Lessons is a great novel that takes us through history with the life of one man, Roland. Roland is sent away to a boarding school by his military father. At the time of the Cuban Missile crisis when Roland is 14 he finds himself at a piano lesson with Mrs Cornell, who is 25, and whose interest in Roland is a bit more than teaching him to play the piano. Mrs Cornell is controlling and grooming Roland and the affair culminates with her wanting to take Roland, who is now 16, to Scotland so they can get married which results in Roland realising he must get away from her. Roland drifts through life affected by this earlier relationship.
This is a long novel with historical events forming the backdrop to Roland’s life. Many of these events have an impact on his life such as the end of the Cold War and the crossing of the Berlin Wall. Through all the events Roland muddles through as most of us do.
A wonderful read.

I wrote my undergraduate dissertation on Ian McEwan, back when he had only written four novels. I had come across him by accident in the library and I was completely seduced by the clarity of his writing style. I have followed him closely ever since, and have found a great deal to enjoy and admire and think about in practically everything he has ever written.

So it pains me hugely, and makes me feel horribly guilty, to have to say that this is the first novel he has ever written that completely failed to engage me. If it had been any other author I would not have persisted to the end.

The protagonist, Roland, shares many biographical details with Ian McEwan, but unlike McEwan he comes across as a passive, maybe somewhat lazy man who drifts through his life repeatedly wasting his potential and passing up opportunities. Through his eyes we observe nothing less than the passage of the 20th century into the first two decades of the 21st, starting with his parents' early history during WWII and proceeding through the Cuban missile crisis, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet state, the emergent climate emergency, Brexit and the Covid pandemic. Political events closer to home feature too - the global hopes for democracy and a new order are mirrored in the electoral win for Blair's New labour, before the mistakes of the Iraq war bring about disillusion and a Tory government.

On a personal level it could be argued that Roland's life is blighted early on by an episode of sexual abuse in his teenage years, which he does not recognise as such until much later. As an adult his first wife leaves him and their 7-month-old baby in order to follow her path, eventually to become one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Roland brings up their infant son alone; goes through a succession of benign but ultimately unsuccessful relationships; never holds down a proper job in spite of much early musical promise; and generally drifts and does not achieve a great deal, though he is surrounded by friends and family and eventually an extended family who all seem to love him dearly.

My problem with this novel is that it never stops feeling flat. Even at 500 pages, which is his longest novel yet, it feels like too much is packed in. As a result too much of the book reads simply like a list of events, without much evidence of reflection or growth or character development. The writing is turgid - something I never in a million years thought I would say about Ian McEwan - and it is just not very interesting or insightful. The political and world events that are reported are not examined in any depth, and although we are told about Roland being a Labour activist, or travelling to East Germany and being there for the fall of the wall, or smuggling Western pop records to acquaintances behind the wall, there is no sense of any passion in him, no evidence that he is changed in any way by engaging with such momentous events. Similarly, as his ex-wife gains acclaim as a novelist, her books are described in a way that just does not convey where her greatness is coming from. We are simply told how amazing her writing is, but the plots as described are pedestrian and, in the case of her last 'masterpiece', frankly preposterous.

There is one virtuoso piece of writing towards the end, which is a tantalising glimpse of what could have been. Roland, having had a health scare, decides to burn his journals which he has been writing since 1986. 'There were no obvious themes, no undercurrents he had not noticed at the time, nothing learned. A grand mass of details was what he found... boring, no insight, passive.' Just as I was thinking this could be the perfect review of the novel, McEwan uses Roland's intimation of mortality and his memory of a much earlier bonfire of schoolbooks to give us his elegiac reflection on his life in two pages, swooping through time and events and 'lessons unlearned' and musing about what the rest of the 21st century might look like after Roland - McEwan himself? - was gone. These two pages reminded me strongly of the way Terence Davies' cinematography uses tracking shots to evoke memories through time. It made the book feel all the more a lost opportunity.

Other great writers have declined as they aged - I'm thinking particularly of Margaret Atwood here - and much as I hate to say it, Ian McEwan may be past his best. This novel has the feel of being a stab at a final grand opus, dealing with themes we know have been ones he has cared greatly about throughout his lifetime. But as a novel it falls flat.

Lessons is a frustrating book due to the narrator's constant quest for answers as he puzzles together the trauma of the past with his behaviour in the present. Roland's vulnerability as a child is exploited by his music teacher, with their sexual relationship warping forever his idea of what love is.

