In the relentless summer heat, four abruptly orphaned children retreat into a shadowy, isolated world, and find their own strange and unsettling ways of fending for themselves... (19970103)
The Cement Garden (Vintage Blue)
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
Darkly impressive (The Times )
Marvellously creates the atmosphere of youngsters given that instant adulthood they all crave, where the ordinary takes on a mysterious glow and the extraordinary seems rather commonplace. It is difficult to fault the writing or the construction of this eerie fable (Sunday Times )
An extremely assured, technically adept and compelling piece of work (Observer )
A shocking book, morbid, full of repellant imagery - and irresistibly readable...The effect achieved by McEwan's quiet, precise and sensuous touch is that of magic realism - a transfiguration of the ordinary that has far stronger retinal and visceral impact than the flabby surrealism of so many experimental novels (New York Review of Books )
It is difficult to fault the writing or the construction of this eerie fable (Sunday Times )
Marvellously creates the atmosphere of youngsters given that instant adulthood they all crave, where the ordinary takes on a mysterious glow and the extraordinary seems rather commonplace. It is difficult to fault the writing or the construction of this eerie fable (Sunday Times )
An extremely assured, technically adept and compelling piece of work (Observer )
A shocking book, morbid, full of repellant imagery - and irresistibly readable...The effect achieved by McEwan's quiet, precise and sensuous touch is that of magic realism - a transfiguration of the ordinary that has far stronger retinal and visceral impact than the flabby surrealism of so many experimental novels (New York Review of Books )
It is difficult to fault the writing or the construction of this eerie fable (Sunday Times )
Book Description
'A superb achievement: his prose has instant, lucid beauty and his narrative voice has a perfect poise and certainty. His account of deprivation and survival is marvellously sure, and the imaginative alignment of his story is exactly right' - Tom Paulin (20020218)
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 47 people found the following review helpful
By Penguin Egg
Format:Paperback
A perverse but enchanting book; beautifully written and perfectly constructed. This is a story about a family of children who find themselves orphaned while living in a house surrounded by a wasteland, an image that perfectly reflects the emptiness of their days. Finding themselves without adult guidance, it shows how they slide into sloth and then perversity. Being a writer of consumate skill and a gifted story-teller, McEwan describes this without purple prose but with a sharp eye on human nature. Despite the shocking nature of the story, it has a realistic feel to it - One feels that these events could happen given the circumstances. The characters are delinated so convincingly that the reader, despite the perverse nature of the protaganists actions, is drawn into their dark world and is made to see it from their point of view. A modern classic.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By "emilie01"
Format:Paperback
The Cement Garden is McEwan at his best. Crueler than Enduring Love and Amsterdam, The Cement Garden tells the story of four children who fall apart gradually after the death of their mother. Their incestuous behaviour and malicious ways are a delight to read, and the narrator, Jack, is a brilliantly depicted character. Overall, I would highly recommend this. McEwan is truly the master of the chilling short novel, and The Cement Garden is executed with style and definite readibility. The end is too disturbing for words- an excellent read.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Kellie
Format:Paperback
This is the fourth book I have read by Ian McEwan and once again I had to close the book a few times to digest what I had just read. Although I found this story highly disturbing, I couldn't help but get caught up in McEwan's ebb and flow of writing. There wasn't a moment I wanted to put it down (and didn't need to as it is quite a short story of 127pages). I would recommend this to anyone that truly enjoys authors that write on the perverse and daring cuff of what society would deem as unacceptable. Read this.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 99 reviews
3.7 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Shorter than expected
The ending felt a little abrupt, but it was well written with largely believable characters. Not a book for the faint hearted, certainly.
Published 11 days ago by M. Vaughan
3.0 out of 5 stars
bit weird but read it!
The plot of this books is quite weird...bit it definitely is something you have to read. Its one of those stories were you will be like "oh my god I read this story the other... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Priya_kay
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read
This is a very quirky and thought provoking book. Once read never forgotten! I think its an absolute classic- brilliant.
Published 2 months ago by Audrey
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Cement Garden.
This is one of the most saddest books I have ever read. I don't find it sick or too disturbing. To me it is the very sad plight of four young siblings who have lost both their... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Assassin's Creed fan
3.0 out of 5 stars
Cement Garden
Was an enjoyable book until it end very strangely & abruptly? Not sure if I will try this author again?
Published 2 months ago by D. Graham
4.0 out of 5 stars
good read but
Ian McEwan has told another story well. I usually enjoy his books. I think Amzon should absorb the VAT on ebooks as they are getting away with not paying UK tax. Read more
Published 4 months ago by jeanie
2.0 out of 5 stars
No idea what the fuss is about
Saw this author being interviewed on the telly and enjoyed the interview, in which this was mentioned several times as being very good and a bit racy. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Muskrat
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable, good, but not great
For some reason I had previously overlooked a couple of early novel by Ian McEwan, was motivated to go back to them after reading Sweet Tooth. Read more
Published 5 months ago by clemi
2.0 out of 5 stars
A bit depressing
Not Ian's best. Perhaps the subject matter was brave but somehow I felt he didn't quite hit the mark. Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. Choppin
1.0 out of 5 stars
Horrid
This is one of the (sadly) numerous modern novels that are hailed by critics as bold and powerful, when in saner times they would be disdained as sordid and revolting. Read more
Published 13 months ago by R. A. Williams
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
