Soon to be a major motion picture starring Saoirse RonanThe bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author of Atonement brilliantly illuminates the collision of sexual longing, deep-seated fears, and romantic fantasy on a young couple’s wedding night. It is 1962, and Florence and Edward are celebrating their wedding in a hotel on the Dorset coast. Yet as they dine, the expectation of their marital … expectation of their marital duties become overwhelming. Unbeknownst to them both, the decisions they make this night will resonate throughout their lives. With exquisite prose, Ian McEwan creates in On Chesil Beach a story of lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.
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“This is how the entire course of a life can be changed: by doing nothing.”
If I had to pick one quote to sum up the theme of this multifaceted story, it would be this one. Both of these characters have a lot of growing (and healing) to do and neither one is ready for marriage, and certainly not ready for consummation of any sort. This exquisitely-written story is lovely, sad, and very real all at once. We are watching two people painfully walk on eggshells around each other. They are inexperienced and their preoccupation with the sexual element of marriage causes great internal conflict in terms of expectation, nerves, haunting pasts, and a complete absence of communication about any of it. On Chesil Beach is literary in nature and has deeper underlying issues that readers will likely only pick up on after reading an interview with the author himself (at least that was how it was with me). An interesting snapshot of how marriage may (or may not) function for this particular couple.
Note: Be sure to read the interview with the author that is attached to this novel. In my opinion, it is crucial in order to gain the full reading experience and character perspective intended by the author. In the audio, it is located after the book ends but it completely changed the way I viewed the characters. I wish I had seen/heard the interview first.
I remember that my Creative Writing professor – though imparting a world of wisdom on to me about many different forms of writing – had very different tastes to me when it came to reading preferences. I found that our opinions differed heavily on what we thought was good and wasn’t and we would often get into little spats about some writing.
Nevertheless, I always took her suggestions and ran with them, at least researching the book and deciding if I wanted to read it. One of the books she spoke about was this one, although she did say something that I disagree with. But we’ll get to that later.
On Chesil Beach is about a couple, Edward and Florence, who are young newlyweds on their honeymoon in Dorset. Edward and Florence really do love each other, and you can tell that they’re excited to experience the rest of their lives together, if for one small thing. Neither one of them has been spoken to about sex before, only knowing that it is a duty that married couples should embark on and not something that should be enjoyed.
The book’s premise is quite simple – it centers around the fear of intimacy on their honeymoon, and the repressed nature of the time frame of the book (1960-1970s). The novella also gives us an insight into their relationship, how it came about and how they are around each other, each other’s parents, their friends, their family. It gives you a pretty good idea of who they are as people, and it is so beautifully written.
But…
I remember that when I picked this book up, my professor had told us that it was obvious that Florence was a lesbian and hadn’t accepted it, seeing as that was the mentality of the time in the UK. But once I picked it up and read it myself, fully expecting to get this feeling from her as a character, I found that I couldn’t find it myself.
Because Florence isn’t a lesbian. She’s asexual.
Now, you might be telling me that asexuality isn’t a thing, but hear me out. I have met a fair few people in my life who have identified on the asexual spectrum. All it essentially means is that somebody doesn’t experience sexual attraction. It’s a perfectly normal thing, albeit it you don’t meet a lot of people who are asexual, and you certainly don’t see it represented in the media or books. And Florence, with her genuine fear of sex in general despite her actual love for Edward, is the perfect example of an asexual literary icon.
While the ending leaves a little bit to be desired (spoiler alert: people who are asexual don’t have to spend the rest of their life alone and can be in fulfilling marriages and have successful lives too end spoiler) I feel like the novella does a really good job of looking at not only the consequences of not having a proper sex education, but also the consequences of following societal norms when they just aren’t for you. And whether you agree with me or read Florence as a lesbian, the message there is still pretty clear.
Final rating: 5/5. Wonderful read!
I read this because it is a Books to Movies in 2018. It’s a quiet, introspective character study of marriage, sex, expectation and decorum, where what is left unsaid can devastate just as surely as what is and lives are changed in a single misunderstanding. I really enjoyed it!
This story shares the life of a married couple on their wedding night. They share their stories which are extremely different and bring you along on their journey.
The couple while extremely different will make decisions this night that will stay with them in their future. A great study of two characters. Edward and Florence, and their lives. Wonderful story.
forced myself to finish. could not get into story
If I could give this 0 stars I would. Two extremely selfish people who should not marry do and have immediate regrets.
Very sad story.
The awkward, innocent fumblings of first love and the well-craft brilliance of Ian McEwan’s insight and talented use of language to drive the story into every crevice, revealing the truth that lies between the protagonists.
Ridiculous characters, ridiculous story line. I kept reading it hoping for some sort of resolution. Sorry Ian, not a fan.
This is one of the most tragic books I’ve read, not because of what happens, but because of what doesn’t. Made me want to throw caution to the winds and be as transparent as possible in my relationships.
Classic McEwen. A deep dive into the emotional lives of two young persons whose expectations of marriage were at cross purposes. Gorgeous prose.
I preface this review with this is not my favorite Ian McEwan book. However, I still enjoyed reading it because of McEwan’s ability to delve into the human psyche and examine people’s peculiarities and what makes them tick. His writing is always beautiful and descriptive.
The book begins on Edward and Florence’s wedding night at a romantic inn on Chesil Beach that lies on the English Channel’s shore. It is a night that Edward has dreamed and fantasized about, and one that Florence has feared. She is a talented first violinist, and he’s a historian. Both envision their future is bright and united together in marriage, they believe their future will be even more promising. Having never consummated their relationship, perhaps not so unusual for the times, Edward is drowning with desire, and Florence is afraid of sex. Both are virgins and worried they won’t fulfill the other’s wants.
Having set the scene, McEwan takes the reader on a journey deep into Edward and Florence’s psychological profiles, backgrounds, and how they arrived at this moment. Things go awry, and we’re left wondering what might have been if they could have made it through this one impossible night.
Not communicating can wreck your life.
surprise turn of events, but sad, too–beautiful writing, as usual for MacEwen
There was no plot in this book. The ending was “ho-hum”. Don’t waste your time.
McEwan is worth the read simply for his descriptions of mundane things. Here he tells a story that exposes the different way men and women view their roles and obligations in the world and most importantly in loving relationships. His story of how two people, who love and respect each other, can fail so miserably together will remind you that at our cores we are different animals with often antipodal needs.
A good read.
Bored me to tears.
Very quick read but I didn’t like the story
A terrible misunderstanding destroys a young couple’s marriage and lives. A woulda, coulda, shoulda situation. Spoiler: so sad. I enjoyed the writing, but the ending was a real downer.