As with all McEwan's books, the prose is beguiling and the characterisation full. However, in this case I feel perhaps too much was attempted, with too many turning points in history utilised for dramatic effect.

Lessons is a rich and epic story of our times. In following the life of Roland Baines from childhood we see the events of history, from the Cuban Missile Crisis to covid, through his eyes and his life's experiences. We feel these events in a fresh way making them as vivid as the days in which they happened. The political and social implications of events carries Roland along. At times he fights the system to improve society or better the lives of friends while at others he works to protect himself letting troubles pass him by. I had forgotten what an eventful time this period has been. Living through moments that feel so essential at the time they occur but fade away with time's gentle eraser. This novel brings it all back sharply in such a gorgeous fashion. The power of Ian McEwan's writing is truly a force of nature.

A beautiful novel both touching and full of such promise that fully delivers, easily, on that promise. Roland could be so much but his formative years are scarred in ways that change him making his life flitting from one thing to another more transitory than he might have expected. One thing anchors him, though, love. The love he feels for family and friends guides and sustains him. Such a wonderful novel of history and the scars life leaves on us all.

Ian McEwan is one of our greatest novelists for a reason. Although this is a dense novel, I felt that no word was wasted. Such beautiful prose to describe the life of Roland Baines, set against world history events including the Covid pandemic. The detail of Roland’s life are conveyed with such careful precision that it took a while for me to read this one. It was so reminiscent of the best of William Boyd as well, so if you’re a fan of him, you will also appreciate this novel.

I am constantly in awe of McEwan’s talent. Highly recommend.

Lessons follows Roland Baines life starting with his mother close by in Tripoli but then his abrupt departure to a Suffolk boarding school. We experience a meandering journey through Roland’s life with the memory of his young piano teacher, Miss Cornell continuing to influence his relationships with women. When Roland’s brilliant wife abandons him with their baby son he is left bewildered and directionless. Roland struggles to find some meaning to his life against a backdrop of world events and the relentless passage of time.

Ian McEwan presents a man’s life to us and we share his failures, frustrations and ultimate self awareness. Roland is a frustrating character but this makes him more real and he is shaped by his own history and his place in the world,

The book is ambitious in its scope and a commitment to read but the rewards are worth it. I loved the book and the unveiling of the strands that make a life.

This is an epic book that placed the narrative, a self reflection of life, love and loss, alongside historical events that are familiar to all of us, allowing the reader to reflect on their own experiences of and reactions to those events. It's long but well worth the effort, I haven't picked up Ian McEwan for a while but this reminded me of why I used to enjoy reading him and I will go back.

Densely but beautifully written this is a hard novel to get into but please persevere as it is well worth the trouble and effort.

I just luxuriated in the word pictures he painted and in the descriptions of time and place. A long read but certainly a thought provoking and entertaining one.

Beautifully written book. It was a very poignant situation and the story took you where it was uncomfortable to read but yet you could not leave the story alone.
Perhaps understandable the character made little of his life despite his intelligence and huge musical ability. He was groomed at a young and vulnerable stage in his life by an older woman who sexually and mentally abused him.
Interestingly he was still able to form deep relationships with other women and also proved to be an excellent father giving so much love and support to his son.
It was a great read.

An interesting novel, with regular references to actual historical events from WW2 to Covid. I found it improved as it progressed but the start was slow. Some parts beautifully descriptive but it wasn't the easiest read.

I have really enjoyed Ian McEwan's books in the past, but I just couldn't connect to this book.
I found Ian McEwan's writing style here too descriptive, and this was just slowing the plot down for me.
I'd be intrigued to listen to the audio version of this book to see if I have the same issues.

This book just didn't do it for me.

A difficult and poignant life told in a series of episodes relating to incidents shaping the character of a young person. Initially introducing us to a young child , Roland, demonstrating the intelligence and potential for success in numerous fields, only to be groomed, abused and ultimately suffer a lifetime of damage by a young music teacher at his boarding school. Reflections cover the period from an eight year old to an old man in his eighth decade, with all major world affairs and leaders as backdrops to an evolving story of his belief he is a failure. Potential for successful life expectations as a poet and writer to that of mediocrity , poverty and regrets. And yet, chapter after chapter draws the reader into interesting and life affirming relationships and interactions that demonstrate a protagonist that never fails to demonstrate by his actions and reminiscences the ability to love and be loved during a lifetime of experiences that never cease to amaze. An ultimately life affirming and rewarding story of judging success not necessarily by critical acclaim but by a path well travelled. Many thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Lessons is the story of a man, Roland Baines and the world he inhabits — personal and intimate, but also global and impactful. McEwan draws in points of world history that created a noticeable scar on the flesh of humanity: WWII, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War, Chernobyl disaster, the rise and literal fall of the Berlin Wall, the birth of the Internet, 9/11, Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic. And, for Roland, dealing with global events as well as personal ones, McEwan weaves in and around in a meandering and fluid timeline.

