not so sweet after all

ian mcewan's (atonement, on chesil beach, saturday, amsterdam) latest book, sweet tooth is a big disappointment. it's boring. sure the prose is still (mostly) gorgeous, but the characters are so predictable and bland. you expect some real spying action, but there is none. (maybe i read the wrong book about m15?). it's also so ego centrical. chos!
it did not pick pace until the last two chapters.
even the usual surprise at the end is not a surprise at all.
you can already tell from the start. double chos!

&&&&&

the short stories though are fun and entertaining. especially about the lonely rich man who fell in luv with a mannequin who reminded him of his ex-wife.
as well as the one about a wife who stole from her husband. she became even more desirable after the husband learned of her deceit. their last sex was so hot, a nice punctuation mark to their doomed marriage.

&&&&&&

but the book is filled with gems like these:

"you may think we're too mired in deceit, that we've told each other enough lies to outlast a lifetime, that our deception and humiliation have doubled the reasons for going our separate ways. i prefer to think they've cancelled out and that we're too entwined in mutual surveillance to let each other go. i'm in the business now of watching over you."

"i kept up the reading in the same old style, three or four books a week.....i went at things in my usual hungry way, and there was an element of boredom too, which i was trying to keep at bay, and not succeeding.  anyone watching me might have thought i was consulting a reference book, i turned the pages so fast. and i suppose i was,  in my mindless way, looking for a something, version of myself, a heroine i could slip inside as one might a favourite old shoe. or a wild silk blouse. for it was my best self i wanted.."

&&&&&&&

on chesil beach and amsterdam remain my ian favourites. never mind atonement.