The reviewer finds Ian McEwan's 'Amsterdam' to be a dark and chilling tour de force, though not his finest work. The novel is a morality fable disguised as a psychological thriller, exploring the sudden intrusion of violent events into mundane lives. The reviewer appreciates McEwan's spare, evocative prose and psychological insight but notes that the story lacks the depth of his previous works.
Ian McEwan's 'Amsterdam' is described as a dark and chilling tour de force, a morality fable disguised as a psychological thriller. The reviewer notes that while it is not McEwan's finest work, it is a well-crafted novella that explores the sudden intrusion of violent, perverse events into the mundane lives of its characters. The story follows two old friends, Clive and Vernon, who make a euthanasia pact that sends shock waves through their privileged world. The reviewer appreciates McEwan's spare, evocative prose and his ability to create sympathy for unsavory characters. However, the story lacks the depth of philosophical debates found in McEwan's previous works like 'Black Dogs' and 'Enduring Love'. The reviewer finds the narrative tension predictable but enjoys the simple pleasures of reading a writer in complete command of his craft.
Quick quotes
McEwan deftly conjures up the glittering London world Clive and Vernon inhabit.
Though there's a faint satiric edge to McEwan's portraits, he uses his psychological insight, as he's done so often before, to create sympathy for some decidedly unsavory people.
For all the appeals to high-flown principles like art and freedom that Clive and Vernon make in coming to their decisions, their problems do not really open out into the sort of weighty philosophical debates that animated 'Black Dogs' and 'Enduring Love'.