Atonement *AP

I actually quit reading Atonement before I finished. The reason for this is probably partially because someone told me the ending was sad and partially because the only reason I wanted to read it was so that I could see the ever lovely James McAvoy on the screen in the Oscar winning film. I've been so caught up in doing things that I love right now that it's been hard for me to find a book that could be fulfilling. Anyway, as far as Atonement goes, I thought that it was well done from where I stopped reading. Yet again I have picked a book with multiple points of view. This time I really realised how much I could dig in and get to the reason for perspective. I really felt that all the characters had truly separate yet intertwining lives. Briony caused Robbie to go to get arrested for having a romantic encounter with her sister Cecelia (at least that's where the trouble starts). They all have different tales and sorrows. Briony's, of course, is her absolute knowledge that she knows Robbie has raped her cousin since she had seen him "attacking" Cecelia earlier that same night. While in her perspective, you could see her side of things EVEN THOUGH SHE SUCKS. Then we have Robbie. Robbie has just realised that he is attracted to Cecelia and has been for many years. He decides to act on this whimsical state of passion by writing Cecelia a civil letter apologising for a wrong that had occured earlier that day. Unfortunately, Robbie sent the incorrect letter to Cecelia which Briony read which started the entire event. We then see Robbie's perspective of Cecelia, of World War I, and of Briony. We feel his hatred, his love, his despair, and his pain. While Robbie is at war, for example, he speaks of how he and Cecelia have drifted apart throughout the long process of the war and of their separation. He also speaks of his hatred toward Briony, but makes it very clear that for Cecelia, he would do anything. As for Cecelia' s point of view, the same incident happens and yet we see that she dislikes Robbie even more than Robbie dislikes her at first. When she gets the letter, all of this changes. She realises that she has loved Robbie for quite a long time as well, and at this point, the two sneak into the library where they begin to "wrestle". Briony walks in, sees Robbie attacking Cecelia and is not surprised after seeing his letter. Then Briony's cousin is raped by someone, Briony claims it is Robbie, Robbie is sent to jail and is forced to fight in the war, though he is completely innocent, and we know all of this through bits and pieces of different lives being pieced together like a puzzle. While some feelings are mutual, we get to see others' thoughts and how they lead into peoples' actions. It is quite an interesting thing, and Atonement pulls it off quite well.