Critique: Amsterdam - Ian McEwan
Introduction
Ian McEwan has a reputation for good writing and that is in evidence in his novel, Amsterdam, which won the 1998 Man Booker Prize. He writes with a simplicity and clarity that makes reading this short book, less than 180 pages, a quick and easy read. Despite the title, the majority of the action takes place in London, although the city of Amsterdam is the site of the final scenes.
Plot
The story is a satire on politics, the media and creative life. It opens at the funeral of Molly Lane, a feisty sexually liberated character in the mould of Christopher Isherwood's Sally Bowles. She died following a long and debilitating illness. Her husband, George, and three former lovers meet at her funeral. Clive Linley, a celebrated composer, and Vernon Halliday, the editor of the Judge newspaper, are close friends. Julian Garmony is the Foreign Secretary and tipped to become Prime Minister. He is not well liked either personally or for his right wing politics.
Shocked at how Molly suffered during her illness and following a scare of his own, Clive makes a request of Vernon that leads them to making a pact to end their suffering, through euthanasia, if either should find themselves "ill in a major way" which might lead them to make "errors of judgement" and leave them unable to make their own arrangements. It is this pact which leads to the novel's weak and implausible ending.
Both Clive and Vernon find themselves faced with some difficult choices and each considers that the other has made immoral judgements. In Vernon's case, he is editor but his colleagues resist his attempts to increase circulation of the Judge and make it commercially focussed. This changes when George passes to Vernon pictures of Julian dressed in women's clothes which Molly had taken. Vernon trails the pictures in the media and his team begin to support him as circulation increases. When he discusses this with Clive, the flimsiness of their friendship becomes evident. Clive argues that the pictures should remain private and that Molly would have been devastated to know they were made public. Vernon believes that Julian's political position and his private behaviour are not consistent and such hypocrisy should be publicised. Vernon's position as editor is undermined when Julian's wife, Rose, holds a pre-emptive press conference and defends and stands by her husband. Parallels with contemporary political figures, such as Jeffrey Archer, who have found themselves in similar positions spring readily to mind.
Vernon has reason to question Clive's judgement when, on a trip to the Lake District to complete his millennial symphony which could secure his reputation, Clive turns a blind eye to a woman he sees being attacked in order not to disturb his creative process. To avoid involvement in any police investigation, he does not report the incident to the police. He later tells Vernon, who is appalled and insists Clive reports the incident. Clive refuses even when it transpires the notorious Lakeland rapist committed the crime. Vernon reports Clive to the police who contact him. Clive assists them with the investigation and is then allowed to return home. Vernon is outraged that no further action is taken against Clive.
Up to this point, the story holds up well, but the final scenes are out of character with the rest of the book and make for an unsatisfactory ending. Clive and Vernon arrange to meet in the eponymous Amsterdam where Clive's symphony is to debut. They are both concerned that the other's moral judgement has been impaired and both make use of the Dutch euthanasia provisions to arrange for the other to be killed.
Narration
The story is told in the third person, the narrative shifting between the two main characters, Clive and Vernon. With each shift of perspective, it is the character upon whom the narrator is concentrating whose point of view the reader is engaging with. In this manner we are allowed to understand the defence of the characters' moral position, albeit indefensible to the opposing character. So, for each position, both sides of the argument are placed before the reader who is left to draw the unmistakeable conclusion that the two characters are morally bankrupt but try to salve their conscience by addressing the perceived flaws of the other.
The pace is quite fast throughout, as you might expect with such a short novel, although there is one part of the story which slows down the reader. In typical McEwan style there is one segment of the piece which showcases his research into the subject matter. In this case it is the long and tedious description of the creative process which is voiced through Clive as he struggles to complete his millennial symphony and secure his place in history. There are pages describing Clive's process which adds little to the story or our understanding of Clive as a character. The harsh amongst us might argue that he is simply showcasing his knowledge, the more generous might see this extract as a cathartic exercise where he is explaining the pain of the creative art, reflecting his own struggle. I tend to take the harsher view.
Themes
One of the main themes running through this story is the exploration of moral hypocrisy; the tension between personal desires and public accountability. All three of Molly's ex-lovers suffer from this. Julian Garmony in relation to his sexual desires being in conflict with the policies he expounds. Clive Linley in terms of sacrificing a woman in need for the sake of his art whilst complaining that others, notably Vernon, aren't acting responsibly. Vernon Halliday by exposing Julian's cross dressing purely as an act of vengeance, while being a strong advocate of sexual and personal freedom. In these examples, McEwan highlights the way in which all of his characters are self-serving and ultimately lacking in integrity. Even the apparently selfless act of defending her husband leaves us wondering whether Rose Garmony is actually pursuing her own self interest, such is the tone of the book.
