Historical

Lessons

Lessons

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  • Create Date：2022-08-21 09:51:48
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Ian McEwan
  • ISBN：0593535200
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Summary

From the best-selling author of Atonement and Saturday comes the epic and intimate story of one man's life across generations and historical upheavals: from the Suez Crisis to the Cuban Missile Crisis， the fall of the Berlin Wall to the current pandemic， Roland Baines sometimes rides with the tide of history， but more often struggles against it。
When the world is still counting the cost of the Second World War and the Iron Curtain has closed， eleven-year-old Roland Baines's life is turned upside down。 Two thousand miles from his mother's protective love， stranded at an unusual boarding school， his vulnerability attracts piano teacher Miss Miriam Cornell， leaving scars as well as a memory of love that will never fade。

Now， when his wife vanishes， leaving him alone with his tiny son， Roland is forced to confront the reality of his restless existence。 As the radiation from Chernobyl spreads across Europe， he begins a search for answers that looks deep into his family history and will last for the rest of his life。

Haunted by lost opportunities， Roland seeks solace through every possible means—music， literature， friends， sex， politics， and， finally， love cut tragically short， then love ultimately redeemed。 His journey raises important questions for us all。 Can we take full charge of the course of our lives without causing damage to others？ How do global events beyond our control shape our lives and our memories？ And what can we really learn from the traumas of the past？

Epic， mesmerizing， and deeply humane， Lessons is a chronicle for our times—a powerful meditation on history and humanity through the prism of one man's lifetime。

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Reviews

Lee ，

Not only an essential late work， but quite possibly McEwan's best novel。 Huge in sweep and emotional reach， and possessing both the compulsiveness of classic， top-form McEwan （Atonement， Enduring Love） and a return to early intricate， depraved nastiness （The Cement Garden， The Comfort of Strangers）， Lessons is an exceptional， mesmerising odyssey， all the better for being so unexpected after comparative fiddle-abouts like Nutshell and The Cockroach。On one level this is， to put it very succinctly: Not only an essential late work， but quite possibly McEwan's best novel。 Huge in sweep and emotional reach， and possessing both the compulsiveness of classic， top-form McEwan （Atonement， Enduring Love） and a return to early intricate， depraved nastiness （The Cement Garden， The Comfort of Strangers）， Lessons is an exceptional， mesmerising odyssey， all the better for being so unexpected after comparative fiddle-abouts like Nutshell and The Cockroach。On one level this is， to put it very succinctly: a volatilely fragile predator destroys a young boy's life。 But it's so much more。 And yet to say more would be to ruin your upcoming pleasure， so I'll leave it at that。Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy， in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Pamela ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Ian McEwan’s latest novel follows Roland Baines through significant events in his life during the second half of the 21st century: Independence from his relatives， overcoming assault， becoming a father， World War II， Chernobyl’s fallout， and the COVID-19 lockdowns。 The exposition of this novel is strong as we are introduced to the setting and characters， including their worries and h Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Ian McEwan’s latest novel follows Roland Baines through significant events in his life during the second half of the 21st century: Independence from his relatives， overcoming assault， becoming a father， World War II， Chernobyl’s fallout， and the COVID-19 lockdowns。 The exposition of this novel is strong as we are introduced to the setting and characters， including their worries and hopes。 We are also introduced to Baines’ perspective of the world and how he seeks to find his place as major events occur around him。 The narrative loses its pacing in certain sections with long descriptive overviews of characters introduced later and their circumstances， shifting away entirely from the protagonist’s story。 McEwan is a skilled writer and manages to create an ambitious story spanning decades but the pacing and abrupt changes in time periods between chapters sometimes lessens the narrative's impact。 。。。more

Jessica ，

I was a big fan of Atonement and was excited to get an advanced reader's copy of Lessons。 Knowing the style of Atonement， I knew this could potentially be gritty and sad。 Maybe it was the timing of my read， but I couldn't get past the first few chapters。 Child abuse， grooming， and nuclear fallout were too much to handle emotionally。 I'll chalk it up to too much dark reality in my daily media to want it in my pleasure reading at the moment。 The author as always has beautiful diction and paints em I was a big fan of Atonement and was excited to get an advanced reader's copy of Lessons。 Knowing the style of Atonement， I knew this could potentially be gritty and sad。 Maybe it was the timing of my read， but I couldn't get past the first few chapters。 Child abuse， grooming， and nuclear fallout were too much to handle emotionally。 I'll chalk it up to too much dark reality in my daily media to want it in my pleasure reading at the moment。 The author as always has beautiful diction and paints emotions and scenes well。 Hoping to pick up this title again later。 。。。more

