Book Review: What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

“What We Can Know is a masterpiece, a fictional tour de force that reclaims the present from our sense of looming catastrophe, and imagines a future world where all is not quite lost.”

Goodreads blurb for What We Can Know

Review:

I have been chasing the literary high I felt when I read The Child in Time, being especially drawn back to Ian McEwan. I thought the premise of this sounded interestingly different than other books/synopses of his books that I’ve read, and was excited to read it. 

Well into the future in the year 2119, Thomas is infatuated with Francis Blundy, a poet from roughly 100 years before. In a dystopian England suffering from the negative effects of climate change, he yearns to find the single copy of what was otherwise an oral poem. Told in two parts, this story weaves together dystopia, academia, and the characters’ stories. 

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book. Ian McEwan’s writing is extremely introspective, which I do love, but it’s an odd fit for a post-apocalyptic setting. I found there to be little urgency in the world-building, making Thomas’ story lacking importance for me. 

Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for providing a free digital ARC of the book.

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The prose. Always.

What I didn’t like:

• I didn’t find the characters to be likable.
• Not enough world-building.

Afterthoughts:

It was interesting to read something so different (compared to what I have read) by Ian McEwan, even if it wasn’t a top read for me personally.

Where to buy the book: