This was my first McEwan, and it got me hooked. It was short and accessible and very well-told.

I wouldn't normally select this kind of book for myself (though I occasionally have done) but this was given to me by a friend and I was stuck for something to read on a flight so I thought why not. It's a bit slow to start but beautifully written and very compelling as the story progresses. Poignant and delicate yet stark and brutal, this is an excellent book.