Another main theme, which is far more interesting to me, concerns the true nature of friendship. At the start of the story, Clive and Vernon are portrayed as close friends with common enemies in Julian and George. They are supportive of each other and united in their condemnation of George for not having looked after Molly as well as he could. It culminates with each literally trusting each other with their lives through the euthanasia pact that they make. As we progress through the story we find that Clive has long considered the friendship very one-sided with Clive putting in the real effort to maintain the friendship. As their arguments over the moral decisions of the other grow in intensity, the heart of their friendship dies whilst they maintain the illusion. At the point where Clive is most angry with Vernon (when Vernon tells Clive he has reported his witnessing of the woman being attacked to the police), Clive reveals his deeply held but suppressed vitriol, referring to his old friend as "Vermin Halliday".
The one friendship that is held up by all as untainted and real is the one that each shared with Molly. Her ghost is called upon time and again to evoke integrity. One of the strongest arguments that Clive puts to Vernon for not publishing the pictures of Julian is that Molly respected his trust in her and the pictures were taken in a private moment between them. Clive argues "Frankly, you're betraying her." Molly is held up by her lovers as a beacon of honour, and yet she had affairs whilst married and with at least one married man. It is an example of the self serving nature of the three lovers that they hold such respect for this woman but do not extend such blindness of faults to their male counterparts. Perhaps this is because she allowed them a sexual freedom that brought with it a false intimacy which they mistook for true feeling.
Characters
There are two central characters, Clive and Vernon, and four main supporting characters, Julian, George, Molly and Rose. The two central characters are well drawn and we are given insight into their ambitions and what is important to them. There is a clear depiction of their world view and their personal view.
Clive Linley is a composer and very dedicated to his art. He wants to be remembered for a great artistic legacy and he is pinning his hopes on the millennial symphony he is working on. This takes priority over everything else and is used to explain why he would turn a blind eye to a woman being attacked. He has a clear sense of morality in other aspects of his life, notably in terms of how Vernon should treat the photographs of Julian.
Vernon is painted as a driven and ambitious newspaper editor. He is pragmatic and business focussed and is intent on making the Judge newspaper a success. When he gets the opportunity to achieve this and to bring down Julian Garmony, whom he hates and does not want to see become prime minister, he takes it. It does not concern him that this is against all he believes in. Vernon is a liberal and would usually defend the individual's right to sexual freedom, but ignores his conscience, and Clive, in this case. He is guilty of the very hypocrisy he uses against Julian.
At the end of the book both behave completely out of character and each murders the other through the fulfilment of the euthanasia pact. It is this ending, which is entirely unbelievable as plot (and even if it was not, it is so out of keeping with the characters), which ultimately leaves the reader feeling cheated.
The supporting characters are not so well described being little more than very easily recognised caricatures. Julian is the archetypical pompous politician with a secret, his wife Rose is the standard 'stand by your man' politician's wife, George is the hateful cuckolded husband and Molly a good time girl with a heart. All have a small part to play in the unfolding drama and it is not necessary for the author to flesh them out any further.
Language
The language used is simple and clear but conveys complex emotions and situations with a deft skill. Paragraphs are built on the sturdy foundations of well crafted sentences, each adding some hue to the overall picture. Arguments are built inexorably towards their natural conclusion in an entertaining and engaging manner. A good example of this technique is when Clive's indignation at Vernon's condemnation of his behaviour grows. It starts gently with 'This was the sentence that jolted Clive into the truth. He emerged from a tunnel into clarity' and grows incrementally until Clive exclaims of Vernon 'He was mad, he was sick, he didn't deserve to exist!' The journey between these sentences is a skilful and interesting progression. McEwan makes his words work hard for their place in his novel. Each is chosen carefully and barely an unnecessary word is included.
Conclusion
This novel charts the darker side of human nature and the terrible places to which it can lead. The self destructive actions of the two main protagonists are vividly portrayed as they head towards the obvious final resolution. Although Amsterdam, the city, is the setting for the end of the book only, it pervades the scenes in London and signals the inevitable ending. The majority of the novel works as a satire of its subject, but is flawed by the unbelievable ending. The more generous reviewer might suggest that the ending is deliberately crafted to underline the absurdity of what has gone before; others would argue it is simply poor and not well thought through. It's as if the author had written himself into a corner and had to turn to the implausible to write his way out. In either case, there is a lot to commend this novel.
