I need to buy a friend a book for xmas - she likes Ian McEwan's 'Atonement'. Are his other books similar

Question

Or should i go for a different author? What sort of books are similar? Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Personally, I love Ian McEwan's early work, and read his collection of short stories "First Love, Last Rites" when it came out. The stories are very striking.

As a completist, I think buying those early stories and another Ian McEwan early novel such as "The Cement Garden" would interest your friend. I feel these are the best pieces that he ever did - they are disturbing but unforgettable.

Answer 2

Hi there, McEwans books are all pretty similar, what the other guys have said is pretty much right.
Variety a spice of life?
Behind the Scenes at the Museum, Kate Atkinson
Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro
both cover similar ground but not the same way.
Good luck, Steve.

Answer 3

If you want another McEwan that's similar in tone I would suggest Enduring Love, which combines a thriller element with ideas in depth. If you're looking for brilliant writing about the Second World War -- which combines psychological acuity with a sense of history then try J.G.Farrell's The Singapore Grip. He's not as widely read as he used to be but the neglect is undeserved.
McEwan's book The Innocent -- based in Berlin -- is a completely gripping exercise in spy fiction, but you should be warned it also includes the most vivid description of a dismemberment in print.

Answer 4

Ian McEwan's Booker Prize-winning Amsterdam is a sleek piece of literature and worth a read

"Saturday" is.... A well written short story stretched over 300 pages. Well researched but serves more as a vehicle for the author's frustrated poetry and insightful philosophy than as an entertaining yarn. ... the The Guardian said it was 'Pretty Fabulous'

also "enduring love" is a good one from the same author too

Answer 5

I work in a bookshop in London and am quite well read. I knew Ian McEwan when he first started publishing because we lived almost next door to each other in North London. I have followed his writing career very carefully and although I really enjoyed Atonement, I still think his best is Black Dogs. We have lost touch now, but I still follow him. His early books (mainly short stories) are very dark and cruel and I don't think I would recommend them.