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The Innocent

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The Innocent

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

The setting is Berlin. Into this divided city, wrenched between East and West, between past and present, comes 25-year-old Leonard Marnham, assigned to a British-American surveillance team. Though only a pawn in an international plot that is never fully revealed to him, Leonard uses his secret work to escape the bonds of his ordinary life - and to lose his unwanted innocence.

The promise of his new life begins to be fulfilled as Leonard becomes a crucial part of the surveillance team, while simultaneously being initiated into a new world of love and sex by Maria, a beautiful young German woman. It is a promise that turns to horror in the course of one terrible evening - a night when Leonard Marnham learns just how much of his innocence he's willing to shed.

©1990 Ian McEwan (P)2014 AudioGo Ltd. Published by Random House Audiobooks Espionage Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense Fiction Surveillance
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Another ripping yarn from Ian McEwan. Lots of twists and turns. Characters well drawn - and loved the way it ended.

The Innocent

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An intuitively aware novel of innocence and the natural law. Sexual guilt manifested in a horrific physical way. Edge of your seat and a beautiful love affair. I hope they make it back to Berlin together.

Sexual guilt held in two suitcases

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Maybe not one of his best novels, but it certainly started ok, but then went into this macabre setting that left me, recoiling and disturbed.
I also found the narration cold and emotionless.

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