Carlo Molteni Molteni itibaren Zongo Macheri, Gana itibaren Zongo Macheri, Gana

For the bulk of the story it's 1962, but whenever something came up that reminded me of that (mention of the Beatles, of nuclear protest, etc) I was surprised all over again. Edward's and Florence's relationship felt like something out of a much earlier era to me. My brain kept imagining it must be about 50 years earlier. The story is essentially a description of a marriage gone wrong very quickly, due to a lack of communication between the characters about fears and sexual matters. Some of this lack of communication is part of the era, the last vestiges of silent, obedient women and controlling, bread-winning men as the ideal in Western society. But a lot of it is due to the characters themselves. Both are virgins, both are terrified, and neither is willing to speak the truth about what feels good, what doesn't, and what they want to happen. With better communication, the whole story could have been avoided. That said, McEwan is a better writer than for the story to be just that simple. The plot is thickened by his focus on the tiny moments and decisions the characters make - the words chosen, the phsyical actions, that make all the difference. The stories of their pasts are also full of these tiny moments that change everything - Edward's mother's accident, the day Edward and Florence meet. McEwan writes: "This is how the entire course of a life can be changed -- by doing nothing." This reminds the reader that the silence and lack of action means as much or more as the events that do take place. McEwan also has a little bit to say about love with this story: "He was discovering that being in love was not a steady state, but a matter of fresh surges or waves, and he was experiencing one now." As dysfunctional as their communication is, Florence and Edward love each other. It's the communication that destroys them, not a lack of feeling. In fact, it may be that they love each other too much to be honest or assertive, and risk argument. As Florence wonders while they finally begin to be angry on the beach: "His anger stirred her own and she suddenly thought she understood their problem: they were too polite, too constrained, too timorous, they went around each other on tiptoes, murmuring, whispering, deferring, agreeing. They barely knew each other, and never could because of the blanket of companionable near-silence that smothered their differences and blinded them as much as it bound them."

Harry Potter meets Narnia for grownups. It was so amazing that I'm angry I read a borrowed copy so I don't have it on hand to reread before getting the sequel.