Amsterdam

Written by Ian McEwan

Narrated by Steven Crossley

The best-selling author of Atonement and Enduring Love, Ian McEwan is known as one of contemporary fiction's most acclaimed writers. This Booker Prizewinning novel by McEwan finds two men connecting at the funeral of their ex-lover. Distressed by how she was slowly destroyed by an illness, the two make a pact to save each other from enduring such a fate.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781461813545

Ian McEwan

Ian McEwan (Aldershot, Reino Unido, 1948) se licenció en Literatura Inglesa en la Universidad de Sussex y es uno de los miembros más destacados de su muy brillante generación. En Anagrama se han publicado sus dos libros de relatos, Primer amor, últimos ritos (Premio Somerset Maugham) y Entre las sábanas, las novelas El placer del viajero, Niños en el tiempo (Premio Whitbread y Premio Fémina), El inocente, Los perros negros, Amor perdurable, Amsterdam (Premio Booker), Expiación (que ha obtenido, entre otros premios, el WH Smith Literary Award, el People’s Booker y el Commonwealth Eurasia), Sábado (Premio James Tait Black), En las nubes, Chesil Beach (National Book Award), Solar (Premio Wodehouse), Operación Dulce, La ley del menor, Cáscara de nuez, Máquinas como yo, La cucaracha y Lecciones y el breve ensayo El espacio de la imaginación. McEwan ha sido galardonado con el Premio Shakespeare. Foto © Maria Teresa Slanzi.

Reviews for Amsterdam

[mynovelthoughts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

With Amsterdam Ian McEwan creates a haunting story of friendship, betrayal & obsession. The novel centres around the friendship of Clive Linley, a famous musician, and Vernon Halliday, a major newspaper editor. As they mourn the death of their lover Molly, the reader watches them obsess over their separate vocations.Amsterdam is a short, powerful novel that shows the extremes people can go to when their obsessions are at stake. Wonderfully written, Amsterdam is a novel well worth reading.

[hanneri_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book was very odd. The story begins with the death of Molly. Molly who was the friend of several men, and the lover of several others even though she was married. Two of her previous lovers, Clive and Vernon, attend the funeral and pay their respects. Then they go off and continue to live their lives, but they have both been changed as a result of the loss of their mutual friend. I am still trying to figure out what the plot was. Is jealousy the main theme or friendship gone array? Is it the continuation of life after the death of someone very close? Life that follows a depressing path. I don’t have the answer to these questions. I found the writing to be a bit too wordy. I also found the ideas to be choppy and scattered. This is the first McEwan book I have read and I have to say, I am not impressed.

[dylanwolf · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There are times when McEwan is just annoying. The serious gravitas mixed with the ridiculous culmination. Amsterdam is one such novel where he mixes both and you feel let down as though some trick has been performed in front of you and you are the dupe. I'm not sure why this quite slight novel should be so highly regarded. McEwan's style is effective, absorbing and entertaining, its just where he takes it that is frustrating. Amsterdam is an easy and quick enough read and there is enough there to admire but McEwan has done better work - this is a poor one to have won the Booker Prize with.

[pamjw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Vernon, Clive and Garmony - all past lovers of Molly. And George, her husband. Vernon and Clive are old friends, Garmony has no fans amongst any of them. Envy, spite and a desire to bring a downfall all play their = and the ultimate climax in Amsterdam.A brilliant, fascinating book, short and page-turning with an enexpected ending

[ireadthereforeiam · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was exciting and engaging and wonderfully descriptive almost all the way through. It was the ending that let it down. It was rushed and worse than that....I saw it coming thanks to the image on the cover of my edition. If the ending had been written longer, with more feeling, I could have really loved this book. It describes the friendship of two well-to-do London men. Both in high positions in their fields, and both formerly in love with a recently deceased woman. The two men both find themselves with a moral dilema and can only pick fault with the way the other friend acted. Their bitterness an anger with each other reaches fairly high stakes and the high drama takes place in the Amsterdam of the title.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was not too impressed with this book. I had read Atonement in the past and thought that book was really good but this one just left me a little bit bewildered as to why it won The Booker Prize. I will, however, check out a few more of his books because I know that he is a talented writer.

[bcquinnsmom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Amsterdam opens at a memorial service for Molly Lane, who, as a lover, was shared by the main characters of this story: Clive, a composer of classical music; Vernon, the editor of a newspaper that's seen better days, and Julian Garmony, the current foreign secretary of the British government who probably wants to rise to become the prime minister at some point. (my apologies for this long sentence!) To each one of these people, Molly provided something that brought comfort and solace -- and now after her death, their lives seem destined to be falling apart. The story follows the lives of the two main characters, Clive and Vernon, and through them Julian as their lives intertwine and become enmeshed.I liked this book all the way up until the end at which point I almost threw it across the room. The ending is somewhat farcical and inane and I suppose if I must be honest, I felt stupid that I didn't see it coming when it's basically spelled out. I'm sorry, but it seems that this ending was a bit unworthy of this author. Hmm.I will say that McEwan's writing is, as always, exquisite, and is not to be missed. I can also recommend this book for that reason. But as far as the story goes, the Booker?

