Atonement, Parts Two and Three

While part one of Atonement sets up the story and the crime Briony Tallis commits, part two follows Robbie after the crime has been committed and part three follows Briony as a parallel story line.

So the crime? Well, Briony turns out to be a lot worse than I expected. After the twins ran away, and Lola vanishes into the night, the search party breaks up, Cecilia with Leon and, supposedly, Paul Marshall. Briony watches as Robbie walks away by himself. She's extremely wary of him after witnessing certain events in the library, and who could blame her, really? For a thirteen year old, that's a pretty confusing event. Anyway, Briony decides to head off on her own in search of Pierrot and Jackson, but what she happens upon is more sinister than two boys lurking in the dark. Wandering around, Briony wonders if perhaps the boys were hiding in her favorite spot down by the bridge. She hears and sees no one in the darkness, assuming Cecilia and Leon had already passed over the bridge. She also assumed Cecilia would be telling Leon of Robbie's assault on her (as Briony sees it). Boy, was she off. Anyway, she heads down to the copse beneath the bridge, but instead of encountering Jackson and Pierrot, she finds Lola and a man, who rises off of Lola and slips away before he can be found out. In the dark, Briony could not see his face, but assumes that it was Robbie. This part is rather sad, seeing as Lola has been shamed and violated. Briony feels this occurrence has brought them closer together and comforts her cousin. Long story short, Briony and Lola return home, Briony gives an account of what has happened, blames Robbie (who's still no where to be found) and the police are called. Cecilia and Leon return, and then Paul Marshall (suspiciously alone..?*). Briony then has a "brilliant" idea, rushing up to Cecilia's room to steal the note Robbie wrote to her. She wants to show it as evidence of his maniacal thoughts and, therefore, actions. Of course, this makes Cecilia furious, saying its an invasion of her privacy, that the note was meant only for her.

Someone reports seeing Robbie approaching the house, and the policemen, Emily, Briony and Leon wait outside for him. What's described as a seven foot man approaches but as time passes, they realize it is Robbie, carrying one of the twins on his shoulders, the other holding his hand and stumbling behind him. The worst part is that after this kind, heroic act, the police still arrest Robbie, even though the only testament they have to his crime is Briony, who couldn't see his face, and Lola, who claims to not know who it was that assaulted her. Briony kept saying "I know it was him" thinking she is protecting Cecilia and Lola. So Robbie's being loaded into the police car when Briony sees Cecilia rush out to him and they exchange words. Briony can't tell what's being said, but assumes Cecilia is accusing Robbie of his crimes, and then forgiving him. Part one ends with Grace Turner, Robbie's mother, attacking the hood of the police car with an umbrella, and shouting "Liars! Liars!" many times over.

Part two is basically just following Robbie, five years later. He's out of jail, but only because he agreed to join the military (World War II is happening at this moment in the story). This part is really rather gruesome and somewhat boring, accepting parts where mysteries are revealed. Robbie and Cecilia have been in touch. What Cecilia actually said to Robbie that night he was arrested was not an accusation but a confession of love. It is also disclosed that when she was ten, Briony confessed to Robbie that she loved him, rendering her an untrustworthy narrator. It now looks as if every word from her point of view was a lie, forged through her jealousy, although she claimed it was fear for her sister's life. Robbie hears from Cecilia that she has cut ties with her family and now Briony (who's working as a nurse, like Cecilia) wants to clear Robbie's name.

I've just started part three which shows Briony's point of view as a probationer (nurse trainee) in a particularly tough hospital ward. They're cleaning and clearing the ward for the influx of wounded soldiers coming in from France.

The thing that keeps me reading when parts get exceptionally boring (Robbie's war parts) is Robbie and Cecilia's relationship. What can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic. I'm afraid they won't end up together, that some unforeseeable force will keep them apart, something I desperately don't want to happen.

I've never actually ever hated a fictional character before, but Briony has me seeing red. Because of her, Robbie and Cecilia aren't together, Cecilia cuts herself off from her family, Robbie went to jail and has to face one of the most horrific wars in history. Other than my disdain for one of the main characters, I'm enthralled by this book. I can't wait to see what happens at the end, and then I can see the movie! (Keira Knightley and James McAvoy? Such a promising cast).

*I'm extremely suspicious of Paul Marshall, and am almost positive he was the person that attacked Lola, not Robbie.