Trudy is
pregnant, but currently not living with the child’s father, John, but his uncle,
Claude. The house they live in was one Trudy and John’s retreat and now worth
millions since housing in London is expensive. Claude is into real estate and comes
up with a plan: why not get rid of the unwanted father of the child and make
money of the house? A plan is made, but John interferes when he suddenly shows
up and asks Trudy to leave the house where he wants to create a new home for
himself and his girlfriend Elodie. Quick action is needed and thus Trudy and
Claude have to react fast. Just a couple of hours later, they seem to have
reached their aim and nobody is there who could blame them. But what they don’t
know is that somebody has been listening all the time…
Respect. Ian
McEwan really succeeded in surprising me. One of my favourite authors of whom I
have read many novels accomplished something I thought risky and did not expect
much from: telling a story from an unborn baby’s point of view. But what do we
get: a lot of fun with a narrator who is not only a lot cleverer than all the
adults presented, but also a close observer and ironic commentator of what he
hears and understands. In this special case, getting the story just form one
perspective is a great plus since the baby is just hilarious. At points,
however, the laughter gets stuck in your throat when, for example, the baby is
longing for another glass of wine – something it is highly used to. In this
way, McEwan does what we expect him to do: he knows exactly how to put the
words so that there is a double meaning and the underlying message can hit you
hard.
What I
liked best about the novel were first of all the baby’s way of narrating what’s
happening. A slightly naïve tone which nevertheless shows a lot on knowledge
and understanding. Second, the presentation of the characters who are mainly
characterized through their action and even though they are not really the sympathetic
type of person and only seen through the baby’s eyes, the develop facets and
become more and more complex in their feelings.
All in all,
a quick read which connects a lively and lovable narrator with a murder plot.
