McEwan's Only Childhood: Development of Ian McEwan's Metaplot - Softcover

Byrnes, Bernie C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0946650942 ISBN 13: 9780946650941

Publisher: Paupers' Press, 2008

Synopsis

In 2002 Paupers' Press published The Work Of Ian McEwan: A Psychodynamic Approach. In it Bernie C. Byrnes traced the `metaplot' of Ian McEwan's fiction and offered psychodynamic interpretations of his published work, culminating in the Booker prize-winning Amsterdam (1998). Subsequently McEwan published two more books: Atonement (2001) and Saturday (2005), and she responded by writing an addendum on these works (also published by Paupers' Press). At that time she claimed that as a `diminishing amount' of new unconscious material was being included in his writing, it could be argued that her thesis on his work had reached its conclusion. However, just as it seemed that he had come to the end of the gifts from his unconscious, McEwan discovered he had an estranged brother. The revelation of David Sharp's existence has made it possible for her to review her previous hypotheses about the metaplot. The earlier explanations still hold good, based as they are on information from a careful study of his work, but the appearance of David adds a new dimension to his `unfolding story'. Bernie C. Byrnes argues here that David Sharp's secret existence has had a profound influence on McEwan's creativity from the beginning and traces its effect through his fiction, up to and including his most recent publication On Chesil Beach (2007). A further addendum dealing with that novel is currently in preparation.

About this title

About the Author

Born in London to Polish refugees, Bernie C. Byrnes grew up in London and Newcastle. She has recently completed a PhD at Newcastle University. Other published work ranges from short stories to academic essays, including several plays performed at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Her plays have also been performed in Newcastle at the Live Theatre, the Gulbenkien Studio Theatre, the Custom's House and the Theatre Royal. Her short stories have appeared in Billy Liar magazine and Girl/Boy. Previous commissions include `Future Tense', the Sunderland World Party Literary Festival (Love and Sprockets) and the RSC Newcastle Fringe season. Hailed by The Scotsman as `an original talent as a writer', as well as `an insult to the public, the art form and humanity', Bernie C. Byrnes's work is gaining increasing recognition throughout the North East.

Current commissions include a feature film (Mary's Prayer) for Pilgrim Films.

This is her fifth Paupers' Press title.

Edition details

• Publisher: Paupers' Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0946650942
• ISBN 13: 9780946650941
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 63