You have to give Ian McEwan credit for making each of his books different than the others. LESSONS is a Bildungsroman that dives into the forces that shaped a man's life. As a young boy, he was seduced (raped?) by his piano teacher, and that experience shapes the events of his future. The story does not unfold sequentially; it shifts from present to past. As an example, an early chapter describes the event of Roland's wife abandoning him and their young son. Then it shifts to his first encounter with his piano teacher, before shifting again to the fallout of his marriage. But by the end of the novel, you have a full psychological profile of the protagonist.

LESSONS is, by its nature, a slow-moving novel. If you're looking for a book with lots of intrigue and suspense, this is not the book for you. However, if you enjoy psychological, character-driven literary novels, you should find reading this book a rewarding experience.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for my opinions.

I’m almost ashamed to admit this is my first Ian McEwan novel—but what an extraordinary introduction, a masterful piece of literature. This book is rich and dense and slow-moving but beautifully told and worth every moment. I don’t know that I would recommend it for folks who aren’t used to deeper literary fiction, though at the same time there is a certain accessibility to McEwan’s writing, almost a welcoming of sorts to the reader to engage wholly with the book and its characters. I can’t compare this to McEwan’s other work so I don’t know how characteristic Lessons is if his typical writing style, but I know that I loved it and I am eager for more.

Author Ian McEwan throws a pebble into a pond and makes the most beautifully resonating ripples. Even if, in this novel's case, those ripples take 500 pages to reach the shoreline. This masterfully wrought novel tells the story of Roland Baines, an ordinary man. We follow Roland through 70 years of his life, wherein past personal traumas interweave with global events, from WWII to the fall of the Berlin Wall to Chernobyl, 9/11, Brexit, Covid, and so on. It's not a cheery tale, but there are moments of levity and joy. Roland feels flashes of life's richness despite his disappointing CV. Life is the sum of lessons learned or ignored. Same with history. McEwan uses his own life as a rough outline for the novel, and this meta-ness serves to reinforce its themes. The audiobook version is poignantly read by Simon McBurney.

[Thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

This novel tells the life story of protagonist Roland Baines over the course of sixty years. Roland spends part of his childhood in Libya, where his father serves in the British Army. He is sent to English boarding school, where he is abused by his piano teacher. He marries Alissa, who leaves him and their son to pursue literary fame. His mother harbors a family secret, which eventually is revealed.

The novel is told in third person, focused on Roland. It is mostly a linear story, with sections that loop back to reminiscences of the past. The author reflects the passage of time by referencing world events, such as the White Rose movement, Suez Crisis, Cuban Missile Crisis, Cold War, fall of the Berlin Wall, Chernobyl, AIDS, Brexit, the January 6th insurrection, and the Covid pandemic.

The primary conflict is supplied by Roland’s abuse at the hands of his piano teacher and its aftereffects. Roland’s life trajectory is derailed at an early age. He starts drifting through life and has trouble making decisions. It is a story of lost potential and missed opportunities. From his wife’s perspective, it is also a story of potential achieved, but at a terrible cost.

This is a rather lengthy book. Several of the subplots seemed more like digressions and my mind wandered occasionally in the first half. The narrative picks up in the second half, when we find out family secrets and Roland confronts the women who have disrupted his life. The writing is elegant and detailed. It is a story of memory, trauma, and coming to terms with the “what ifs” of life.

Another powerful, thought provoking read from Ian McEwan. “Lessons” did not disappoint. Mr McEwan has a gift of peeling away layers, which can be both haunting & beautiful. “Lessons” Uncovers Roland’s journey as a child where circumstances open the door to lifelong questions, sadness and love. I was a late in reading Ian McEwan’s books, I started with “The Children Act” which began the process of reading Ian McEwan’s books, and “Lessons” does not disappoint. Thanks to Netgalley for opportunity to read. A 5 star book.

I really tried to like this book but I just didn't. I saw the author interviewed on TV and thought it sounded good and the premise of the story does. But I just could not get into the writing style. It seems so disjointed and I just could not follow the plot. I was not able to finish this book.

I very much enjoyed reading this! The writing was strong and the story was enjoyable. I recommend it.

One hell of life Roland had! He was alive through many monumental events in near history, but we got to read about the abuse he faced, many women who taught him couple of valuable lessons as the name of the book suggests. Ah, how easy to manipulate men and make them think they are well in control their own lives…. This dude could not even accept with his adult brain and perception that he was abused as a little child

More than Roland, I was interest per in vast variety of women in this book. We had the predator, the independent, the good old wife, the protector of secrets, the undersatisfied. There were so many of them while men were the same: abusers and abused. Not a flashing news for a female reader, but it is low key fun to see that author took McEwan took about 500 pages to explain that (through one man)

I like McEwan’s stories, but I was bit bored with the MC of this story. Like I said, I focused my interest on women and skipped some pages of Roland’s whining to get the end of the book. If you are a fan of McEwan, I think you should read it but have a lot of coffee ready

3 stars. I do not plan to review this title - I read the entire novel but found it somewhat tedious and not what I had hoped for from this author.

While the subject matter of this got under my skin in not the best ways as an educator, I really loved this book. Ian McEwan can tell a story truly like nobody else can. His writing can feel like work at times, but the work pays off, and it did here in Spades. By the end of the book I was staring out in awe like I do after everything I read by him.

“Lessons” is a rich and rewarding novel. It’s one of those rare novels that breathes life and enriches (including this one) the readers mind and touches the soul.

Wonderfully written, and it felt more even and steady in its writing than do many of the other Ian McEwan novels I've read--which sometimes feel like they tend to rely on a single, breathtaking scene, around which every other scene revolves and is subordinate to. There is a sweep of time and event covered here in this novel that feels both emotionally and historically accurate. I enjoyed the way the protagonist's life dovetailed and was influenced by his reaction and participation in world events. But I'm a little tired of child abuse and its aftermath as means to define a given novel's protagonist. My appreciation for the novel also suffered because, I realized halfway through, I simply expect more on every level from an Ian McEwan novel, on account of the literary prominence he enjoys. It's unfair of me to expect more of every book he writes. But knowing that it's unfair doesn't change my bias.

I enjoyed this novel more than Atonement (which left me feeling manipulated), but less than Saturday, which left me feeling continuously surprised.

I'm glad to have read it.

Thank you Netgalley and Mr. McEwan for the ARC copy of "Lessons." This was an extremely slow paced book, definitely felt like a McEwan book. This is not "Atonement" but definitely a good read. The book is about the life of Ronald Baines which is in a way connected with historical happenings around the world. This is the first book where I encountered the COVID-19 virus. I have so many fucked up feelings regarding the book and with the characters. Would I read it on my own volition? Probably not. However, I would not deny its literary merits and that Mr. McEwan is one of the renowned author alive today.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in return for a fair and honest review.

This book is long - but it was worth it. It's a long, rambling narrative of the life of the protagonist, Roland Baines, including all sorts of historical references - the fall of the Berlin wall, the Cuban missile crisis, Chernobyl, and so on, up until COVID at the last part of the book. There's quite a story about his relationship with his parents, and about a mystery in his mother's past that isn't known until shortly before her death. The key relationships, tho, are about his sexual relationship with his piano teacher as a schoolboy, and his relationship with his wife, Alissa, who walked out on him and their baby, in order to devote herself to being a writer.

There are numerous issues that are discussed in this book, but two that interested me the most. First, the male-female power balances. I found it fascinating that in his parents' generation, we seemed to see men running the family, with wives pretty much doing as they were told - we saw this is Roland's parents, as well as in the story of Alissa's mother. However, in Roland's life, women were the controlling forces, starting with his piano teacher. Throughout his life, he seemed to be spending his time reacting to the decisions made by women. Just interesting, but I think he pretty much attributed all his life choices to reactions to the actions of women.

And along with all of this goes the question of an adult woman sexually taking advantage of a boy? In life, there seems to be an attitude of "well, hey, any boy would love to have an adult woman be sexually obsessed with him, lucky guy!" - without considering that sexual abuse by an adult is not going to be free of emotional/physical consequences, regardless of gender.

The second, and a related issue that I found interesting, was the question of whether an artist is justified in causing any and all hurt to other people in pursuit of their art. Here, it's set up quite clearly as whether the action is seen differently depending on the artist's gender - in this case, a woman walking out on her baby, refusing to ever see him, and writing books that vilified other people, causing them great pain (thinking here of her mother, many of whose former friends didn't even come to her funeral, because of Alissa's biased and not necessarily truthful portrayal of Jane). Is it okay to ignore the consequences of what you write, based on your assertion that "oh, get over it. It's just fiction," even if the "fiction" includes numerous data that comes directly from your life? And, a question that also struck me, does it matter if the work is "great," - Alissa is portrayed as Germany's greatest writer. Would the balance be the same if she were churning out potboilers? And, why has this sort of harm to others been pretty much accepted from male artists, but not so clearly okay from female artists?

These are by no means the only issues in this book - but a couple that intrigued me as I was reading. There are numerous things to think about as you read it, so it's definitely not going to be a fast read - but there was a lot here to think about.

A Man Remembering a Piano Lesson

McEwan’s opening scene is startling and introduces the reader to an overwhelming, complicated novel. We meet Roland Baines when he is eleven years old. During a piano lesson, his voracious and beautiful piano teacher touches him. She preoccupies him on many levels. We meet Ms. Cornell again and she provides carnal instruction. She is arrogant telling Rolland that he will spend the rest of his life “looking for what you had here.” The encounter haunts him, sometimes a curse, sometimes a prophecy.

In later years, Roland’s life becomes very sad when his wife, Alissa, leaves him with their seven-month-old son, Lawrence. Why did she leave? How could she leave her child? Drifting seems to be one of McEwan’s themes. Roland wanders from job to job, squandering many chances. His complacency can annoy the reader.

As in many novels concerning boys and men, they are haunted by their loving but reticent mothers who are hiding some guilt and shame from their children. And once again, it is the females who give love and embitter their sons, wives and lovers. Lessons to be learned for sure. The novel was engrossing and spanned spectacles and global events in history. It is a good tale, but complicated and often I needed to put it down and take a breath.

My gratitude to Net Galley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my

Alissa Eberhardt had abandoned her husband, Roland, and her son, Lawrence to begin a literary career. She was living her mother's life, retracing its pattern exactly. She has a difficult relationship with her mother. After reading her mother's journals, she had been in a state of strange and fluctuating moods.

Alissa's departure had weakened him. Never crossed his mind that her behavior was depraved and despicable in the ruthless pursuit of her new life. Meanwhile, Roland's youth was not gone from him yet. This is a story between himself and his past that is never to be spoken out loud through the prism of war, his father's nerves at sight, his mother's secret, having passionate affair with an older woman, reminiscing about his Berlin days of the late seventies until now.

The novel was clearly brilliant with rising and falls that were expertly narrated. Thanks to @netgalley and @aaknopf for providing an earc. This is worth 5 ⭐️

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#donereading #Lessons by #IanMcEwan #emabaca #goodreads #ebookstagram #igreads #malaysiamembaca #kindlepaperwhite

3.5★ rounded to 4.

In Lessons, Ian McEwan tells the life story of Roland Baines. Eleven-year-old Roland was sent to boarding school. He has piano lessons with a strict teacher, Miriam Cornell, whom he will remember for the rest of his life. Later, when he marries Alisa, she soon leaves him alone with their infant son.

Alisa is later a successful novelist. It seems she got there because she abandoned her family. Roland is a talented pianist, poet, and even a tennis teacher. But he was never really successful at any of those things because he struggled as a single parent. One question lingers in the air. Can you achieve success if you have children or a family?

This novel is quite an ambitious work. It starts pretty slowly. Further on, there is really a lot of material, events, people, and details. And this could get confusing, especially at the beginning. But everything connects towards the end.

The title refers to piano lessons, but this novel can also be a brief history lesson. We can read about quite some global events from the past, for example, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Chernobyl radiation in the 80s, the Cuban missile crisis, recent pandemics, and others. Some of those global events affected and changed the lives of the characters.

Overall, this novel is an impressive achievement by Ian McEwan, but unfortunately, it’s not a book that is very readable. It’s pretty slow, and sometimes you would really need it to move faster. I would say that for many readers, it will be overwhelming. I felt it too. That it is too broad, and there are too many events captured in this novel.

Thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the ARC! This is a voluntary review, and all opinions are my own.

I am a fan of Ian McEwan and always read his novels, every one so different yet always so distinctly by McEwan. But I wasn't immediately pulled into this one, and found myself reading other novels first. But then it was time, and I began again, and was intrigued (if disgusted!) as his lessons began as the novel opened. Roland wasn't at all likeable as an adolescent and never really became so throughout the novel, but nor were any of the other characters (except Daphne and Lawrence) likeable. This is not unusual of course for McEwan's novels. Then came some Roland (McEwan?) authorial and ponderous contemplations about life and the state of the world, and I almost skipped through a few pages. But how in character for Roland, a man in his seventies (who is acting far older than his age...to me this man feels and acts and thinks more like a man of 86), and re-living his disappointing past. But now I was drawn in, and stayed drawn in, needing to find out the secrets of Roland's past which McEwan wasn't going to reveal any time soon. Of course McEwan's writing is superb and for that alone I would always, sooner or later, finish his books. Cliches' do not exist in his writing unless of course his character is musing about them! Roland's muttering thoughts about his past and the people in it, usually women who have damaged him or who he has damaged are set in the changing events of those decades, so it is a ride through recent history, ending of course with the lockdowns and the tedium of covid, especially for the elderly anxious. Thank goodness for his last wife, Daphne, a sane and kind woman, and thank goodness for Lawrence, the son that Roland was his best person for. There are no prettily tidy ends of course, and I was left feeling that somehow I was getting more than a glimpse into the author's past as well as Roland's; perhaps not the people, but certainly the way events have shaped him (and in the poet and music side of him, and of course in his first wife, Alissa, who became the brilliant and celebrated author that McEwan himself is, along with many of his close friends). So in the end, this is again a 5 star read for me, and reminds me that if I know a writer is superb and I love his books, it is worthwhile persisting even if a novel in its early stages doesn't appeal or hold my attention.

What an incredible journey into the arts and how it is used to help heal people. McEwan allows you to see and feel the problems and pain that the characters experience. So well done.

In Ian McEwan’s long awaited novel Lessons, we follow Roland Blaine as he reflects over the span of his life. Roland’s life is recounted in light of two core experiences which influence the trajectory of his life. The historical and political landscape of the past 70 years provide the backdrop for the exposition of the Roland’s relationship’s, lifestyle, choices, betrayals and missed opportunities. Lessons is at once very intimate and global in its scope.

Lessons like many well written books about less than likable characters will not appeal to everyone. I have to admit I struggled to relate to the main character. But, if you enjoy character driven narratives in which one can reflect on the ways in which a life is shaped and distorted by both personal and bigger sociological events. Lessons may be the book for you.

Thank you @netgalley & @knopfdoubleday for this gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest review.