening in some cultures June 28, 2008
MaryAnne (Dubai United Arab Emirates)
This was, thankfully, a short concise little book, though it does manage to meander in parts. It is because it had the sense to be short and sweet that I gave it 4 rather than 3 stars. (7 out of 10).
Edward and Florence are newly weds at the beginning of the 60's. Sex was still a taboo subject and sex before marriage was not yet the norm. The fears and preconceptions of the wedding night had built up to a pitch. Both parties had concerns but particularly Florence who had little more than a basic 'guide book' on the subject.
How they dealt with the situation is interspersed with gradual details of their restricted pasts to explain how such a relationship had evolved. As we get to know the characters we also progress through the evening and its denouement.
This is the era just prior to the contraceptive pill and 'free love'. I wonder if many of the book's critics were perhaps too young to grasp how huge the changes were that came about at the end of this decade.
We discussed this book at a (mixed) book group, many of whom vouched for the reality of the situation.
Living in Dubai, I would also comment that many other cultures would still be experiencing such First Nights and perhaps the book is not as dated as it might at first seem.
 Just the right size to pack for the beach June 27, 2008
Mrs. Sarah Crabtree (UK)
So many novels, so many authors. Isn't it true that there are more writers than readers these days? It's hard to select what not and what to read. But I had no hesitation in picking up this one. I loved the nostalgic feel, the cynicism, and the scary fact that the average person today wasn't even born during the time this novel was set. I guess I was also attracted to the fact that it was set in the area where I grew up and was educated. Can't say I blame the author for only giving the old grammar school a brief mention. As they say, less is more.
Brilliant or Rubbish? June 24, 2008
nicjaytee (London)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
One star or five? Well judging by these reviews what makes a good book is far from clear and highly subjective.
There are parallels here with Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" which received similarly mixed reviews on its release - some totally dismissed it for its "novelette" length and its superficial and incomplete story-line while others lauded it as a work of pure genius. In fact what Fitzgerald had done, which only a highly skilled writer can, was to take a complex love story and then cut everything back to its bare essentials, re-crafting every paragraph and sentence to the absolute minimum and, in doing so, leaving the reader to imply key elements of the plot and to ponder on how and why these things happen. The result, as time has shown, was a novel that precisely because of its superbly compact writing and pervading air of mystery was far more emotionally charged and thought provoking than novels of double or treble the length and, as a result, unforgettable and timeless.
And this is exactly what McEwan does here. Beneath "On Chesil Beach's" short and superficially simple narrative is a complex, multi-layered and deeply moving love story, executed in a similarly minimalist style that ultimately leaves the reader to reflect on the reasons for its outcome. Almost every page requires one or more repeat readings to appreciate how incredibly well written and constructed they are, while his ability to distil genuine tension, emotion & mystery into single sentences of superficially casual observation turns the whole book into something that's equally thought provoking and unforgettable.
Maybe McEwan is trying to emulate Fitzgerald's masterwork, maybe not, but the parallels are uncanny - not least in peoples' initial reaction to it - and, while not in the same highly rarefied class as "The Great Gatsby", my guess is that time will also show "On Chesil Beach" to be seen for what it is... which is?... a quite brilliant piece of writing.
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