Let me know if you watch the movie. I’m thinking of maybe watching it too…

No I didn’t re-read it. I do want to see the movie though cause the topic of sexuality and how it’s treated in books and films always fascinates me. Maybe I decide to read the book again after that.

Yes, I noticed that many people liked the book, and it is, indeed, not badly written. I was also looking forward to some development about the couple. But well, you know by now what I thought about it 🙂 Did you try to reread this book? And are you going to watch the movie?

I would have kept the pebbles, if it helped me to write. I wonder if a lot more people have visited Chesil Beach because they heard of it through the book. I agree with you about the writing, it can be great writing but needs some action to make the book feel satisfying. I don’t plan to read any more McEwan.

I tried his other book too, just for half an hour or so, and I was surprised how promising it sounded – the writing, the characters – and how unnecessarily it started dragging in the middle of an action. I thought maybe it was an accidental thing, but now after ‘On Chesil Beach’ and having read your comment I think that maybe this is how he writes. Then it’s not my thing at all. I love good writing but it’s just one detail of a good book. If it’s beautiful but it’s about nothing then it’s just an exercise but not a complete book. As for pebbles, I know that in many national parks (if not in all natural resorts at all) it’s prohibited to collect souvenirs like stones or plants. The idea behind it is that if everybody who visits takes a thing the place will be destroyed. I also found it obscene that an author was chastised for keeping pebbles for inspiration. They should have been proud of it, if anything.