Glady ，

I received a free ARC ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review。Calling Lessons by Ian McEwan a sweeping novel in scope is an understatement。 While reading this book I felt like I was revisiting the historical highlights of my life but with an understanding and connection to other momentous， worldwide events that no one has at the time of said event。 Readers see the world through the eyes of Roland Baines who is born in post World War II England。 Anyone of a similar age can easily I received a free ARC ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review。Calling Lessons by Ian McEwan a sweeping novel in scope is an understatement。 While reading this book I felt like I was revisiting the historical highlights of my life but with an understanding and connection to other momentous， worldwide events that no one has at the time of said event。 Readers see the world through the eyes of Roland Baines who is born in post World War II England。 Anyone of a similar age can easily name dozens of geopolitical events that occurred in the last seventy years but Roland's experiences are all colored through the lens of a child sexually abused by a music teacher。 Everything that happens to him as an adult， every decision he makes， is predicated on that experience。 He never really lives up to his potential but does spend a young restless life traveling the world which provides him a unique， somewhat personal， view of history。 When he marries and has a son， once again his life does not follow a familiar pattern。 His wife， Alissa， has dreams of her own that have been stymied by her past。 When she abandons Roland and their young son， Roland appears ill-equipped to handle the load。 Missed opportunities are disguised with music and literature and travel。 Events like the Cuban Missile Crisis， the fall of the Berlin Wall， terrorist attacks， climate change and the pandemic are all threaded through Roland's life。 His reactions， his fears are - in many cases - analogous to those of readers。 The world frequently seemed on the precipice of disaster。McEwan is one of those rare writers who can take the scope of these huge events and personalize them in a way that does not diminish but rather expands their impact。 Lessons is a slow burn of a read。 。。。more

Annie ，

I have read other books by Ian McEwan， so was pleased to receive an ARC of this one。 It was offputting that the book was so long， but it was well written and kept my interest throughout。 The book concerns Roland's life， from childhood until advanced age。 His life was never boring though at times there were questionable decisions。 The book also describes world events which affected life in the UK and Europe， such as the reunification of Germany， the Cuban missile crisis。One of the baby boomers， b I have read other books by Ian McEwan， so was pleased to receive an ARC of this one。 It was offputting that the book was so long， but it was well written and kept my interest throughout。 The book concerns Roland's life， from childhood until advanced age。 His life was never boring though at times there were questionable decisions。 The book also describes world events which affected life in the UK and Europe， such as the reunification of Germany， the Cuban missile crisis。One of the baby boomers， born just after the war， the book highlights the differences in attitudes throughout a relatively short period of time。 He finds out about his parents lives after his father passes away。 The descriptions of school are also interesting and cast consequences into his adult life。Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more

Kathryn ，

I am a massive fan of Ian McEwan， and his work has never disappointed me， so I approached this work with trepidation。 The length， as well as the description of an introverted character juxtaposed with world events over many years， suggested this might not work。 I was pleasantly surprised and as gripped by this as any other McEwan work。 The premise sounds contrived， and in the hands of another writer， it might not work， but I found this flowed freely， and the references were interwoven carefully I am a massive fan of Ian McEwan， and his work has never disappointed me， so I approached this work with trepidation。 The length， as well as the description of an introverted character juxtaposed with world events over many years， suggested this might not work。 I was pleasantly surprised and as gripped by this as any other McEwan work。 The premise sounds contrived， and in the hands of another writer， it might not work， but I found this flowed freely， and the references were interwoven carefully and appropriately and added to the narrative。This is very character-driven， and as well as Roland， other characters stayed with me long after the last page。 There is a beautiful empathy in the prose， which could be explained by the autobiographical elements。There is so much in this book that I would love to see Lawrence's story further explored in another work in the future。 As a musician， I appreciated the accuracy of the detail around the music performances - this is not always the case in general fiction。A lovely example of how history can be explored through fiction。Thank you， Net Galley， for the ARC 。。。more

Marlene ，

Roland Baines is 11 years old when he's first molested by his piano teacher， Miriam Cornell。 At 16 he's spending every possible moment in her bed only escaping when she declares they are to be married。 Rather than risk her allure he leaves school where she teaches and abandons a promising academic and musical career。 Lessons follows Roland's life over a period of seventy years 。 Over his life span he marries twice， is abandoned by his first wife and left to raise his infant son， He never has ste Roland Baines is 11 years old when he's first molested by his piano teacher， Miriam Cornell。 At 16 he's spending every possible moment in her bed only escaping when she declares they are to be married。 Rather than risk her allure he leaves school where she teaches and abandons a promising academic and musical career。 Lessons follows Roland's life over a period of seventy years 。 Over his life span he marries twice， is abandoned by his first wife and left to raise his infant son， He never has steady employment but earns a living playing piano at a hotel， writing occasional articles for publication and teaching tennis。 Lessons set Roland's life against the background of historical events _ the fall of the Iron Curtain， the Cuban Missile crisis， Chernobyl， bombing of the Twin Towers， etc。 。 Through it all Roland manages， sometimes more successfully than others， to create a life for himself and his son。 Roland's story examines the impact of childhood abuse and how global events affect lives。 McEwan's weaving the two together makes for a lengthy and sometimes slow book but it's nicely done by giving Roland an introspective personality in which to ruminate on historical events， think about the future of civilization and the individual's place in it。 Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this outstanding book。 。。。more

Peter Willoughby ，

Ian McEwan always amazes me。 His novels are an excellent read， using classical English with only the necessary amount of modernisms。Lessons is bang up to date， and covers Roland's life-time pretty much， and includes everything that might have happened in it that is of interest to the reader。There is always something a little unusual in his novels and this one is no different。I felt that I wish that I was or had been part of Roland's life and could have helped when things seemed to be going wrong Ian McEwan always amazes me。 His novels are an excellent read， using classical English with only the necessary amount of modernisms。Lessons is bang up to date， and covers Roland's life-time pretty much， and includes everything that might have happened in it that is of interest to the reader。There is always something a little unusual in his novels and this one is no different。I felt that I wish that I was or had been part of Roland's life and could have helped when things seemed to be going wrong， or celebrated when they went right。Thanks to Ian for another magnificent novel and my thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for honest review。 。。。more

Peter Willoughby ，

Ian McEwan always amazes me。 His novels are an excellent read， using classical English with only the necessary amount of modernisms。Lessons is bang up to date， and covers Roland's life-time pretty much， and includes everything that might have happened in it that is of interest to the reader。There is always something a little unusual in his novels and this one is no different。I felt that I wish that I was or had been part of Roland's life and could have helped when things seemed to be going wrong Ian McEwan always amazes me。 His novels are an excellent read， using classical English with only the necessary amount of modernisms。Lessons is bang up to date， and covers Roland's life-time pretty much， and includes everything that might have happened in it that is of interest to the reader。There is always something a little unusual in his novels and this one is no different。I felt that I wish that I was or had been part of Roland's life and could have helped when things seemed to be going wrong， or celebrated when they went right。Thanks to Ian for another magnificent novel and my thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for honest review。 。。。more

Alison Richardson ，

Not my favourite Ian McEwan novel， overly long and a little bit preachy。 I’m not suggesting it isn’t well written - it is - I just found it a bit of a chore in places。More or less spanning the lifetime of Roland Baines， born in Tripoli to an abusive military father and domineered mother we see how his personal life and worldwide events have a affect on how his life plays out。Roland is sent to a boarding school and aged 14 has a sexual relationship with his Piano teacher。 The impact of this on hi Not my favourite Ian McEwan novel， overly long and a little bit preachy。 I’m not suggesting it isn’t well written - it is - I just found it a bit of a chore in places。More or less spanning the lifetime of Roland Baines， born in Tripoli to an abusive military father and domineered mother we see how his personal life and worldwide events have a affect on how his life plays out。Roland is sent to a boarding school and aged 14 has a sexual relationship with his Piano teacher。 The impact of this on his subsequent relationships and outlook on life is， not surprisingly， acute。He marries Alissa but she leaves him with a young child which sees him reeling for years and never seemingly coming to terms with。 We hear a chronicle of worldwide events from WW2 to the fall of the Berlin Wall and up to the recent pandemic all having a profound affect on his outlook。I’ll always pick up a novel by Ian McEwan， it’s just this is not one I’ll choose to go back to。Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read early。 。。。more

Marianne ，

Lessons is the eighteenth novel by Booker prize-winning British author， Ian McEwan。 At the age of eleven， after living for five years with his parents in Libya， Roland Baines is sent to Berners Hall， a boarding school in rural Suffolk， to get the education his parents missed out on。 His father had always wanted to play the piano: Roland is signed up for lessons with Miss Miriam Cornell。 When Roland is thirty-seven， his wife abandons him and their baby son， claiming in a note that， while she love Lessons is the eighteenth novel by Booker prize-winning British author， Ian McEwan。 At the age of eleven， after living for five years with his parents in Libya， Roland Baines is sent to Berners Hall， a boarding school in rural Suffolk， to get the education his parents missed out on。 His father had always wanted to play the piano: Roland is signed up for lessons with Miss Miriam Cornell。 When Roland is thirty-seven， his wife abandons him and their baby son， claiming in a note that， while she loves him， motherhood would sink her， and she’s been living the “wrong life”。 Now a published poet， Roland has to seek social service assistance as sole carer for seven-month-old Lawrence。 As he copes with sole parenthood and the threat of a radiation cloud from Chernobyl， he is also under suspicion for murder from DI Douglas Browne， who is sceptical of the note and postcards Alissa has sent。Plagued by sleeplessness， Roland’s mind goes back to his childhood: army accommodation in Tripoli， boarding school， lessons with Miss Cornell， and the highly inappropriate affair into which she grooms a pre-teen boy。 While the prospect of an older， attractive， single and erotically-inclined lover might be a dream come true for a randy sixteen-year-old schoolboy， even bedazzled， Roland understands it could be the destruction of his future。 In eventually rejecting her， he also abandons his formal education， spends a rather dissolute decade travelling， then begins to educate himself。 By his mid-forties， he is coaching tennis， writing reviews and playing tearoom piano。 “How easy it was to drift through an unchosen life， in a succession of reactions to events。”Some of McEwan’s descriptive prose is exquisite: “He knew that her mind was elsewhere and that he bored her with his insignificance – another inky boy in a boarding school。 His fingers were pressing down on the tuneless keys。 He could see the bad place on the page before he reached it， it was happening before it happened， the mistake was coming towards him， arms outstretched like a mother， ready to scoop him up， always the same mistake coming to collect him without the promise of a kiss。 And so it happened。 His thumb had its own life。 Together， they listened to the bad notes fade into the hissing silence。”But， at times， he seems to go off on tangents from his main plot， and although patience with these apparent digressions does offer the reader a fuller backstory， his lofty prose and cerebral subject matter can be enough to make the ordinary reader feel uneducated， even dumb。 His protagonist is not all that likeable， making it hard for the reader to care a whole lot about his fate until， in the final pages， he develops into a more appealing character。With references to national， European and world events， McEwan certainly establishes the era and setting， but his protagonist’s opinions on， and reactions to， politics and current affairs do begin to bore， and readers will be tempted to skim。 A too-detailed description of a mediocre life that is much wordier than it needs to be。This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher。 。。。more

Daren Kearl ，

Lessons are definitely at the forefront of Ian McEwan’s new novel; even the Baines family are Robert， Rosalind and Roland - the three R’s。Roland is looking after his baby child when his wife walks out on him。He receives postcards from her as she travels around EuropeThis narrative digresses as he is haunted by a past that involves a female piano teacher who behaved inappropriately with him and later teaches him about sex as the Cuban missile crisis pushes Roland to lose his virginity before it’s Lessons are definitely at the forefront of Ian McEwan’s new novel; even the Baines family are Robert， Rosalind and Roland - the three R’s。Roland is looking after his baby child when his wife walks out on him。He receives postcards from her as she travels around EuropeThis narrative digresses as he is haunted by a past that involves a female piano teacher who behaved inappropriately with him and later teaches him about sex as the Cuban missile crisis pushes Roland to lose his virginity before it’s too late。 It also rambles backwards to tell us about his parents， grandparents and in-laws。McEwan uses this to enlighten us about various nuggets of history such as the White Rose protests by university students and their subsequent trial and beheadings in wartime Germany。 Like Julian Barnes’ Elizabeth Finch， the author’s intention to inform and educate the reader makes the experience a struggle or a delight depending on your personal reading goals。 I like to learn about the world while reading fiction but I prefer it to be subtle and casually woven into the book。I gave up on reading this half way through as I was uninterested in what was happening and not invested in the main character。 DNF 。。。more

ML ，

I had not read anything by Ian McEwan before， and because the reviews of his works are generally stellar， I was eager to read this， his latest。 What a tome this is！ With the backdrop of Europe during most of the last century， this tells the story of Roland Baines and his lifetime from boyhood on。 As impressed as I was， I found it hard to get started and it took me quite a while to get into it， almost giving up a time or two because large portions of the narrative seemed overdone and I struggled I had not read anything by Ian McEwan before， and because the reviews of his works are generally stellar， I was eager to read this， his latest。 What a tome this is！ With the backdrop of Europe during most of the last century， this tells the story of Roland Baines and his lifetime from boyhood on。 As impressed as I was， I found it hard to get started and it took me quite a while to get into it， almost giving up a time or two because large portions of the narrative seemed overdone and I struggled to get through them。 The final portion of the novel was probably my favorite， but it took me absolutely forever to get there。I admire the historical scope of this novel， but all in all this was somewhat of a disappointing read for me。 Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC。 。。。more

Diane ，

Lessons is the first book by Ian McEwen that i have read。 I was eager to delve into the story of the much lauded author。 While I found his writing itself to be much in his command， I did not connect to the characters， I tried to push on feeling the next bit may be where it gets it's hooks into me， however this was not the case。 The chapters wander between time and character leaving untethered bits strewn about。 I have no doubt that there will be those who love this book， I was left feeling indif Lessons is the first book by Ian McEwen that i have read。 I was eager to delve into the story of the much lauded author。 While I found his writing itself to be much in his command， I did not connect to the characters， I tried to push on feeling the next bit may be where it gets it's hooks into me， however this was not the case。 The chapters wander between time and character leaving untethered bits strewn about。 I have no doubt that there will be those who love this book， I was left feeling indifferent。 This resulted in my not completing the book， which is a rarity for me。 This is hard for me to write， but I did promise to provide my honest review。 I do thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC。 。。。more

GP Hyde ，

Great writing， shame about the editing。Inside these 496 pages， there is a great 300 page novel trying to get out。 Ironically， Ian McEwan （IM） himself said in 2014 ‘very few long novels earn their length’ and went on to say ‘my fingers are always itching for a blue pencil’。 There’s no doubt that IM is still writing phenomenally well with great characterisation and very skilful prose。 But his editor has let both him and his readership down by not insisting on cutting back on the rambling narrative Great writing， shame about the editing。Inside these 496 pages， there is a great 300 page novel trying to get out。 Ironically， Ian McEwan （IM） himself said in 2014 ‘very few long novels earn their length’ and went on to say ‘my fingers are always itching for a blue pencil’。 There’s no doubt that IM is still writing phenomenally well with great characterisation and very skilful prose。 But his editor has let both him and his readership down by not insisting on cutting back on the rambling narrative so as to help us focus more on the crucial themes。This novel is the story of Roland Baines， born post WW2， and his journey through life right up until post-lockdown。 There’s a galaxy of characters， his family of siblings， his teacher， his wife， Alissa。 Roland is talented but perceives that he has been thrown off a career path in his teens。 He has a joyless， grinding existence with little satisfaction and only minor successes as a pianist， tennis coach and poet。We first meet him as a lone parent， struggling to raise his son， Lawrence。 He is exhausted and frustrated。 Many of the people around him are frustrated or are on the periphery of events and never quite there。 His mother-in-law， Jane， never submits her article to Cyril Connolly on the White Rose movement during the war。 His father-in-law， Heinrich knew a few of the White Rose people but was never part of it。 Roland’s wife， Alissa， completes a few unpublished novels but （spoiler-free comment） things do turn out differently for her。 IM is writing in Chekovian mode about people whose lives are disappointing and constantly close to failure。 But Chekov was writing short stories。 500 pages of failure makes it heavy going even with IM’s superb writing。 However， there is a fascination with Roland’s position and I kept with this novel as I wanted to discover how his life turned out。 And there are several excellent twists and turns of the ‘I didn’t see that coming！’ variety。 Throughout the book， there is a constant reference to the current affairs of the day。 However， few， apart from the Berlin Wall， have novelistic relevance and often they seem like the jottings of a sixth form student who is making notes for an essay on ‘Key Events: 1950 to 2020’。 This is where an editor might say ‘Either make a bigger focus or cut them all together’。There’s no doubt that it is difficult to write about under-achievement。 Perhaps we want to read about strong central characters overcoming setbacks to achieve goals。 Perhaps IM set out to write an untypical novel about the familiar stories of talent going unfulfilled。 The sweep and scale of the novel is very impressive。 I wish that an editor had tactfully used the blue pencil more freely。NetGalley has made a complimentary copy of this book available to me pre-publication so that I might make an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more

karen ，

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this ARC in exchange for a candid review。 Due to the length and scope of this book， I will not attempt to provide a brief summary， as it could never do this work justice and readers can get that elsewhere。 I’ve read other works by this author and have typically been swept in to his storytelling by his amazing prose。 But。 I could not engage with this one。 This is Ian McEwan on steroids。 Suffice to say， although the story alternately rambles a Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this ARC in exchange for a candid review。 Due to the length and scope of this book， I will not attempt to provide a brief summary， as it could never do this work justice and readers can get that elsewhere。 I’ve read other works by this author and have typically been swept in to his storytelling by his amazing prose。 But。 I could not engage with this one。 This is Ian McEwan on steroids。 Suffice to say， although the story alternately rambles and plods through 70 years of the life of our protagonist， I just found it incredibly difficult to connect with him or feel basically anything for him at all， at any stage of his life。 And perhaps it’s a gender issue？ I’m a woman and am increasingly wondering if McEwan’s more recent writing is actually accessible to women readers？ Although I was fascinated with the social and political history covered in this sweeping text， I longed for a more comfortable connection with the main character。 。。。more

cailleach ，

This is a long book， much longer and wider in scope than other Ian McEwan novels。 The story follows the life and times of Roland Baines jumping backwards and forwards in time to reveal small bits of his life story from before and after Roland's wife has disappeared leaving him with their young son。 Roland comes from an Army family。 He spends his early childhood in Libya where his alcoholic， abusive father rules the roost and his mother cowers。 He is sent to Boarding School in England where his f This is a long book， much longer and wider in scope than other Ian McEwan novels。 The story follows the life and times of Roland Baines jumping backwards and forwards in time to reveal small bits of his life story from before and after Roland's wife has disappeared leaving him with their young son。 Roland comes from an Army family。 He spends his early childhood in Libya where his alcoholic， abusive father rules the roost and his mother cowers。 He is sent to Boarding School in England where his female piano teacher grooms and sexually abuses him （which is a difficult storyline to read） affecting his whole life which he only comes to realise late in life and about which he has conflicting feelings。。 He travels and visits East Germany and is also there when the Berlin Wall falls。 He can't seem to stick to one career and does a bit of journalism， gives tennis leassons and has a gig playing piano in a hotel。 I found the flow and pace of the book frustrating at times。。 Only little bits of Roland's life are revealed at a time and not in chronological order， so there is lots of jumping about and having to reorientate your perspective。 Sometimes an exciting reveal or piece of action is about to occur and the narrative will veer off to explain what is happening politically in the country at the time， giving the reader a mini lesson on for example， the Blair project。 This slows everything down and sometimes the narrative feels quite dull and plodding。 The wife in the story uses details from。 her own mother's life in a novel and later specific details of her life with Roland mixed into the fiction that could lead to the wider world believing he was abusive。 In the novel McEwan has taken details from his own history and fictionalised them。 For example， he too was comes from a military family and was sent to a specific boarding school but it isactually NOT them being protrayed in the story。 I guess this is another of his "lessons" for the reader。 。。。more

David ，

Another book that I’d been saving for holidays and thank you to Vintage for the proof copy。 Lessons by Ian McEwan unveils the life of Roland Baines， from his liaisons with his piano teacher as a young boy through his wife leaving him and their seven month old son to go back to Germany and become a great novelist。 He muddles through a variety of jobs – from a hotel foyer pianist to a tennis coach for middle aged wannabes – and vaguely hopes for fulfilment through his relationships with the few ar Another book that I’d been saving for holidays and thank you to Vintage for the proof copy。 Lessons by Ian McEwan unveils the life of Roland Baines， from his liaisons with his piano teacher as a young boy through his wife leaving him and their seven month old son to go back to Germany and become a great novelist。 He muddles through a variety of jobs – from a hotel foyer pianist to a tennis coach for middle aged wannabes – and vaguely hopes for fulfilment through his relationships with the few around him who keep in touch。 Will the past come back to interfere with the more comfortable final act that he is moving into？ Set from the end of WWII to the present day， the backdrop of events takes influence over Roland’s life in familiar ways。 This is McEwan at his best， with the back stories providing a solid structure and the characters drawn in fine detail with their flaws evident as a feature of their humanity。 It’s a British Jonathan Franzen with more subtlety， less obvious jokes and a clever infusion of class。 。。。more

Rita Egan ，

LessonsBy Ian McEwanOne of my favourite ever books is "Atonement"， which I read in 2002 but still lives， rent-free， in my head all these years later， but I never got around to reading any more Ian McEwan， so I was excited to get the opportunity to review "Lessons"。 This book is completely different from what I remember of Atonement， the writing style， the voice， the mood， the setting。 I found it difficult to settle into， however， once I got past the first three chapters I was totally committed。 LessonsBy Ian McEwanOne of my favourite ever books is "Atonement"， which I read in 2002 but still lives， rent-free， in my head all these years later， but I never got around to reading any more Ian McEwan， so I was excited to get the opportunity to review "Lessons"。 This book is completely different from what I remember of Atonement， the writing style， the voice， the mood， the setting。 I found it difficult to settle into， however， once I got past the first three chapters I was totally committed。 Not that it wasn't engaging， just not what I was expecting。This is the story of Roland Baines， who appears to have a very similar life to the author。 Roland is trying to find his footing in boarding school。 He has been deprived of much of the physical and emotional affection he craves from his family。 His father is a career soldier， a devoted father but abusive husband， his mother has her fair share of secrets and shame and is a detached parent。 When the school piano teacher takes more than a passing interest in young Roland， his scholarly endeavors go out the window and his life turns on a pin。What follows is the entire rest of Roland's life， his various lovers， his political leanings， his single parenthood， and his skewed attitudes towards sex。 The level of detail is astonishing。 Practically every passage throughout the novel is set against whatever political event was happening at that exact time， complete with references to the music of the period。 I felt like I was reliving the entire European history of the second half of the 20th century。 East Germany， the Berlin Wall， the collapse of the Soviet Union are all brought to life brilliantly， British politics that I had almost forgotten about， all the way up to the Covid-19 pandemic and the various lockdowns。This is a long book， and the pace is slow， however I found that I could not put it down。 I had to read it thoughtfully。 The tone changes quite a bit throughout， from humorous to reflective to morose。 I wanted at times to give Roland such a shake， sometimes I actually despised him， but by the end I loved him for who he was， like an old friend。 I just know that this is another book that will stay with me for years。 I'm so glad I got to read it。Thanks to #netgalley， #vintagebooks， #randomhouseuk for the egalley 。。。more

Liz ，

I’ve enjoyed Ian McEwan’s other books， but I struggled with this one。 A character rich story， it lacked enough drama to pull me in， despite covering most of the major events of the last 70 years and seemingly all of the British political changeovers。 The story starts in 1986， when Roland’s wife walks out， leaving him with their 7 month old son。 As the story progresses， we hear the story of his life starting with boarding school at age 11 and forward。 The plot even includes the story of his in-la I’ve enjoyed Ian McEwan’s other books， but I struggled with this one。 A character rich story， it lacked enough drama to pull me in， despite covering most of the major events of the last 70 years and seemingly all of the British political changeovers。 The story starts in 1986， when Roland’s wife walks out， leaving him with their 7 month old son。 As the story progresses， we hear the story of his life starting with boarding school at age 11 and forward。 The plot even includes the story of his in-laws。 At age 14， he is seduced by his piano teacher。 It has a lasting impact and he just sort of meanders through life。 I didn’t care for him and had trouble relating to him。 This was a man who was abandoned by parents and wife， seduced at a young age。 It should have been easy to feel sorry for him。 But he was just so flat and spiritless， I couldn’t。 Of course， his wife， Alissa， isn’t any more likable。 This is a woman who leaves her son to go find herself， in the parlance of the day。 She becomes a famous novelist and sections of this book are spent recapping her books。 I feel lately I’ve been plagued by books that could have benefitted from a better editing job。 This was a slow slog。 The writing felt pompous more than rich， like McEwen was trying too hard to impress the reader。 I would have preferred “a little less talk and a lot more action”。 The ending does manage to bring a resolution and helped at last pull this up to a 3 star for me。 I will obviously read anything else McEwen writes， but I can’t really recommend this one。 My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more

Mark Myers ，

This is an account of the life of Roland Baines。 He grows up in Libya to odd parents。 His father is a military man and their relationship is distant。 His mother is a sweet woman， but totally devoted to her husband to the exclusion of Roland at times。 He is sent to England for school， where he begins an awkward relationship with his piano teacher。 Later he marries Alyssa， who abandons him and his newborn son。The story moves through his life in the context of real history and his reaction to it。 N This is an account of the life of Roland Baines。 He grows up in Libya to odd parents。 His father is a military man and their relationship is distant。 His mother is a sweet woman， but totally devoted to her husband to the exclusion of Roland at times。 He is sent to England for school， where he begins an awkward relationship with his piano teacher。 Later he marries Alyssa， who abandons him and his newborn son。The story moves through his life in the context of real history and his reaction to it。 Notable events include the Cuban Missile Crisis， Chernobyl， and the COVID pandemic。 It takes a master writer to move fluently through these ages – because much of the story is not linear。 It is told in flashbacks and remembrances。 I was floored by McEwan’s ability to transition。 This is my first book of his， but won’t be my last。I thought there were some good life lessons here。 While Roland stays stuck career-wise most of his life， he is a sweet man and loving father。 I think he dealt with many regrets well。 I do think the book tarried on a little long though。 I didn’t feel very connected to other characters and the political rants toward the end didn’t seem necessary。 Still， a masterfully-crafted book。 Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an ARC。 。。。more

Sara ，

This book began as meandering and cerebral for the first quarter of the book。 I almost quit reading。 The writing was great， but rather boring。。 However， the story picked up after this and it turned out to be a compelling read。 I found myself wanting to know more about what happens in Roland’s life with each page and chapter。 Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advance copy of this book。

Kaitlin ，

CW: sexual assault， child molestationWhen he was a 14-year-old schoolboy， Roland Baines is molested by his piano teacher。 She grooms him and continues to assault him for two years。 What follows is an account of Roland’s life， which spans WWII through to the COVID-19 lockdowns。 Roland， an avid journal-keeper， recounts his participation in world events and his interpersonal relationships。 The book addresses his complicated feelings about his assault， its impact on his life （especially regarding re CW: sexual assault， child molestationWhen he was a 14-year-old schoolboy， Roland Baines is molested by his piano teacher。 She grooms him and continues to assault him for two years。 What follows is an account of Roland’s life， which spans WWII through to the COVID-19 lockdowns。 Roland， an avid journal-keeper， recounts his participation in world events and his interpersonal relationships。 The book addresses his complicated feelings about his assault， its impact on his life （especially regarding relationships） and it’s secondary impact on others。 I’ve read several of McEwan’s other works and his prose is just as beautiful as ever here。 At its best， the book is slow-paced reflection of Roland’s life with lyrical and dynamic language。 However， the book is long and dragged in places， especially at the beginning。 Overall， I recommend it， but it’s not my favorite of McEwan’s work。 。。。more

Judy ，

Just finished - finally - this latest from the famous Ian McEwan。 The beautiful prose sang to my soul。 I loved his beautiful writing！ This is the story of the life of one man， Roland， from childhood to his elderly years。 It spans and shows the influence of many historic moments from the Cuban Missile crisis， to the fall of the Berlin Wall， to the Covid-19 pandemic。 It also shows Roland's personal experiences and how they shadowed and influenced his life - an inappropriate affair， a short marriag Just finished - finally - this latest from the famous Ian McEwan。 The beautiful prose sang to my soul。 I loved his beautiful writing！ This is the story of the life of one man， Roland， from childhood to his elderly years。 It spans and shows the influence of many historic moments from the Cuban Missile crisis， to the fall of the Berlin Wall， to the Covid-19 pandemic。 It also shows Roland's personal experiences and how they shadowed and influenced his life - an inappropriate affair， a short marriage， bringing up his son， finding love again， and all the deep feelings he feels and his observations of life。 It is a deep dive into an entire life。Although I adored the writing and enjoyed reading about Roland's life， by the time I halfway through I was starting to get bored because there is no action and I think the book could have been shorter。 However， I'm glad I read it and feel I can easily recommend it as a good read that people will enjoy。Thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group through Netgalley for an advance copy。 This book will be published on September 13， 2022。 。。。more

Sonya ，

Ian McEwan has written a fantastic remembrance of modern life from the end of World War II to the present through the close point of view of Roland Baines， an Englishman who led a fairly unremarkable life that was yet filled with deeply felt relationships with his parents， inlaws， lovers and wives， and his children。 In the early part of the novel， his wife has abandoned him with an infant and few answers， and he must learn how to navigate that loss， which is mixed up with his conflicted feelings Ian McEwan has written a fantastic remembrance of modern life from the end of World War II to the present through the close point of view of Roland Baines， an Englishman who led a fairly unremarkable life that was yet filled with deeply felt relationships with his parents， inlaws， lovers and wives， and his children。 In the early part of the novel， his wife has abandoned him with an infant and few answers， and he must learn how to navigate that loss， which is mixed up with his conflicted feelings of another betrayal that happened when he was a teen。 Baines is also affected by world events as they happen; Chernobyl， the fall of the Soviet Empire， and many more， but it's the personal that dominates the bulk of his observations， desires， and sorrows。 This is a big ambitious novel that was well worth the time it takes to get fully absorbed into Baines' life。Thanks so much to NetGalley and Knopf for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Debra Davidson-Smith ，

I have mixed feelings about this book。 It’s clearly clever， well researched， and well written， but I just couldn’t get to like or really understand Roland， and as the whole book evolves around his life， that was a big problem。 It’s a long book （450 pages） and unfortunately， it sometimes felt long， which is never a good sign。 It’s also a fairly joyless book – a series of disappointments and betrayals with very little happiness in between。Lessons follows the life of Roland Baines from his early ch I have mixed feelings about this book。 It’s clearly clever， well researched， and well written， but I just couldn’t get to like or really understand Roland， and as the whole book evolves around his life， that was a big problem。 It’s a long book （450 pages） and unfortunately， it sometimes felt long， which is never a good sign。 It’s also a fairly joyless book – a series of disappointments and betrayals with very little happiness in between。Lessons follows the life of Roland Baines from his early childhood in Libya， to boarding school where he is abused by his piano teacher， through to marriage， the disappearance of his wife， the life of a single parent， and decades of struggles with career and relationships。 All of this is staged within a thoughtful evocation of seven decades of world events， from the Cold War through to the Covid pandemic。 According to the book’s publisher， ‘Lessons is a chronicle for our times—a powerful meditation on history and humanity through the prism of one man's lifetime。’ I would agree with that， it’s just a pity that at times it really does feel like a bleak and gloomy ‘lesson’， and perhaps the warmth and humour and joy of a life of more than seventy decades is missing。 Roland’s life feels like it meanders from one sadness to the next and if that’s the ‘lesson’ of the novel， that life is big on tragedy and short on happiness， I find it’s one I would rather remain unaware of。 Lessons asks us， ‘can we take full charge of the course of our lives without causing damage to others？ How do global events beyond our control shape our lives and our memories？ And what can we really learn from the traumas of the past？’ This is a sensitively written book， and I would recommend people read it because it’s thought-provoking and challenging。 I’m not sure I enjoyed it but I’m glad I read it and feel it will stay with me for a long time。With thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review 。。。more

Chris Chanona ，

This is both like and unlike any previous Ian McEwan I have read。 The wonderful prose is there。 The arc of the story。 But this time the novel spans a century and is poignant， sad but very knowing about a life lived over a long time and the varied and various friendships， relations and lovers that make up a life。 This is a long novel; nearly 500 pages。We get to know this through the viewpoint of the central character， Roland。 The parts about his boyhood are particularly well written and affective This is both like and unlike any previous Ian McEwan I have read。 The wonderful prose is there。 The arc of the story。 But this time the novel spans a century and is poignant， sad but very knowing about a life lived over a long time and the varied and various friendships， relations and lovers that make up a life。 This is a long novel; nearly 500 pages。We get to know this through the viewpoint of the central character， Roland。 The parts about his boyhood are particularly well written and affective。 There is one event in his youth， when he has lessons on piano， that has effects throughout his life。 Yet， really， the whole novel is about lessons through life and how we are shaped by what happens to us， what we think about events， and how we respond。 There is a cast of interesting characters and much to recognise though I came away thinking I have lead a dull life！ We learn of pre- Roland up to Roland in the pandemic years。 Historical events， WWII ， Bay of Pigs， Cold War， Thatcher years， Berlin pre and post the Wall， Blair， cold- hearted Conservatives post 2010; these are the scaffolding as Roland lives his own life。 Just as we all do。I recommend this book。 I read a proof copy provided by Netgalley and the publishers， Jonathan Cape。 。。。more

Heather Trevis ，

This sensitively-written novel， spanning many decades， is dense and （for me） better enjoyed at a leisurely pace。 It tells the story of Roland， from his early-childhood expat life in Libya， to time at an English boarding school and his later struggles with career and relationships。 Brimming with historical context， the zeitgeist of each period is evoked really well， and I felt myself being seamlessly transported from， say， the 1960s Cold War era to 1980s Thatcher Britain。 Though I felt at times t This sensitively-written novel， spanning many decades， is dense and （for me） better enjoyed at a leisurely pace。 It tells the story of Roland， from his early-childhood expat life in Libya， to time at an English boarding school and his later struggles with career and relationships。 Brimming with historical context， the zeitgeist of each period is evoked really well， and I felt myself being seamlessly transported from， say， the 1960s Cold War era to 1980s Thatcher Britain。 Though I felt at times that the novel could have been shorter， it was nonetheless a profound and thought-provoking read which will stay with me。 。。。more

Ines ，

Forgot I was even reading this but finally finished it。 I was waiting the whole time for things to pick up， and they never did。 This is my first Ian McEwan book， and I’m afraid I’m not big fan。 Mr Ewan sure is a master of the English language but aside from that， there was nothing particularly memorable about this book， aside from the first few pages perhaps。 I don’t know if I just found it way too long or just plain boring， but now that I look back on everything… I admit I was never really happ Forgot I was even reading this but finally finished it。 I was waiting the whole time for things to pick up， and they never did。 This is my first Ian McEwan book， and I’m afraid I’m not big fan。 Mr Ewan sure is a master of the English language but aside from that， there was nothing particularly memorable about this book， aside from the first few pages perhaps。 I don’t know if I just found it way too long or just plain boring， but now that I look back on everything… I admit I was never really happy to read it， aside from that one time when I requested the book on NetGalley。 This was not a good review and I’m really sorry about that。 。。。more

Mo Smith ，

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。All opinions are my own。This one definitely missed the mark for me。 I liked the concept， seeing 70 years' worth of world events through the eyes of one man， but the execution is just meh。 It's very well-written， but sooooo wordy and it was just a slog to get through。 I'm sure others would enjoy it， but this was just not for me。I would not recommend this to others。Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing G I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。All opinions are my own。This one definitely missed the mark for me。 I liked the concept， seeing 70 years' worth of world events through the eyes of one man， but the execution is just meh。 It's very well-written， but sooooo wordy and it was just a slog to get through。 I'm sure others would enjoy it， but this was just not for me。I would not recommend this to others。Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the ARC！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Lessons

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Lessons&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Lessons&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0