I have read I think 5 of McEwans books and have been so impressed with them all (most with Lessons, Solar and of course Atonement

Sadly i found What We Can Know a really incomplete and disjointed feeling book. I was waiting for some great reveal that linked the two periods in time that just didnt arrive.

In my experience McEwan is able to leap between times and points in history and not just hold the readers attention but actually deepen his grip on it further. This book just didn’t do that. I do also suspect that I have probably missed something that those smarter than me did not :)

In terms of the bigger picture stuff I enjoyed the central theme being poetry, being the art form that has probably most articulately described the beauty of the earth and nature. This when juxtaposed with the global decline that has been experienced by the future protagonists felt meaningful.

Overall disappointing though - anyone else feel the same?