Ian McEwan has a reputation for good writing and that is in evidence in his novel, Amsterdam, which won the 1998 Man Booker Prize. He writes with a simplicity and clarity that makes reading this short book, less than 180 pages, a quick and easy read. Despite the title, the majority of the action takes place in London, although the city of Amsterdam is the site of the final scenes.
Plot
The story is a satire on politics, the media and creative life. It opens at the funeral of Molly Lane, a feisty sexually liberated character in the mould of Christopher Isherwood's Sally Bowles. She died following a long and debilitating illness. Her husband, George, and three former lovers meet at her funeral. Clive Linley, a celebrated composer, and Vernon Halliday, the editor of the Judge newspaper, are close friends. Julian Garmony is the Foreign Secretary and tipped to become Prime Minister. He is not well liked either personally or for his right wing politics.
Shocked at how Molly suffered during her illness and following a scare of his own, Clive makes a request of Vernon that leads them to making a pact to end their suffering, through euthanasia, if either should find themselves "ill in a major way" which might lead them to make "errors of judgement" and leave them unable to make their own arrangements. It is this pact which leads to the novel's weak and implausible ending.
Both Clive and Vernon find themselves faced with some difficult choices and each considers that the other has made immoral judgements. In Vernon's case, he is editor but his colleagues resist his attempts to increase circulation of the Judge and make it commercially focussed. This changes when George passes to Vernon pictures of Julian dressed in women's clothes which Molly had taken. Vernon trails the pictures in the media and his team begin to support him as circulation increases. When he discusses this with Clive, the flimsiness of their friendship becomes evident. Clive argues that the pictures should remain private and that Molly would have been devastated to know they were made public. Vernon believes that Julian's political position and his private behaviour are not consistent and such hypocrisy should be publicised. Vernon's position as editor is undermined when Julian's wife, Rose, holds a pre-emptive press conference and defends and stands by her husband. Parallels with contemporary political figures, such as Jeffrey Archer, who have found themselves in similar positions spring readily to mind.
Vernon has reason to question Clive's judgement when, on a trip to the Lake District to complete his millennial symphony which could secure his reputation, Clive turns a blind eye to a woman he sees being attacked in order not to disturb his creative process. To avoid involvement in any police investigation, he does not report the incident to the police. He later tells Vernon, who is appalled and insists Clive reports the incident. Clive refuses even when it transpires the notorious Lakeland rapist committed the crime. Vernon reports Clive to the police who contact him. Clive assists them with the investigation and is then allowed to return home. Vernon is outraged that no further action is taken against Clive.
Up to this point, the story holds up well, but the final scenes are out of character with the rest of the book and make for an unsatisfactory ending. Clive and Vernon arrange to meet in the eponymous Amsterdam where Clive's symphony is to debut. They are both concerned that the other's moral judgement has been impaired and both make use of the Dutch euthanasia provisions to arrange for the other to be killed.
Narration
The story is told in the third person, the narrative shifting between the two main characters, Clive and Vernon. With each shift of perspective, it is the character upon whom the narrator is concentrating whose point of view the reader is engaging with. In this manner we are allowed to understand the defence of the characters' moral position, albeit indefensible to the opposing character. So, for each position, both sides of the argument are placed before the reader who is left to draw the unmistakeable conclusion that the two characters are morally bankrupt but try to salve their conscience by addressing the perceived flaws of the other.
The pace is quite fast throughout, as you might expect with such a short novel, although there is one part of the story which slows down the reader. In typical McEwan style there is one segment of the piece which showcases his research into the subject matter. In this case it is the long and tedious description of the creative process which is voiced through Clive as he struggles to complete his millennial symphony and secure his place in history. There are pages describing Clive's process which adds little to the story or our understanding of Clive as a character. The harsh amongst us might argue that he is simply showcasing his knowledge, the more generous might see this extract as a cathartic exercise where he is explaining the pain of the creative art, reflecting his own struggle. I tend to take the harsher view.
Themes
One of the main themes running through this story is the exploration of moral hypocrisy; the tension between personal desires and public accountability. All three of Molly's ex-lovers suffer from this. Julian Garmony in relation to his sexual desires being in conflict with the policies he expounds. Clive Linley in terms of sacrificing a woman in need for the sake of his art whilst complaining that others, notably Vernon, aren't acting responsibly. Vernon Halliday by exposing Julian's cross dressing purely as an act of vengeance, while being a strong advocate of sexual and personal freedom. In these examples, McEwan highlights the way in which all of his characters are self-serving and ultimately lacking in integrity. Even the apparently selfless act of defending her husband leaves us wondering whether Rose Garmony is actually pursuing her own self interest, such is the tone of the book.
Another main theme, which is far more interesting to me, concerns the true nature of friendship. At the start of the story, Clive and Vernon are portrayed as close friends with common enemies in Julian and George. They are supportive of each other and united in their condemnation of George for not having looked after Molly as well as he could. It culminates with each literally trusting each other with their lives through the euthanasia pact that they make. As we progress through the story we find that Clive has long considered the friendship very one-sided with Clive putting in the real effort to maintain the friendship. As their arguments over the moral decisions of the other grow in intensity, the heart of their friendship dies whilst they maintain the illusion. At the point where Clive is most angry with Vernon (when Vernon tells Clive he has reported his witnessing of the woman being attacked to the police), Clive reveals his deeply held but suppressed vitriol, referring to his old friend as "Vermin Halliday".
The one friendship that is held up by all as untainted and real is the one that each shared with Molly. Her ghost is called upon time and again to evoke integrity. One of the strongest arguments that Clive puts to Vernon for not publishing the pictures of Julian is that Molly respected his trust in her and the pictures were taken in a private moment between them. Clive argues "Frankly, you're betraying her." Molly is held up by her lovers as a beacon of honour, and yet she had affairs whilst married and with at least one married man. It is an example of the self serving nature of the three lovers that they hold such respect for this woman but do not extend such blindness of faults to their male counterparts. Perhaps this is because she allowed them a sexual freedom that brought with it a false intimacy which they mistook for true feeling.
Characters
There are two central characters, Clive and Vernon, and four main supporting characters, Julian, George, Molly and Rose. The two central characters are well drawn and we are given insight into their ambitions and what is important to them. There is a clear depiction of their world view and their personal view.
Clive Linley is a composer and very dedicated to his art. He wants to be remembered for a great artistic legacy and he is pinning his hopes on the millennial symphony he is working on. This takes priority over everything else and is used to explain why he would turn a blind eye to a woman being attacked. He has a clear sense of morality in other aspects of his life, notably in terms of how Vernon should treat the photographs of Julian.
Vernon is painted as a driven and ambitious newspaper editor. He is pragmatic and business focussed and is intent on making the Judge newspaper a success. When he gets the opportunity to achieve this and to bring down Julian Garmony, whom he hates and does not want to see become prime minister, he takes it. It does not concern him that this is against all he believes in. Vernon is a liberal and would usually defend the individual's right to sexual freedom, but ignores his conscience, and Clive, in this case. He is guilty of the very hypocrisy he uses against Julian.
At the end of the book both behave completely out of character and each murders the other through the fulfilment of the euthanasia pact. It is this ending, which is entirely unbelievable as plot (and even if it was not, it is so out of keeping with the characters), which ultimately leaves the reader feeling cheated.
The supporting characters are not so well described being little more than very easily recognised caricatures. Julian is the archetypical pompous politician with a secret, his wife Rose is the standard 'stand by your man' politician's wife, George is the hateful cuckolded husband and Molly a good time girl with a heart. All have a small part to play in the unfolding drama and it is not necessary for the author to flesh them out any further.
Language
The language used is simple and clear but conveys complex emotions and situations with a deft skill. Paragraphs are built on the sturdy foundations of well crafted sentences, each adding some hue to the overall picture. Arguments are built inexorably towards their natural conclusion in an entertaining and engaging manner. A good example of this technique is when Clive's indignation at Vernon's condemnation of his behaviour grows. It starts gently with 'This was the sentence that jolted Clive into the truth. He emerged from a tunnel into clarity' and grows incrementally until Clive exclaims of Vernon 'He was mad, he was sick, he didn't deserve to exist!' The journey between these sentences is a skilful and interesting progression. McEwan makes his words work hard for their place in his novel. Each is chosen carefully and barely an unnecessary word is included.
Conclusion
This novel charts the darker side of human nature and the terrible places to which it can lead. The self destructive actions of the two main protagonists are vividly portrayed as they head towards the obvious final resolution. Although Amsterdam, the city, is the setting for the end of the book only, it pervades the scenes in London and signals the inevitable ending. The majority of the novel works as a satire of its subject, but is flawed by the unbelievable ending. The more generous reviewer might suggest that the ending is deliberately crafted to underline the absurdity of what has gone before; others would argue it is simply poor and not well thought through. It's as if the author had written himself into a corner and had to turn to the implausible to write his way out. In either case, there is a lot to commend this novel.