“I have the impression,” British novelist Ian McEwan said in 1984, while interviewing his Czech counterpart Milan Kundera, “you believe the novel is capable of granting us a very special understanding of the world, of permitting insights that no other form of enquiry could equal.” What’s true of Kundera is also true of McEwan himself. Over the last half century, he has created an exceptional set of daring and intelligent novels. He is particularly attuned to seeing his characters as the children of history. We’ll read McEwan as he imaginatively tackles transformative times, from the 1930s into the 21st century. Lectures will provide the cultural and political context for his frequently startling narratives. Beginning with his bestseller Atonement, we’ll move on to the short novels Black Dogs and On Chesil Beach, then turn into the disturbances of Sweet Tooth, The Child in Time, and Saturday.

Wednesdays | 6 weeks, September 16 - October 21 | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
In person and simulcast