Nutshell
Ratings45
Average rating3.8
A funky story narrated by a fetus with elements inspired by Hamlet. Didn't love it, but it kept my attention.
A brilliant point of view and plot (I wish I'd of thought of it!). This is McEwan at his best, he may not be everyone's cup of tea but I think he is both original and entertaining. Some may not fully appreciate his sarcastic commentary on our culture but it resonates with this reader.
ian mcewan is a genius - witty metatextuality permeates every line with a spring in its step. eloquent, gripping, and funny. but beyond that, also bold and acute. an undeniably unique read.
Wow. What a unique book from the great Ian McEwan. Just go ahead and read the synopsis. Yes, it is as intriguing as it sounds. A lesser writer could never pull this off. Rather brilliant. Recommend.
A 5 star read. What a gem of a novel. Only Ian McEwan could successfully pull off such an ambitious and bizarre plot line. Trudy, the estranged wife of John, attempts to murder him with the help of her brother-in-law and John's own brother Claude whom she is also having an affair with. The only spanner in the works regarding their dark plot is the witness to their scheme, the nine-month-old resident of Trudy's womb. The novel is guided along by the narration of Trudy's unborn foetus, who offers up an intellectual and engaging reflection of the novels twists and turns. A unique re-telling of Hamlet, littered with poetry and compelling drama. A fantastic and richly dark plot. I am Blown away by McEwan's elegant writing style and the way he can make a strange concept like a foetus protagonist so utterly convincing without a hint of farce. McEwan is a hugely impressive talent. Nutshell is a wickedly clever novel. A must read for any McEwan fans!!!
I don't think Ian McEwan is for me.* See, I didn't dislike this novel; I just found it so hard to relate to—anything, really. The situation, the characters, the sex... I don't know. And, again, it's not that I disliked any of that, I just didn't care about it. I didn't feel anything when the fetus tried to kill himself, I couldn't see myself caring if the characters were going to get caught or not. Maybe that's not the point of the book, but what is it, then?
It has a great premise, and the prose is beautiful—it's obvious that McEwan is a talented writer—, but is it enough? I don't know.
*I happened to read one of his other books in 2015. Here's my (very short) review.