Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

If you have ever read Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin and liked it, you'll like Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan. Of McEwan's novels, I've only read this and Atonement (which was, of course, optioned and adapted into the only movie I've ever paid to see in theaters four times in one release!), but I'm getting the sense that McEwan is a bit of a one-trick pony. Or rather, that he likes to subvert the reader's expectations of what a novel's natural flow should be.

In fact, Serena, the main character in this book, actually mentions her dislike of authors who have you happily reading along until they suddenly insert themselves as authors and break down the barrier that would have let you pretend like the story was plausible.

Which is not to say that this one isn't plausible. In fact, I'm sure the events on which it is based did happen. This book is about a young recruit to MI5 (Serena) in the 70s and her assignment ("Sweet Tooth") to use shell organizations to give a pension to an anti-communist writer so he can write happy, pro-government novels. Does all go as planned? If I told you, I'd have to kill you. (But of course not!) Many stories within stories and literary references are included, so if you're a reader, you're bound to relate to either Serena or her mark at some point.

I have to say that the publisher-provided summary of this book was misleading to me, so I hope that by comparing it (or at least its style) to The Blind Assassin, you are better forewarned as to its content. I myself happen to love The Blind Assassin and like Atonement quite a bit, so I was surprised by what I found, but not unpleasantly so.

I actually did really think this was a great book (if a bit prosey) until I got to the end. Then, without giving you too many spoilers, it kind of fell flat for me. Worth having read, though.

~7/10~