Tbh I didn’t really like it, I think the story in general just didn’t really catch my interest and parts of the book made me quite uncomfortable but I decided to just finish the book. The final, like, 10 pages something happens but for the rest the entire book leads up to that moment and it all felt kind of bad. I did want to like this book as I’ve seen others do but I simply really don’t, if the ending with the murder wasn’t in there I would’ve rated it less... Won’t be reading this again. ( )

Þetta er önnur bókin sem ég les eftir McEwan og sannarlega ekki sú síðasta. Báðar sögurnar eru sterkar og eftirminnilegar, sláandi og heillandi.
Þessi lýsir samkomulagi pars sem statt er í fríi saman í Feneyjum. Komin er þreyta og leiði í sambandið. Andrúmsloftið er allt þrúgandi og kæfandi. Lesandi finnur fyrir óhugnaði sem nálgast hjónakornin. Ítali gefur sig að þeim, að því er virðist fyrir tilviljun. Þau heillast af honum og konu hans þótt óhug setji að þeim um leið. Áhrif kynna þeirra virka þó sem ferskur andblær á samband parsins og þau dragast að þeim ítalska og konu hans líkt og fiðrildi að kertaloga. ( )

In this brief novel (published in 1981 when the author was 33), a British couple, Colin and Mary, are on holiday in an unnamed seaside town that bears more than a passing resemblance to Venice. Their relationship is mutually caring, but also one of powerful erotic allure and private intimacy. Both are physically attractive and know it, and Colin in particular spends an inordinate amount of time grooming. McEwan’s omniscient narrator paints a picture of two people so profoundly intertwined in almost every aspect of their waking lives that a cloistered exclusivity has evolved between them, as if they are trying to hold themselves aloof from the rest of humanity. They are preternaturally sensitive to one another’s needs and desires, and—once made aware—are more than willing to cater to those needs and desires. And yet when they are together an odd tension seems to exist between them. Mary is distracted: she has left her two children from a previous marriage in England and keeps in touch with them sporadically by phone. And both Colin and Mary at times seem bored and frustrated, with each other and their holiday, and occasionally assert their independent will by acting contrary to the other’s wishes. One day they get lost while following the town’s canals and traversing the narrow, winding pathways. Thirsty and tired, they allow an insistent stranger named Robert to lead them to a bar, where he regales them with stories of his personal history. Later, their resistance weakened, they go with Robert to his villa, where they meet his wife, Caroline, who has mobility issues and appears to suffer from some physical injury or deformity. At this point the story veers from the mesmerizing and dreamlike pseudo-reality that McEwan has so carefully constructed into a world of obsession and depravity. Robert and Caroline are not what they seem, and once their intentions become clear, it’s too late for Colin and Mary to save themselves or each other. The story ends in the bewildering aftermath of violence, with blood staining the floor and a stunned Mary facing a series of painful, practical realities. The story is briskly told and gripping, if not entirely convincing. McEwan’s prose throughout is richly atmospheric. The narrative is psychologically probing and repeatedly demonstrates McEwan’s skill at evoking states of mind through setting and a character’s observation of physical detail. A haunting and memorable work that reflects McEwan’s preoccupation with deviant behaviours at this early stage of his career. ( )

Libro ambientado en Venecia, tiene una mezcla de misterio y erotismo muy rica. En ocasiones crees que la historia está por llegar a su clímax o dar un giro inesperado, pero justo sucede lo inesperado... muy buen final. ( )

I "discovered" Ian McEwan a few years ago. From my reading I think that you can draw a dividing line through his works. The latter works are literary and refined and seem to me to be character studies that dwell on the inner thoughts and (abnormal) psychology of the characters. On Chesil Beach and Solar are good examples. Prior to that, he wrote short, dark, disturbing novels in which, even though you could tell where the story was going, you couldn't look away. I am thinking of Enduring Love, Amsterdam, and the classic The Cement Garden. The Comfort of Strangers clearly falls into the this latter category and I really enjoyed it. ( )