The plotting is complex, astonishing and perfect. It brims with good nature and generosity of spirit...it's full of jokes, suspense, cliffhangers, narrative reversals and pathos'

I think the Oedipus Tyrannus, The Alchemist, and Tom Jones, the three most perfect plots ever planned. And how charming, how wholesome, Fielding always is! To take him up after Richardson, is like emerging from a sick room heated by stoves, into an open lawn, on a breezy day in May

An exquisite picture of human manners

I am shocked to hear you quote from so vicious a book. I am sorry to hear you have read it: a confession which no modest lady should ever make

A deft and brilliant exploration of guilt, family and the rippling repercussions of a single moment in life

A superb achievement

A magnificent novel

The best thing he has ever written

McEwan's best novel so far, his masterpiece

Subtle as well as powerful, adeptly encompassing comedy as well as atrocity, Atonement is a richly intricate book... A superb achievement

An evocative depiction of the dangers of innocence and ignorance in the face of uncomfortable reality.

Brilliantly explores the currents of guilt, shame and anger... Utterly satisfying, complete

A complex, thought-provoking novel.

Smoulders with slow-burning menace

Just brilliant, particularly for the clever, poignant final chapter. I loved the shattering, satisfying twist

I love being transported to a different era and this masterly novel succeeds at every level

This is a rare creature - a heartbreaker with genuine heart. Wonderful

One of the great unrequited love stories

An astonishing narrative... a novel that stick with you long after you finish it

Simply stunning from beginning to end, this tense, evocative, beautifully-drawn novel transported me back to the 1930s and 40s, swept me away - and broke my heart too.

A magnificient novel