Questions
about conscience, about rights and wrongs never have easy answers; do they have
any answers at all? But anything that makes the reader uncomfortable, forces
him to dive into the recesses of his thoughts, makes him struggle with his
thoughts and that of the characters is remarkably good, an achievement for the
writer.
Amsterdam
revolves around some strong characters, Clive – an established musician, Vernon
– an editor of a struggling newspaper called the Judge, Garmony – the foreign
secretary and Molly Lane. Vernon and Clive, former lovers of the dead Molly are
close friends, maybe the best. Molly, she lived an eventful life, a colourful
one but death sucked and paled each shade and rendered her colourless in the
end. Married to her husband George at the time of her death, she found it
nearly impossible to recognize anyone as she laid suffering.
The
others carry on in their establishments till some scandalous photographs find their
way in the hands of Vernon. With these, Vernon feels elevated on the pedestal
of power; the power to destroy the foreign secretary. But why would he do that,
make a personal incident a public episode? Is it because he personally hates
Garmony or is it because he is a good journalist and wants the world to know.
Or maybe he thinks Garmony is the wrong person and doesn’t belong to the
responsibility he bears. Should it matter if the end result, even though for a
contemplated societal favour is borne out of a biased hateful mind. Does the
end justify the means no matter how personal, how individualistic, no matter
how odious the means are?
What
would I do if I were in his skin? Grab the opportunity, convincing myself that
I’m right, acting against my conscience or let my morals shove me out of this
personal campaign? How easily these soulful words like conscience, morals and
values, like the enlightening flame of a lit candle, escape skilfully like
smoke with the mere blow of air in the presence of an opportunity. The strength
of our character, I believe is how easily we can convince ourselves for or
against our own values in the event of an opportunity. Clive too faces a
similar dilemma, though in a different situation, where he could have made a
difference had he chosen to, but doesn’t; only to be loathed by Vernon.
But
somehow, as it always happens between McEwan and me; as I was pleasured on the
decks of his titanic book, a disastrous iceberg lay ahead. Just when I thought
this was the Ian McEwan book I will finally like, the end left me devastated; completely let down!
Not because it was devastating in thought, but because it was so predictably
horrendous; so ludicrous. I feel cheated by McEwan, by his hurried incapacity
towards the end of the book; more so I feel being stabbed in the back by the
Booker committee. Why, I wonder, how?
My Rating : * * * * * * * * * * - 5/10
 |
| Ian McEwan |
Picture copyrights:
Amsterdam book cover - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amsterdam-Ian-McEwan/dp/0099272776
Ian McEwan - http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-children-act-by-ian-mcewan-9691662.html