[msaucier818 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really do enjoy the writing style of this author. I find it to be witty with a sarcastic sense of humor. However, I have a hard time getting past the sad outlook on life that the author maintains. He seems to have the ability to show the worst in people and by ending the story with a double-murder, he confirms his own negative beliefs. This was a very short novel, and I would have liked it better if he had taken more time to explore the world of the two main characters. With all of that said, I would read more from this author.

[Ken · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining visit to literary world. Darker chocolate than usual.
.

[edgepath · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

1998 Booker Prize winning short novel; unappealing characters with obvious ending

[jan_cornelis · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

People in the book store recommended this to me because I like Cormac McCarthy, how wrong they where. Besides having Mc there name McEwan and McCarthy got noting in common. (She just as well had sent me to McDonalds).

Amsterdam has a plot that you feel coming from miles ahead. These disillusioned baby-boomers really got nothing to tell than open doors about getting older, drinking to much, old lovers and wanting fame. I highly recommend NOT READING this book.

[lisahistory · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A story of the old lovers left behind by an incredible woman, the tale becomes twisty and brings out the worst in the characters. Beautifully written and fun to read.

[Sara Lee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

We always talk about love, but do we believe in true friendship?

When Molly dies, the characters surrounding her, her friends and lovers, aware of the fleeting nature of life, throw themselves into achieving their goals, leaving morality behind and jeopardizing their personal relationships.

Amsterdam is the story of a friendship that weakens, giving way to resentment, hatred, and revenge. Achieving success by any means becomes a top priority for protagonists who overlook morality in their actions and embark on a path of vengeance where they will cross unimaginable boundaries.

There are many themes addressed in this novel, skillfully interwoven, among which we could highlight, though I've already mentioned some before, the fragility of friendship, the manipulation of information in the press, euthanasia, the weakness of human beings in the face of death, and ethical limits.

But in this work, although brief, there is also room for music. I found sublime the way the author evokes the passion for music, for its creation, and for the details that inspire its composer.

A novel with an ascending pace that contains a significant ethical and social background and an ending that will surprise you.

Happy reading!!! (Translated from Spanish)

[waldhaus1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story proceeds from the cremation of a woman who died from a brain disease that left her without a sense of self. Three of her former lovers are present and there story is told. Two, a composer and newspaper editor end up being euthanized in Amsterdam. The story of the creative process both for the newspaper editor and composer make for fascinating reading. The implosion of their personalities adds a negative tone to the story.

[castlelass · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book opens with a funeral. Molly, a photographer, has died. She is the thread that ties the characters (her lovers or former lovers) together. George Lane is her widower. Clive Linley is a composer working on what he believes will be his masterpiece. Vernon Halliday is a liberal news editor who has come across potentially damaging photos. Julian Garmony is a conservative foreign secretary who is expected to make a run for Prime Minister.

The first three-quarters of the narrative sets up the relationships among the characters. The author employs these characters, particularly Clive and Vernon, to explore the convergence of self-interest and ethics, and how the characters justify acting against what they purport to believe. The ending is not what I was expecting. I won't spoil it, but the entire story is definitely thought provoking.

[Tonitrico13 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great book, the second one I've read by this author and much better than the first (which was Chesil Beach). Although the story isn't that remarkable, McEwan's way of expressing himself and telling the story makes the book a delight. I would highlight the reflections on human morality, what inspiration means, and the constant pessimism of the characters. I will continue reading this author. (Translated from Spanish)

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is an odd, but thoroughly readable book. It starts at Molly's cremation, where we meet her husband and 3 of her former lovers. Clive & Vernon are friends, one a composer the other a newspaper editor. The third love is Julian, the Foreign Secretary, whom Clive & Vernon do not like. They have stronger negative feeling for the husband, George.
The story takes off when George offers Vernon some pictures of Julian, taken by Molly, that would be career ending for a politician. Clive & Vernon have very different opinions on what to do with these and you can imagine the press kerfuffle.
It's a curious story, fast paced and very readable. What happens to Clive & Vernon runs the range from male friendship to betrayal to farce. It all feels very real, relationships do change and are reassessed when a key person in the relationship is no longer there - in this case Molly. But who exactly is driving events here? The last chapter implies that an individual was manipulating events, but that, I feel, might be a step too far - or an I (like others) underestimating them?

[charon07 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An entertaining but odd little moral fable—not quite what I'd expected after reading Atonement. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it.

[Nurse85 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very special book that came into my hands as a gift from a good friend.
Very well written with a high cultural level that will make you consult a dictionary and Wikipedia, a brilliant plot with many reflections, and a spectacular and impactful ending…
The plot demonstrates the great intelligence of the author and how they play with the reader; it has nothing to do with how it starts, how it continues, and how it ends.

I can only tell you that until you read the end of the book, you don't understand the title. Something sublime.

