The joy of reading fiction is that you get transported to places and periods without leaving your chair, and whilst reading The Innocent by Ian McEwan I was living in 1950s Berlin.
This novel is a fascinating portrayal of post-war Berlin as well as a love story and a spy thriller. Two-thirds of the way through, a shocking episode is exhaustively described, and I began to lose my enthusiasm for the book. Eventually, however, it is wrapped up with a very satisfying and surprising ending.
Recommended (with reservations regarding the difficult episode).
