Book Reviews - Review 63

A bizarre and rather disturbing novel. Four young siblings are left to their own devices after their parents die. Without supervision, and living in a solitary house in the middle of wasteland, they are free to indulge their less socially acceptable fantasies and impulses.

Formally, this novel is hard to fault. It is well-paced, with events slowly building up to an appropriately shocking climax; and the siblings' characters develop convincingly as they confront the adult issues of death and sex while simultaneously regressing into childish amorality. As for the style, it is always lucid and precise, with McEwan revelling in sensual detail as perceived by the narrator, Jack, in a kind of intense but unreflective eternal present.

For all its accomplishment, however, the novel leaves a slightly nasty taste in the mouth. This is due mainly to the deliberately titillating and shocking ending, around which one can't help but wonder whether McEwan had built the whole story - a talented young writer trying to give his debut novel a publicity head start.

I don't know. Anyway, meretricious or not, this very well-written book. Read it and make up your own mind.