Thanks all for the warm welcome, that is really kind.
I enjoyed it and found it pretty standard McEwan fare. I find Ian McEwan can be a little hit and miss, in that I really enjoyed Atonement, but I thought that Amsterdam, was just awful (given that it won the Booker I think that is my failing). I think that On Chesil Beach compares to The Innocent in terms of a fantastical, but belivable, plot and the style of writing. Have you read any other McEwan? What do you think?
I find American politics fascinating and this is very much Obama's take on how to sort out America. He is writing for an American audience so to me (as a British reader) some things don't resonate as much as they could, and others seem frankly a little strange. Also, while there are glimpse's of his poetry, this reads in a much more conversational way. But in light of what is going on in the world today, if this is, in some ways, his manifesto, it will be really interesting to see if he stands by his views. What's Dream's from my father like?