One of the best novels I have read recently, it follows the life of Roland from his childhood in the post war years living with his strict military family through to the post pandemic years of the 2020’s. We learn of his reciprocated infatuation at the age of 14 with Miriam his boarding school piano teacher and therefore his introduction to the wonders of sex at an early and illegal age. His life is chronicled through marriages fatherhood separations all within the context of the history and politics of the last 70 years. Ian McEwan is a master storyteller with an enviable command of language and is able to convey the feelings of his characters as if they are leaping from the pages. A masterful novel from a superb author at the peak of his powers.

I usually love Ian McEwan’s books but this one is like trudging through treacle. Am grateful for the opportunity to read it but I can’t recommend it I’m afraid.

I really tried to get on with this book but it’s taken me weeks to read even a third,and I’m afraid I’ve had to give up.I know Ian McEwan is a highly regarded writer,but this book seems to move at snail’s pace and go off at long tangents,and although I can appreciate the quality of the writing,it’s just not for me.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

As a huge fan of Ian McEwan, I was excited to read his latest novel. It covers the life of Roland Baines in the aftermath of his desertion of him and his baby son by his German wife. Roland reflects on his life, from school days to old age in this meandering and thoughtful novel. Not plot driven, this is a book of reflection, of musings on social and political shifts over the past 70 years. Some passages are so stunning and moving, you have to put the book down to digest it. A perfect read.

As a long-time fan of Ian McEwan, I have been a little nervous of picking up his more recent work as I have found some of them a bit patchier, or a bit less focused, and had heard several people refer to Lessons as a 'return to form', and after reading this, I am inclined to agree.

We follow almost an entire life of Roland, from a young boy both fascinated and terrified by the intensity of global politics around him (post-WW2 Europe, the Cuban Missile Crisis) to his current day, where he is equally perplexed by the Europe he lives in, one plagued by Brexit, Covid, and the growing tide of fascism.

I often found McEwan's writing about past historical events more effective than more modern-day ones, but perhaps that is because we are all still too close to Brexit, Covid and more to be able to engage with it in literature in the same way.

A key storyline in the book is also his relationship with his piano teacher when he is a boy- there is a showdown between the two later in the book that inverts the typical trope of this, with a young boy and an older woman, and with him able to see it as a coercive and abusive relationship, and in many ways that haunts the book, not only emotionally, but in terms of choices both characters make.

There is a burning relationship with a former partner, she a highly successful novelist whose trajectory inserts itself alongside real political moments, including her being beaten to the Nobel Prize by Herta Muller. This relationship had echoes of some of my favourite parts of McEwan- his ability to write deeply complicated and flawed relationships between characters that threaten to end, erupt or coalesce at any moment.

Although there were some moments that felt slightly unnecessary (a throwaway reference to the author being 'cancelled' for making transphobic comments, a bit of a rant about Boris Johnson) which felt too much like McEwan re-inserting himself in the story, there was still a great deal of what I deeply admire in his writing: his ability to link global historical and political moments to the personal relationships and foibles of his characters, and do so with a confident omniscience that on a good paragraph feels masterful.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t always enjoyed Ian McEwan’s books but have always admired his writing and this novel stands out as one of the most enjoyable reads from him. The story follows the life of Roland Baines, which is defined by two major life events - an affair with his piano teacher as an adolescent boy and the disappearance of his wife and being left to bring up his son on his own. Both women were controlling in their relationships with Roland, and that control continues through the devastating impact their actions have had on him and his life decisions thereafter. The story covers over seventy years and chronicles how major political events of the time have impacted on the character. Well-written and compelling.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy to read and review.

This really is a book of epic proportions. Not only is it a huge read but it covers a time period of more than seventy years. Against a backdrop of world events, including the Chernobyl disaster all the way through to the recent pandemic, we follow the life and thoughts of Roland the central character. While I did not find him an empathetic character, it did not deter my engrossment in the story nor my enjoyment of the more appealing female characters who had a major impact on Roland's life..