IAN MCEWAN (b.1948)
Atonement. London: Jonathan Cape, 2001.
An exceptional first edition of Atonement, annotated by the author with over 4000 words of commentary. Atonement is an enthralling and widely celebrated depiction of childhood, love and war, and the complexities of shame and innocence, which in 2007 was adapted into a BAFTA and Academy Award-winning film. McEwan’s annotations illuminate the psychological landscapes of his characters, their vulnerabilities and impulses, while also examining the structural framework of his narrative. He provides an important reflection on the social and cognitive factors behind the novel’s pivotal moment, explaining that ‘memory is a poor instrument’ and that beliefs can be primed to distort perception. His notes frequently point to his sources – both in his personal experiences and his more formal research – and to such literary influences as Henry James, Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen, T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, and John Keats. A captivating and important copy.

Octavo. Original black cloth, silver lettering to spine, pictorial dust jacket.

Buyer’s premium is payable, with a significant portion donated by Christie’s to English PEN, but note that no VAT is payable on hammer price or buyer’s premium.
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