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On Chesil Beach

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On Chesil Beach

By: Ian McEwan
Narrated by: Ian McEwan
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.


It is July 1962. Edward and Florence, young innocents married that morning, arrive at a hotel on the Dorset coast. At dinner in their rooms they struggle to suppress their private fears of the wedding night to come and, unbeknownst to them both, the events of the evening will haunt them for the rest of their lives.


© Ian McEwan 2007 (P) Penguin Audio 2007

©2007 Ian McEwan; (P)Random House Audio
Excerpts taken from String Quintet in D major, K.593 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Licensed by kind permission of Naxos Rights International Ltd Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Movie, TV & Video Game Tie-Ins
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A book read by the author is always a treat. This book improved once it was finished. The language is beautiful but the situation is excruciatingly awkward . So the journey is painful. But when you have finished and reflect on it you realise how well Ian McEwan captures the circumstance and the time.

Well worth reading

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interesting. The relationship between the two main characters is something all couples could relate to. The family dynamic and the sorrow of what could have been.

interesting look at relationships

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Ian McEwan does a great job reading this memorable book.
His commentary at the end really is the icing on the cake!

loved everything about this audiobook.

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This book is absolutely captivating. It affects the reader long after finishing. A very unique and beautiful perspective on what could have been between a young couple. I return to this book frequently because I love it so much. The interview with McEwan at the end is fantastic.

I always return to this novel

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Captivating and precise. As with all the other McEwan novels I've read. I especially enjoyed the interview at the end.

I think he's my favorite author

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the narration by the author brings this story to life. The passion of this couple's love is torn apart on their wedding night. Subtle nuances references past abuse in a beautifully crafted story.

Beautifully crafted

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An amazing peice of literature that leaves a lasting impression of the pains and mire of regret and first love amidst a changing time based landscape of self indulgence and sexual awakening.

Ian is a stellar writer and delivers this tale in perfect grandeur at an economical cadence to suite the frenetic pace of the narrative.

A poignant tale of young love and self inflection.

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I didn't enjoy this book. The author spent most of the short book trying to build a story around a failed honeymoon night and relationship and ended the story in a couple of pages. Reading this book was like eating a bowl of delicious ice cream, without the ice cream.

A Long Time Building a Story That Went Nowhere

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.