The Cement Garden (Ian McEwan)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free (except where marked in the "Where it disappoints" section), however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk.

goodreads.com

What it's about:

After the long illness of their mother leaves them orphans, four siblings fear for their separation, and decide to hide her death. Yet, this also means hiding her body, which they choose to bury in cement in the cellar. Each of them deals with this drastic change in their lives in very different ways, and to varying degrees of success - Julie takes over the household, Jack stops bathing, Sue spends hours reading and writing in her diary, and Tom starts to wear dresses. But what happens when the precarious balance they have developed in disturbed once again?

Why it's worth a read:

• If you like McEwan's other works, it seems to fit consistently with his writing style, so I would definitely check this out. The storyline was super interesting, and for fans of his work, I feel like this is a must read.
•  If you are looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, or a book that deals with unusual situations/psychology, this will absolutely fit the bill. Each person in the story deals with things uniquely, but there are still underlying similarities with how they react, since they are siblings.
• It is a really well-designed portrayal of sibling relationships during the teen years. They get along perfectly one second, and squabble the next. Sometimes they relate and understand each other, and other moments they barely recognize who the other person is, and there can be insane jealousy, but yet they are very strongly bound together and know it.

Where it disappoints:

• It's very dark and bleak. I think that's likely clear from the plot description, but even the writing style is this way, so it kind of slogs along. It's not a fast-paced thriller or anything, and it feels like it is a much longer book simply because of the slow pace.
• SPOILER: Mature themes are included in this book, such as (but not limited to) death, incest, cancer, and mental health. Being such a short book, these are all packed in in such a short time frame that it might be a lot for some readers.
• If you are squeamish or easily grossed out, just stay far away from this book. From descriptions of the lack of bathing, to their mother's body, and so on...this book really isn't for you.

Final Thoughts:

I'd wanted to read a book by Ian McEwan for a long time. I was first introduced to his work by being told about Enduring Love, and then the popularity of Atonement blew up through the release of the movie, which although I know most of the plot of Atonement, I have never found it overly appealing. I heard about The Cement Garden, and was instantly interested in the story, but never quite was in the mindframe to read a darker novel. Then, I watched both A Child in Time, and On Chesil Beach. So, what I'm saying is...FINALLY. Unfortunately, there was more I didn't enjoy about this book than I liked, which is sort of how I felt about A Child in Time and On Chesil Beach. I think really that there's a bleakness to his work that, although I appreciate, always makes me feel as though it is lacking something. I don't really need a lot of plot to occur in a book, but this just felt flat in most aspects. Fortunately it is short, but I think it could have been even shorter, and would have had the same (or stronger) impact. If you are interested in it, or the story in general, it was made into a movie in 1993, which I watched parts of many years ago.