Far more than a simple synopsis guide, York Notes provides a rich introduction to
Atonement, its major characters, style, structure, overarching themes, and narrative techniques.
Each of these critical approaches are dealt with in detail by Anne Rooney, a former English instructor at the Universities of Cambridge and York and the author of over eighty books, including GCSE and A Level guides.
The glossary and countless sidebar notes are especially helpful for the beginning literature student. Also included are 2-3 page "extended commentaries" on select passages from the novel that highlight McEwan's development of characters, themes, etc. Contents are as follows:
1. Note on the text and synopsis
2. Detailed summaries of the novel's major sections
3. Extended commentaries on select passages
4. Critical approaches (Characterization, Major Themes, Language & Style, Narrative Technique & Structure)
5. Critical History
6. Background (McEwan's life & work, literary, historical, and social background)
7. Includes a glossary of literary terms relevant to the novel and a brief bibliography of additional resources.
View the
York Press website for additional titles in this series, or search
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Amazon.co.uk, or a wide selection of high-quality
Independent Booksellers.
The Dutch edition of On Chesil Beach will be published on 2 April, a few days ahead of the Jonathan Cape edition. Click the image on the right to visit the De Harmonie website. They also offer translations of the rest of McEwan's books, and each title is linked from the Ian McEwan Dutch Webpage.