The book will occupy a privileged place in my library. (Translated from Spanish)

[Enaut · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It hasn't been bad. It is expressed very well and has had an ending, perhaps not unexpected, but curious. Although in these novels, I miss having more protagonists. (Translated from Spanish)

[eglinton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A neat caper pacily dispatched in 5 acts, like a Shakespearean spiralling of downfall and destiny. The declines and falls of the plot along with the slightly sneering tone in the skewering of contemporary mores offer a taste of the early Evelyn Waugh. The work has its finger on the pulse of the times, but as those times are the mid-90s, it’s a period piece already. An enjoyable and easy read: precise prose, no great depth, a few arresting narratorial observations.

[Marlene Estrada · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I believed that the moral dilemma of the novel centered on the hidden aspect of Garmony's life or perhaps on Molly's liberal life or on the theme of dying with dignity; however, although these themes are not the backbone of the work, several perspectives invite the reader to take a stance for or against these issues. I was positively surprised to see how the main theme was coming together and its outcome, which, in my opinion, should not have been revealed literally in the final chapter to remain a perfect novel, as the fact that it is unveiled leaves a touch of disillusionment. For everything else, I find it to be a well-crafted text; I generally liked the style. I understand the title as a metaphor for what a society seems correct according to certain criteria. (Translated from Spanish)

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story is of a friendship between two men; one a composer of music for orchestra and the other a editor of a newspaper. They are at the height of their careers. The composer is working on what he feels will be his greatest work to bring in the millennium and the other is working to keep a newspaper viable in a changing world. The book opens at a funeral for a former photographer and friend of both men. This funeral sets them to thinking of death and they both vow that they will assist the other to die before they become like the woman who has just passed on. Soon after their euthanasia pack the relationship takes a sudden turn for the worse.

It's a quick read and I enjoyed it. It was written in 1998 and it won the Booker Prize that year. It examines the morals and culture of the time. Rating 4.8

[Silviarudias · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love McEwan, but this novel was a drag for me. (Translated from Spanish)

[alisony-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well, this one may date back to 1998 but the Booker judges surely did it again - as we've seen countless times before, right author, wrong book.

Amsterdam opens with two friends and ex-lovers of the same woman meeting at her funeral. One is a successful composer, the other an editor of a British newspaper with a declining circulation. I can't bring myself to tell you the basic plot between the two as it's so preposterous I wouldn't know where to begin.

I was quite excited for the first quarter of this book. It had the feeling of building up to McEwan when he's at his best, when you get that McEwan special sauce that gives you a tingling sense of foreboding. I was practically rubbing my hands with glee after having been less enthralled with my last few reads of his. And then... well, it went a little flat. Somewhere along the way there'd been a slow puncture. I didn't see it coming, but the book was gradually deflating.

By the time I got to the middle it was a little stagnant, but I had my McEwan rose-tinted glasses on. "Don't worry", I told myself, "you know your buddy Ian - he'll throw a curveball right when you're least expecting it. This little so-so patch is just to catch you unawares". So, I continued on, waiting for the metaphorical Bogeyman to jump out. And out he came. But it was hardly the jump from the dark I'd been waiting for. More like he'd been standing in front of me in supermarket-esque fluorescent lighting for a good half hour in a ridiculous child's dressing up outfit before shouting 'boo' at me in a bored fashion. What I'm trying to say is that the twist was ludicrous and about as suspenseful as Trump visiting a tanning shop.

McEwan's Enduring Love the year before? Utterly fabulous. Creepy, edgy, unique. OK, I'm being a little tongue-in-cheek here with Amsterdam - it wasn't the worst novel I've ever read, but it certainly wasn't up there with McEwan's best, and by the end of the novel that slow puncture had turned into a totally flat finish. It certainly wasn't worthy of being a Booker prizewinner.

3 stars - I kept turning the pages OK, but in all it was a dud plot. Ian, I'm very cross with you.

[paula1970 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It is the second book I read by the author. The premise of the book is interesting, but I found myself bored in some parts, and I never managed to understand the characters. I ended up imagining how Stefan Swing, Isabel Allende, or Amelie Nothomb would have approached this idea. I liked "Atonement" so much that I hope this book was just a low point among the novels of this author. (Translated from Spanish)

[Alcazar57 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's one of the best texts I've read this year. Excellently written, where each word is a cog that fits into an exquisite machine. Morality, ethics, friendship, love, and pride are just a few of the themes this novel explores. Recommended. (Translated from Spanish)

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An unusual story of unsympathetic characters in an unlikely storyline, but is quite satisfying nonetheless.

[Arraiano · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A somewhat thick plot about the relationship between the lovers of a deceased woman. (Translated from Spanish)

[julia1955 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Molly Lane has died at the age of forty-six. She was a very free-spirited, very seductive woman, and at her funeral, the four most important men in her life are present: Clive Linley, a famous musician; Vernon Halliday, a journalist and director of one of the major newspapers in the country; George Lane, her powerful, multimillionaire husband; and Julian Garmony, a notorious right-wing politician, current Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister candidate. (Translated from Spanish)