‘Amsterdam’ by Ian McEwan
He is perhaps best known for his novels Atonement and Enduring Love, both of which have been adapted for the big screen, but it was Ian McEwan's slimline meditation on heartlessness, Amsterdam, that earned him the Booker Prize in 1998. Like many of McEwan's other works, Amsterdam is imbued with psychological insights from start to finish, throwing up a fresh moral dilemma once every five pages or so.
In my opinion, Amsterdam reads more like an extended short story than an honest-to-goodness novel, though this is not necessarily a criticism. McEwan's prose has an immediate, urgent quality; it is straightforward and satisfying, detailing the present and discarding any cumbersome back story in order to reel the reader into the action. You get the impression that McEwan is a writer in full control of his gifts, and as a result any unneeded words have been expunged in favour of a flowing and almost rhythmic style - the novel never feels wordy or hard to swallow. Amsterdam is also immediate and satisfying in its structure, comprising five short parts made up of chapters so brief they are almost like sketches. And with regards to plot, the author's skill is obvious. He has the ability to alter the course of his tale in a few measly phrases.
What I found to be the most unique aspect of Amsterdam is one that took a little longer to reveal itself to me: when McEwan is chronicling the manoeuvres of Clive Linley the composer, his style alters ever so slightly and takes on a more free-flowing, poetic spirit, while when following the machinations of newspaper editor Vernon Halliday the writing is made up of short sentences, snappy dialogue and dry wit - all reflecting the domain of the high-flying journalist.
The novel's Booker credentials are all too clear; the allusions to our always fraught political system, along with McEwan's resolutely British sensibilities and sense of humour, together with the short novel's accessibility to a range of readers, all demonstrate exactly why Amsterdam secured the prize in 1998. I must admit, however, that this novel has not affected me in any noticeable way. Sadly I did not experience the 'blows to the gut' referred to by A.S. Byatt on the back cover, yet it is impossible to refute that this book is a great read. If you're looking for an engrossing story that can be read in the space of an afternoon, look no further than Amsterdam.
This piece was originally published on alisonlaurabell.tumblr.com in October 2011.