Mc Ewan, Ian

I am just now in a Mc Ewan phase. I am reading now the fourth novel by him. Although an 20-21C author I think he still has much of an 19 C author in his themes, his moral attitude, a his very British contained tenderness and his sense of humour.

A minor issue which I already discussed with kev regarding the access to the University of Cambridge. I again was a bit chocked on learning that a character of one the novels had a kind of "reservation" there. Here we have to pass a collective exam to have access to the good universities of the country. Say, be one of the 50, 70 or 100, depending on the course, to get into the university. Later on, racial quotes were introduced to level somehow the privileges of better schooling.

I don't know which book you are talking about. It might be set in the past. Universities often give conditional offers. They might offer a student a place provided they get a certain number of good grades in their final exams. Back in the 80s, the only kids in my brother's school who were smarter than him were offered a places at Oxford University (or it might have been Cambridge) provided they achieved better than two D grades in their A levels. Oxford and Cambridge were a bit different to other universities in that they set more store by the admission interviews. They ask you very difficult questions, to which you have to think of answers there and then.

I am reading Atonement by Ian McEwan at the moment. Don't tell me anything about if if you have read it. I have read several books by Ian McEwan: Saturday, Amsterdam, Solar, The Innocent. He does his research. The Innocent and Solar were almost science fiction. McEwan himself went to Sussex University, which is still a very good university, but it is not as esteemed as Oxford or Canbridge.

It is in fact Atonement, you will recognize the passage, when you come to it. The time would be somewhat before World War II, so it is in the past.

Yes, McEwan does his research. I am at the beginning of Saturday and after reading the first 30 pages, I feel almost prepared to take a written (through not practical) exam in neurosurgery.