Roland is an everyman whose life (like those of all baby boomers lucky enough to survive into the 21st century) unfolds amid extraordinary international events. In telling the story of Roland Baines, the author gives his readers what they’ve come to expect: insight, intelligence, beautiful language, close observation, and a subtle undercurrent of wit. But with great fangirling comes great responsibility, so I was prepared to pull no punches when assessing the latest entry into the McEwan canon, Lessons. Since reading his powerhouse WWII novel, Atonement, 20 years ago, I’ve devoured and evangelized most of his oeuvre. Or write.įull disclosure: I’m in the tank for Ian McEwan. To me, “in the tank” is merely shorthand for having a baseline affection or respect for someone that’s so high, it’s impossible to be a dispassionate critic of anything they say or do. “I hate that term,” he replied, adding something about it sounding tawdry. I once remarked to a colleague that I shouldn’t weigh in on a certain matter because I was in the tank for the person raising it.
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