War-weary Berlin has much to offer Leonard Markham, a young, naive postal engineer: first the arts of sophisticated intrigue, then the delights of sexual pleasure. But Leonard’s new knowledge carries a heavy price, dragging him into a life that is exhaustively suspenseful and utterly irresistible.
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"His first ever book and it shows; part romance, war time spy thiller and human drama its never quite sure what it wants to be. No such thing as a bad Ian McEwan book though and excellent characters and the mounting tension keep you turning the pages. Set in Cold War Berlin its well worth a read."
— John (4 out of 5 stars)
“So exhaustively suspenseful…it should be devoured at one sitting.”
— Newsweek" Not as enjoyable to read as his later works. A little stilted. Although it does inspire an urge to go to German beer gardens alone. "
— William, 1/23/2014" Disappointing. I really wanted to like this book. The subject matter seemed so interesting. But, for me, the book was just flat and uninteresting, and left me not caring about the characters at all. "
— Derrick, 1/20/2014" Thrilling, well-paced, well-researched, with another poignant ending. I really understood the conversion from innocence to horrorified veteran, and breathed the atmosphere of 50's Berlin. Well worth it. "
— Stephen, 1/14/2014" Takes a while to get going, but well worth the effort. Can't say too much more without revealing all the twists. "
— George, 12/26/2013" I enjoyed this historical fiction tale of post large wars, ...it was not guns and shooting, but about the spying that took place after all was 'said and done.' Well written, of course, and has a cool twist, which is classic McEwan. I recommend it if you like modern historical fiction :) "
— Rachael, 12/23/2013" Like Saturday and Atonement, this novel creates a haunting atmosphere that lingers, keeps you thinking about the text, the characters, the decisions those characters made... "
— Meredith, 12/15/2013" Interesting story! Extra nice because I just visited Berlin and find the history of the city really fascinating. "
— Kismeth, 12/7/2013" While waiting on the list for his current book, Sweet Tooth, I looked for others that I had not read. Not a disappointment - as always, great characters, some government hoopla and a wierd ending. "
— Maureen, 12/2/2013" I really enjoyed it, very descriptive and original. "
— Mauro, 11/23/2013" A British secret agent falls in love with a divorced German woman in Berlin in 1955. A gruesome manslaughter with bizarre twists forms the crux of this tight psychological suspense thriller/romance by McEwan. Worth a read for the style! "
— Manish, 9/9/2013" I became totally obsessed with McEwan for a while...actually maybe I should pick one of his books soon. "
— Rachel, 8/12/2013" This is an interesting story and having a main character who seems like such a dupe is entertaining. This is set during the Cold War in Berlin, which is a great setting for a novel. The characters are well developed and writing is smooth. "
— David, 7/29/2013" Turned out pretty good, I didn't have very high hopes once I began reading. It is well written though, like all McEwan books, not my favorite of his though. "
— Jessica, 12/7/2012" the best mcewan novel i have yet read, set in a place called berlin "
— Kevin, 7/28/2012" Mid 50's young man assigned to british americansurveillance team in Berlin. His relationshif with a West Berline woman leads to a terrible turn of events one evening. "Learns just how much of his innocence he is willing to shed." "
— Peg, 6/2/2012" I'm not sure that I would clasify this a thriller, it is more a study of a couple of characters and their inner world. I found it frustrating it parts, but yet wanted to keep reading to the end. "
— Catherine, 5/23/2012" Strange little book, masterly written, but what else can one expect form Ian McEwan. "
— Cecilia, 4/21/2012" This is a book unlike his other books,but every bit as good. "
— Tim, 3/26/2012" Great Book, Highly recommend it. "
— Beverly, 8/29/2011" It can be a little frightening how easily McEwan takes you places you didn't mean to go...until you know that about his fiction and begin to sign up willingly. "
— Maturelandscaping, 8/14/2011" Two black dogs "
— Janet, 6/10/2011" In this novel, as in several other McEwan novels I have read, the author imagines the results of one particular, horrible act. The story is quite gory and difficult to read. The novel takes place in post-war Berlin, and involves American and British spies and an ill-fated romance. "
— Jgknobler, 5/11/2011" A bit slow to start but then it took off like my dog off a leash. The ending was predictable, IMO. Nevertheless, I always enjoy a good spy story told in post-war Germany. Before the wall even! "
— Stephanie, 4/1/2011" A big fan of McEwan, this book is very much in his style. An average man with some flaws, a twist in the story, a gratifying end even if one does not expect it. "
— Selma, 3/20/2011" Oh, I really felt the main author and the predicaments he found himself in! <br/> <br/>Cemented McEwan as a firm favourite. "
— Maureen, 3/16/2011" I really enjoyed it, very descriptive and original. "
— Mauro, 1/12/2011" Dark and hilarious! It's hard to find a book that leaves you aghast. I was aghast! "
— Robin, 12/2/2010" Un McEwan in tono minore; un po' freddino, non colpisce nonostante la gran macelleria... molte frattaglie e poco cuore. "
— Grenouille, 11/22/2010" Come fa? Come fa a scrivere tutto, a mettere dentro tutto? A estendersi ovunque rimanendo se stesso? Non c'è nulla che non possa raccontare. Non ho mai voglia di leggere un altro romanzo di McEwan, ma dopo averlo finito vorrei sempre che tutti i romanzi fossero romanzi di McEwan. "
— Irene, 11/15/2010" A nascent relationship between a young, naive Brit and an older German woman in post-war Berlin leads to a messy and unforgettable ordeal with her ex-husband Otto. "
— Gavin, 11/4/2010" This book is quite a departure from Ian McEwan's usual style - instead of opening with an extreme situation and watching as the characters lives explode it builds up to the middle scene of extraordinary violence. <br/><br/>Not my favourite McEwan book but certainly worth a read. "
— Adam, 10/28/2010Ian McEwan is the author of more than a dozen books, including either New York Times bestsellers. His novel Amsterdam won the 1998 Book Prize; Atonement, won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the W. H. Smith Literary Award; and The Child in Time won the Whitbread Award. His story collection, First Love, Last Rites, won the Somerset Maugham Award.
John Franklyn-Robbins (1924–2009) was an English character actor of stage and screen. A prolific Shakespearean actor, he trained at RADA and proceeded to work at the Manchester Library Theatre and the Bristol Old Vic early in his career. He played a diverse number of roles ranging from Ariel in The Tempest to Macduff in Macbeth. His prestigious stage career included stints in both the West End and Broadway. He also worked for both the BBC and ITV in their early formative years and went on to appear in such classic television series as The Avengers, The Baron, Z-Cars, Callan, I, Claudius, Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation.