1. love of or taste for fine objects of art.
2. Productions of art (especially fine antiques).
3. Artistic quality.
I want to make this a weekly feature--in which I will showcase a specific designer/artist/architect that has been influential to me in some way. I love discovering new artists, so if I can introduce just one person to something that they never knew about before, that resonates with them, that's enough for me.
Apart from the fantasy series’ I hold close to me (Lord of the Rings & Harry Potter), I can say confidently that Atonement is my favorite novel and Ian McEwan my favorite author. I picked up Atonement to use as my carry-on book for my trip, thinking I could just casually read through it, since I have read it numerous times. Yet I found myself once again, completely immersed in the world that McEwan dexterously paints—I relate to the creative controlling need of Briony Tallis and Cecilia’a realization of love for a best friend. McEwans’s writing is full of delicate imagery, his characters, scarily autonomous and self-aware.
I have spoken before of my love for simplicity. McEwan’s plot twists are fewer than in other novels, but well placed and well chosen. The writing lingers on the details and the experiential qualities of a given moment or place. The careful mix of Briony’s inner dialogue (she is a character I find myself able to fully step into) and a love story is far too much for me to resist becoming emotionally drawn to. With the novel, McEwan makes a clear statement with the story itself, but also about the art of writing and the role one plays as an author.
I have only watched the film in passing—unable to pay much attention to it, but the photography is gorgeous and the imagery both romantic and rich (it does McEwan's writing justice). I seriously recommend giving the book a read. For me at least, it was quite casual. I finished it in only 2-3 real sittings. But I will leave you today with a few screencaps that appeal to me. (All were taken from here)
