Transcript Ian McEwan Black Dogs

Ian McEwan
Black Dogs
Title: Black Dogs
Author: Ian McEwan
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Pages: 149
Publisher: , 0
ISBN: 0385494327
Format: PDF / Kindle / ePub
Size: 5.8 MB
Download: allowed
Description
Set in late 1980s Europe at the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Black Dogsis the intimate
story of the crumbling of a marriage, as witnessed by an outsider. Jeremy is the son-in-law of
Bernard and June Tremaine, whose union and estrangement began almost simultaneously.
Seeking to comprehend how their deep love could be defeated by ideological differences
Bernard and June cannot reconcile, Jeremy undertakes writing June's memoirs, only to be led
back again and again to one terrifying encouner forty years earlier--a moment that, for June,
was as devastating and irreversible in its consequences as the changes sweeping Europe in
Jeremy's own time. In a finely crafted, compelling examination of evil and grace, Ian McEwan
weaves the sinister reality of civiliation's darkest moods--its black dogs--with the tensions that
both create love and destroy it.
Insightful reviews
Vonia: Not one of my favorites from Ian McEwan, although as I love a few of them, that is likely
a compliment... I only found this to only be alright. I felt I only partially knew the characters; their
stories were only partially told.
The title refers to what the main character's mother-in-law saw as a symbol of all that was bad &
wrong in the world; in the end, it was what changed her life forever. She became a different
person, becoming religious, etcetera. Supposedly they were once used by foreign authorities to
intimidate the locals, even once (yes) used to rape a young woman.
Ian McEwan writes, as always, with a simplicity that is somehow also graceful. His words can be
picturesque, often describing emotional situations with such insight I have no idea how he does
it. As always, he addresses dark topics, rape, Communism, The Cold War, Nazis, The Berlin
Wall, etcetera, with mastery.
This one, however, was more of a novella that did not seem substantial by the end at all. His
others of this size, most notable Amsterdam, The Comfort of Strangers, I found much better.
Ginny_1807: Attraverso l’inconciliabile conflitto ideologico che distrugge l’unione ma non il
reciproco amore di Bernard e June Tremaine, l’autore mette in campo l’eterna dicotomia tra
fede e ragione, tra vita attiva e vita contemplativa, tra materialismo e spiritualità.
Il romanzo è molto intenso e si presta a chiavi di lettura diverse e personalizzate. A tratti appare
un po’ artificioso nell’espediente di collegare alle vicende personali dei protagonisti il maggior
numero possibile di eventi storici; a tratti, forse, anche un po’ freddo, nella messa in scena di
personaggi stilizzati, più icone idealizzate dalla memoria che persone suscettibili delle
evoluzioni proprie della vita reale; tuttavia sono innegabili il valore suggestivo e il pregio
letterario di certe pagine, da includere a mio avviso tra le più belle che siano mai state scritte. In
particolare l’esordio del libro, in cui Jeremy, il narratore, ritrae la sua solitaria adolescenza di
orfano in cerca di supplire al vuoto lasciato dai propri genitori con la frequentazione dei genitori
altrui; o i passaggi in cui rievoca il legame con la nipotina Sally, sola come e più di lui in quanto
vittima di una violenza familiare strisciante e segreta; o l’incontro con Jenny Tremaine, divenuta
sua moglie e madre dei suoi figli, che paradossalmente, con quei genitori separati e in guerra
tra loro, gli offre anche il conforto dell’unione familiare che aveva sempre desiderato.
Magnifico pure il capitolo finale, nel quale si ricompone il quadro fino a quel punto soltanto
abbozzato per stralci di ricordi spesso discordanti tra loro e si tirano le fila degli eventi
esplicativi. Qui la grandiosa immagine dei Cani Neri esplode e dilaga nella nostra mente in tutta
la sua oscena imponenza, seminandovi sgomento e interrogativi inquietanti.
Qual è dunque la strada da scegliere “tra la ragione e la spiritualità, tra la politica e lo yoga, tra
chi è convinto e chi si astiene, tra la scienza e l'intuizione”?
Jeremy dichiara di non riconoscersi in nessuna delle due posizioni o, meglio, di riconoscere le
ragioni di entrambe, senza tuttavia riuscire a schierarsi totalmente né per l’una, né per l’altra.
Tuttavia, il terrificante incontro con i “cani neri” nella vicenda particolare di June, ma anche, in
senso simbolico, nell’esistenza di ciascun essere umano e nella Storia, indica chiaramente
l'esistenza del Male, della crudeltà, della violenza, della depravazione e dell'odio. Ognuno di noi
si porta dentro questo orribile potenziale, che nessuna teoria sociale è in grado di spiegare.
Perciò è solo operando su se stesso al fine di moderare e spegnere questo impulso con la forza
dell'amore che l'essere umano potrà sperare di garantirsi la felicità e la pace con gli altri.
Soltanto sperare, non averne la certezza.
Ma è ai cani neri che ritorno con maggiore frequenza. Mi turba il pensiero che devo loro tanta
felicità, soprattutto se mi lascio andare a considerarli non come semplici animali, ma come
bestie allegoriche, incarnazioni dello spirito. June mi diceva che per tutta la vita, ogni tanto
tornava a vederli: la loro immagine si depositava sulla sua retina nella breve vertigine che
precede il sonno. Corrono lungo il sentiero della Gorge de Vis, e il più grosso dei due lascia una
scia di sangue sulle pietre bianche. Attraversano la linea d'ombra e sprofondano in una tenebra
mai raggiunta dal sole [...] Poi, quando il sonno ha la meglio, si allontanano, come macchie nere
sul grigio dell'alba, e svaniscono procedendo verso la montagna dalla quale ritorneranno a
tormentarci in qualche angolo d'Europa, chissà quale, chissà quando.
Aric Cushing: I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this. An incredibly satisfying quick read, accumulating in
the powerful image (both symbolically and literally) for the narrator's mother-in-law at the end of
the novel, which is the title of the book. I was also shocked to find a few people didn't like it. This
book is part memoir, part fiction, and at the same time an examination of explosions of violence.
Chris: i discovered a used library hardcover of this at Half-Price Books approximately 3 months
in the past - i've got something approximately hardcovers, so I needed to purchase it, even
supposing i used to be now not at the beginning extraordinarily concerned about the synopsis. i
am a good looking avid fan of Ian McEwan; seeing that I learn The Cement Garden, i have
relatively turn into enamored of his writing style. it's totally intimate whereas nonetheless
retaining a story distance and sure coldness that I a great deal appreciate. However,
considering that studying Amsterdam and On Cheshil seashore i have turn into an increasing
number of annoyed via his abrupt plot adjustments and poorly concluded tale lines.Thus, my
loss of hurry in interpreting this.Still, i used to be really very happy by way of the construction of
relationships within the novel - there is a semi-transparency to time and chronology that i
actually liked. I admit not to a lot liking the more recent experimentations with time line that such
a lot of authors and filmmakers are trying nowadays - i actually get pleasure from a narrative
which may tackle the past, present, and, if necessary, way forward for a personality with out
being pretentious approximately it. not anyone goes to put in writing one other Slaughterhouse
Five, and whereas I applaud inventive divergence from the common 3 to 5 act established
storyline, ripping off the entire 'unstuck in time' inspiration is overdone. Anyway, as I said, the
relationships are what rather stood out for me. i will evidently relate to dysfunctional households
and dangerous relationships, which the radical has in abundance, however it was once the
small issues that appeared very widely used to my very own existence and relations that made
all of it so genuine to me: the consuming and drug abuse of the narrator's sister and brother-inlaw, the sexual deviance, the longing for a practical relatives and clever mom and dad who care,
and etc. the radical completely succeeds in those regards.Given that the most thematic (or two)
of the radical is/are relationships (and love), I wasn't extraordinarily enamored of the novel's
identify - the black canines relatively have little or no to do with the tale itself, and (spoiler
ahead) I fucking hated McEwan's utilization of the SS and rape in the plot. It felt contrived to me,
and entirely misplaced - it had a brutality that was once shocking, disgusting, and completely
irrelevant to it truly is position within the story. I received the effect that the writer were
performing some type of informal reading, stumbled on anything that made him pass 'WOW!'
and he wrote a quick tale approximately it. brief tale good and good, yet Christ, thoroughly out
of context within the novel.Generally, the unconventional was once relatively stable and that i
completely loved it. I learn it from disguise to again in one 4 hour consultation (and yes, i'm a
sluggish reader), so i will not say that my displeasure at sure components is absolutely all that
substantial, i will not say that i am indignant I invested any time within the read, etc. at the
contrary, it was once a good read. However, the terrible identify and the pivotal come upon
simply weren't in any respect compelling to me or very important to me.I imagine that this is
often most likely the final Ian McEwan i will be reading, as i have had too many nitpicks and
gripes concerning the final three. i am regularly pissed off and let-down through the conclusions,
and that i imagine I should still most likely take that as a clue.
Maggie: will be 3.5 stars if possible. I forgot how good he writes. whether I frequently locate
him/his characters pretentious and unrelatable. there have been these moments during this
booklet as well, yet I resonated too heavily and for my part with the vintage Rational vs Spiriutal,
sturdy vs Evil, White vs Black - vs grey internal conflicts of the soul. What can we rather fairly
want for - what "should be" , as opposed to what rather is, and the way we reconcile the two. i
love how McEwan's protagonist/storytelling device, Jeremy, does recognize that those
arguments are just a little beside the point and artificially constructed, simply because there
does not must be an inherent clash among the 2 (or three). enjoyed the half the place June and
Bernard argued on his shoulders. i admire how Jeremy's own tale and heritage is woven in
naturally, how his abandonment as a toddler has affected him as a adult.I do imagine McEwan
leans in the direction of June's account of Life/Purpose/Meaning. that is comforting. yet of
course, Bernard may argue that convenience doesn't lend any credence to a trust or make it a
fact, and in truth belies a bias that works opposed to its favor. Fuck this philosophically
mindfuddling no-answers-anywhere shit. Ok, i am pleased with my three-star evaluate now.
Stephanie Sun: i used to be so tremendously wide awake that i used to be analyzing an Ian
McEwan novel the full time, yet I nonetheless cherished it.
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