Bookish: On Chesil Beach
On Chesil Beach
by Ian McEwan
Whether you’re already a McEwan fan or are just curious to see if his lesser publicised offerings are worth a glance, On Chesil Beach does bring something to the table. Uptight Englishness (I should know, I’m one of them) and miscommunication are at the centre of a young couple’s struggle to connect. Florence and Edward fumble, cough, mutter and procrastinate their way through their impending wedding night.
Fearing a bit of how’s-your-father, Florence the violinist is highly strung. Her fiancé Edward is a wolf in sheep’s clothing; a brute masquerading as a genteel lover. His single-minded pursuit of our Flo leads to unsettling moments of tension. McEwan’s command of the macabre is undoubtedly showcased, but yet the final bite never materialises.
The novella itself is a series of misunderstandings, misinterpretations and mistakes but ultimately it misses the mark. McEwan succeeds in creating plausibly layered characters, but does not deliver on the promise of drama that he so painstakingly cultivates. McEwan is renowned for his tension writing and indeed the microscopic nuances of human interactions (even down to a hair – read it to see what I’m on about) are blown up in HD widescreen quality. But at its worst, On Chesil Beach is like Fawlty Towers without the humour; a teeth-grinding, infuriating antagonism without generous enough amusement to carry the weight.
If you like this, try any of McEwan’s other bestsellers. ‘Enduring Love’ and ‘Atonement’ (both now feature films) attest to his status as one of our finest storytellers.
If wickedly sinister tales and English eccentricity is what you’re looking for, I’d also recommend ‘Kiss Kiss’, a selection of short stories by Roald Dahl. One of my all-time favourite authors and perhaps the reason I began reading in the first place; Dahl is too good for kids.
