This is a short novel by the award winning author of Amsterdam, Saturday and Atonement.
The Book Cover
. Set in the early sixties, Edward and Florence, both 22 and in love, arrive at a hotel in Dorset for their honeymoon, having got married that morning. Set in an age where discussing sexual difficulties were frowned upon, the novel begins briskly by setting the scene and drawing up their backgrounds briefly. Edward, from a modest upbringing, has joined Florence’s father’s firm, while she is an upcoming musician. The author brings out the conflict within the first few pages, over the elaborate dinner, where Edward is excited and nervous, fearing what others had described as ‘arriving too soon’. While she dreads what is to come, she feels ‘a helpless disgust as palpable as sea sickness’. She’s always dreaded it, but has been unable to confront him or discuss what her fears were. Over an awkward dinner where each of them are going through the motions with different anxieties and expectations in their head, we move back and forth through time wraps, where they met and fell in love, a description of her parents and her family life, and his life in the village and tragedy that his family had faced. Both are at a point where they imagine a future for themselves, his career, her music, their friends, a home and life they would build. The story is built up as a fairy tale romance, except that Florence has an aversion to the physical act, even with the man whom she loves. All these dreams go to dust soon after dinner, when they fumble over the act, and the attempt to consummate their love. The rest of the story plays out on the beach, after Florence bolts from the bedroom after the awkwardly comic, failed intercourse, and Edward comes after her shortly afterwards. Their exchange on the beach is bitter, each trying to get at the other, fighting over their pride and ego, and ends when he calls her ‘frigid’. The novel ends with next few decades of Edward’s life played out over a couple of pages, where he hopes to go back to that moment that could have ended differently. Mc Ewan has a carefully constructed plot that is built up beautifully, bringing out class differences, the repression of sexual desires, the dream for a perfect future and all the silly things Edward and Florence innocently imagine with each other. The characters and the scenes are elegantly crafted; the dialogue is at times sharp and witty, and at times bitter. A subtle, evocative and devastating tale set over two hours, where McEwan displays his brilliance.
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