On Chesil Beach By Ian McEwan
Ranked #1,768 in Books, Poetry & Writing, #69,441 overall
On Chesil Beach - A Novel By Ian McEwan
Set in the early 1960s, On Chesil Beach explores the relationship and interaction of the main characters, newlywed couple Edward and Florence, as they prepare to consummate their marriage in the days before the "sexual revolution".
On Chesil Beach was shortlisted for The Man Booker Prize in 2007.
Contents at a Glance
The content of this page is copyright of CDT (author) February 2012. Please DO NOT copy or reproduce elsewhere either in print or online. "On Chesil Beach" Trailer
Video trailer for Ian McEwan's novel, "On Chesil Beach"
On Chesil Beach Plot Summary
Synopsis of On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
On a summer evening in 1962, two newlyweds sit down to dinner in the honeymoon suite of a Dorset hotel. Edward and Florence are both aged 22, both virgins and both are anticipating the consummation of their marriage with anxiety.
Edward is enthusiastic, if a little worried about his lack of experience, but is determined not to let his worries spoil an event he has been anticipating for so long.
Florence, on the other hand is terrified and rather revolted by the thought of what is going to happen. She has read a "bride's handbook" which described the sexual act in purely medical terms and this has merely served to add to her fears and feelings of disgust.
The events of their wedding night will have a profound impact of the future happiness of Edward and Florence...
"On Chesil Beach" by Ian McEwan on Amazon - available in hardback, paperback, audio and Kindle format
Excerpt From "On Chesil Beach" By Ian McEwan
Extract from "On Chesil Beach" By Ian McEwan...
- NPR: Ian McEwan's 'On Chesil Beach'
- Though it's set in the bygone pre-Sexual Revolution era of 1962, British novelist Ian McEwan says his latest book, about a disastrous wedding night, still manages to connect with a younger generation of readers.
Reviews Of "On Chesil Beach" By Ian McEwan
On Chesil Beach book reviews
- On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan | The digested read | Guardian Unlimited Books
- Guardian Unlimited review
- Review: On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan | By genre | Guardian Unlimited Books
- Another Guardian Unlimited review
- Book Review: On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
- Blogcritics is an online magazine, a community of writers and readers from around the globe.
- London Review Of Books
- Dissecting the Body - Colm Tóibín
- The New York Times - On Chesil Beach
- The New York Times review
Where Is "Chesil Beach"?
Chesil Beach, Dorset, England
Chesil Beach is an 18 miles long shingle bank reaching from Portland Bill to Abbotsbury in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The bank protects the land behind it, without it the sea would be further inland.
Chesil Beach is a steep slope of shingle fronted by pebbles which have been polished smooth by the action of the waves.
The word "chesil" means "pebble"!
The 18 mile-long 'Great Beach' is a natural barrier to the Fleet lagoon, a tidal lagoon that is home to a variety of fish, sea anemones, sea grasses and numerous types of seaweed.
Pebbles are larger at the Portland end.
Both the Chesil Bank and the Fleet lagoon are considered nationally important and are protected by international agreements that recognise the importance of the wildlife and geology.
* Top photograph of pebbles on Chesil Beach used under a Creative Commons licence from Alex Brown
* Lower photograph of Chesil Beach used under a Creative Commons licence from Jim Linwood
Ian McEwan Talks About His Book "On Chesil Beach"
Ian McEwan "On Chesil Beach" Videos
Have You Read "On Chesil Beach"?
Did you enjoy "On Chesil Beach"?
Interview With Ian McEwan - "On Chesil Beach"
Ian Mc Ewan interview about On Chesil Beach
- IAN MCEWAN: A ‘first time’ as awesome as Booker night
- Ian McEwan on why human nature never changes
"On Chesil Beach" Buzz!
- The Buckingham Book Club
- Our favorite authors include: Jonathan Franzen ("Freedom," "The Corrections"), Ian McEwan ("On Chesil Beach," "Atonement"), Sue Miller ("The Senator's Wife," "While I Was Gone"), Richard Russo ("Empire Falls," "That Old Cape Magic") and Elizabeth ...
- Blog de Simón Viola
- ... Amor perdurable o Amsterdam, Ian McEwan (Aldershot, Hampshire, Inglaterra, 1948) es uno de los novelistas ingleses más reconocidos y premiados de su generación. Frente a las reconstrucciones de época que encontramos en novelas como Chesil Beach ...
- Glattauer: Amar significa hacer feliz a otra persona
- Uno de los escritores que mejor trata el amor es, dice, el británico Ian McEwan, ?por ejemplo en 'Amor perdurable' o 'Chesil Beach'?. El viento del norte, para acabar, no es el más característico de Viena, sino... el del noroeste.
More Novels & Short Stories By Ian McEwan
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"On Chesil Beach" Feedback
Have you read "On Chesil Beach" By Ian McEwan? Would you like to? Share your thoughts here!
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whitemoss
Jan 29, 2010 @ 7:08 am | delete
- Just came back to say I've added this to my Rediscovering and Remembering lens- we all loved it at Book Club!
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whitemoss
Aug 13, 2009 @ 8:43 am | delete
- Going to my bookclub tonight- On Chesil Beach is this months book, so just checked your site for ideas- Thank you- this is a very informative lens!
I liked the early part of the book, but not the after the day later part so much- felt it sort of drifted a bit.!
Very well written though as usual by him.
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CDT
Jun 26, 2009 @ 8:00 am | delete
- I don't have any close-ups of Chesil Beach pebbles I can post, but there's LOADS of pebble pics from Chesil Beach at http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/chespeb.htm
:)
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NatureMaven
Jun 26, 2009 @ 7:31 am | delete
- On Chesil Beach is a good book to bring on a flight- it fits easily into a backpack, doesn't weigh much and is an easy read. Any chance you could show us a close up photo of one of the pebbles from the beach?
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spirituality
Jan 14, 2009 @ 3:39 am | delete
- Sounds like an interesting book :) Congrats on being one of the new giant squids!
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On Chesil Beach - Index
- "On Chesil Beach" Trailer
- On Chesil Beach Plot Summary
- Excerpt From "On Chesil Beach" By Ian McEwan
- Reviews Of "On Chesil Beach" By Ian McEwan
- Where Is "Chesil Beach"?
- Ian McEwan Talks About His Book "On Chesil Beach"
- Have You Read "On Chesil Beach"?
- Interview With Ian McEwan - "On Chesil Beach"
- "On Chesil Beach" Buzz!
- More Novels & Short Stories By Ian McEwan
- "On Chesil Beach" Feedback
- Calling All Book Fans!
- Word of the Day
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