As their holiday unfolds, Colin and Maria are locked into their own intimacy. They groom themselves meticulously, as though there waits someone who cares deeply about how they appear. Then they meet a man with a disturbing story to tell and become drawn into a fantasy of violence and obsession. (19961231)
The Comfort Of Strangers
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"Haunting and compelling" (The Times )
"McEwan, that master of the taciturn macabre, so organises his narrative that, without insisting anything, every turn and glimpse is another tightening of the noose" (Observer )
"As always, McEwan manages his own idiom with remarkable grace and inventiveness; his characters are at home in their dreams and so is he" (Guardian )
"Has you in its stranglehold from the first page to the last. McEwan has honed his prose style (always admirably spare) to tell his tale, and with all the skill of an accomplished torturer, he throws the occasional crumbs of comfort, as the tension becomes unbearable, only to snatch them away within moments" (Listener )
"The Maestro" (New Statesman )
"McEwan, that master of the taciturn macabre, so organises his narrative that, without insisting anything, every turn and glimpse is another tightening of the noose" (Observer )
"As always, McEwan manages his own idiom with remarkable grace and inventiveness; his characters are at home in their dreams and so is he" (Guardian )
"Has you in its stranglehold from the first page to the last. McEwan has honed his prose style (always admirably spare) to tell his tale, and with all the skill of an accomplished torturer, he throws the occasional crumbs of comfort, as the tension becomes unbearable, only to snatch them away within moments" (Listener )
"The Maestro" (New Statesman )
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'Haunting and compelling' - The Times (19961231)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
70 of 71 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
`The Comfort of Strangers', McEwan's second novel was published at a time when this bright new talent was causing controversy and had been christened Ian Mcabre by critics shocked by the brutality of his themes and his fearless exploration of dark, previously taboo subjects such as incest, sadomasochism and child abduction. With its theme of unhealthy homoerotic obsession there are echoes of the later Enduring Love here. The story opens with a coldly voyeuristic intrusion into the lives of Colin and Mary, an English couple holidaying in an unnamed European city (assumed to be Venice) in an attempt to recapture the passion that has drained out of their relationship. When we join them they are distant from each other, not speaking and sleeping in separate beds. This gulf is apparent in the fact that even their dreams are at odds. Wandering the city in a torpor late one night they encounter Robert, a smooth talking, cruel and sinister local who seems to mesmerize them against their better instincts and takes them to a seedy bar nearby. Despite being unsettled by the encounter they are persuaded by Robert to visit his home the next day. Here they meet Caroline, his put-upon Canadian wife and quickly detect that something is seriously amiss. It soon becomes clear that the gap between these couples is not as wide as it initially appears. Without a doubt Colin and Mary are complicit in their own downfall and their desires, though previously unrealised, are as unwholesome as those of Robert and Caroline. One theme explored is the impact of fathers on children. Robert speaks of the admirable brutality of his father and Caroline, who defines herself only in relation to men, explains the subservience of her mother and herself to her diplomat father, a pattern repeated in their own relationship. The book is drenched in sexual menace and met with a mixed response on publication with one critic accusing McEwan of "squandering his extraordinary gifts". In summary, excellent, as is all McEwan's output.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By LisaR
Format:Paperback
Being an Ian McEwan fan I couldn't wait to read this. It only took me one sitting and as always was very readable and totally engrossing - causing mounting fear and tension like only McEwan knows how to, with nothing in particular happening but an increasing sensation that something is about to (how does he do that?!). The book is set in Venice which adds to the calm mystique and general atmosphere of the story. The end was shocking - I felt quite sick after reading it. This is definitely one of McEwan's most twisted and chilling reads and I couldn't quite work out whether I had enjoyed it or not. Recommended although definitely not my favourite by the author.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By "brambles87"
Format:Paperback
'The Comfort of Strangers' at 100 pages long is an excellent thriller. It starts off subtly with a couple holidaying in Venice but rapidly becomes dark, twisted and chilling. McEwan writes extremely well, capturing the mood and emotions of the characters perfectly and depicting the darker side of human nature. It is an excellent book to get into Ian McEwan with before tackling his more famous works like Enduring love and Atonement. Read in one sitting 'The Comfort of Strangers' will get your adrenalin running and scare you witless. Buy it and read it next time you have two or three hours to kill.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
The discomfort of Authors
Not being aware of this author’s work, this, a slight volume, might have encouraged me more to read him further. But no – not yet. The narrative structure is weak and unfocused. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mic Le Critique
2.0 out of 5 stars
NO COMFORT FROM THIS ONE
I am a fan of Ian McEwan having enjoyed most of his work, but now and then, and this is only my opinion , he writes a stinker. This early effort is one. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Alexander Bryce
2.0 out of 5 stars
not up to my expectations
boring book could not get to finish it. put it down after 2 chapters. won't recommend it to anyone.
looking for a replacement
looking for a replacement
Published 2 months ago by Ms. M. El-awa
4.0 out of 5 stars
Disturbing
As a great admirer of Ian McEwan I was more than happy to buy this book and although his novels always stir the emotions and the mind, I did find this one particularly disturbing. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. D. A. Isaacs
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting but unsatisfactory
It was intriguing but didn't quite understand what happened May have to read it again to understand what wad going on.
Published 3 months ago by Cathrynb
1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring, Tame and a waste of money
I couldn't believe how tame and boring this book is. Nothing really happens, nothing to get your teeth in to at all. Read more
Published 5 months ago by P. Horrex
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ian McEwan The Company of Strangers
A novel which seems to be about a very ordinary couple going on holiday in Venice turns into a shocking story about how people let themselves be lured into danger, conniving in... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Neasa MacErlean
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great read really enjoyed it
I overlooked this Ian McEwan book previously, but looked it up after reading Sweet Tooth recently. I did look at the reviews of others before I bought and was a little discouraged... Read more
Published 5 months ago by clemi
3.0 out of 5 stars
I'm not sure that I liked this book!
I have a bit of a mental seize with this book as I can't quite make up my mind whether I liked it or not. Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. H. Mccarthy
1.0 out of 5 stars
Superficial and dreary
This novel attracted excellent reviews and I admire Ian McEwan, so I was really looking forward to reading this. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Gertrude
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