204:
trying to find somewhere to leave the body parts, but gives up and returns to his flat with them. While leaving his flat again with the cases the next day, he encounters Blake in the lift and claims the cases contain equipment from the US, to be used in the tunnel for the next twenty-four hours only after which it will go back to the USA. Then
Leonard runs into Glass, who admonishes him for removing equipment from the workplace and forces him to return the cases to the tunnel, driving him there himself. Leonard deposits the cases in the tunnel, then betrays its existence to the Russians to avoid the actual content of the cases being discovered by his colleagues. (Though it turns out later that Blake had already betrayed the existence of the tunnel long before. Blake tells the Russians about the new equipment Leonard has, so the Russians break into their tunnel from their end with a view to seizing the equipment for their own use.)
212:
took it that things were over between herself and
Leonard. Maria tells Leonard she later married Bob Glass in New York, moved to America, and bore three children by him, but that Glass has recently died of a heart attack. She reveals that Glass found out about Otto and helped cover for the killing, which was the true reason for their suspicious behaviour together. The novel ends with Leonard deciding to fly to America and pay a surprise visit on Maria at her home.
985:
221:
important to her. However her past catches up with her one fateful night. The tunnel, loyalties, all become part of
Leonard's desperate attempt to escape his deed. The novel unravels Leonard's "innocence" in a deceptively comic fashion: the young Englishman, bumbling along, out of his depth, enduring jokes and insults from the Americans, suddenly finds himself at the abyss of fear and terror, where betrayal becomes easy.
286:
as "powerful and disturbing", and called it "bone tight: every detail of every event works as a time bomb, waiting to go off, while every image seems to pay off in terms of plot, atmosphere or theme." Kakutani argued that “while these Grand
Guignol events are hardly plausible by everyday standards of
199:
At a bar with his new
American colleagues Leonard meets a girl called Maria to whom he is 'innocent' due to having never had sex before. They become engaged but after their engagement party Maria's ex-husband Otto, a self-proclaimed war hero and alcoholic turns up and starts a very violent fight with
242:
literary mode and wrote that "McEwan’s great gift is for getting his characters onto this level of experience by the most casual means." Wood stated that the connection between
Leonard's work and personal life gets too unsubtle, but praised the precision of McEwan's portrayal of emotion, billing the
211:
In a postscript, the novel then skips forward thirty-two years to them both in late middle age (Leonard now circa 57, Maria circa 62). Leonard has received a letter from Maria explaining that she was never unfaithful to him with Glass until after his failure to reply to her letters, from which she
293:
wrote an unfavorable review, however. Although he praised McEwan's account of the building and installation of the communications tap as "taut and exciting", he said that the story of
Leonard and Maria "gets out of hand" when her husband appears and that the ending, "after so much tension, seems
180:
Leonard
Marnham is "The Innocent" of the novel, a Post Office engineer who is employed by the Americans to install monitoring equipment in the tunnel they are building specifically to tap the Russians. The British and Americans view each other with distrust. Leonard is befriended by Bob Glass, an
220:
Leonard becomes fatally embroiled in the life of his German girlfriend, Maria. He finds his life changed forever in the space of one evening. A virgin, he is introduced to the delights of sex by Maria, who is herself entranced by his innocent charm. She is not threatened by him and this is very
203:
The couple, aware they cannot report this to the police as Otto was friends with the police, decide they have to dispose of the body. They cut Otto's corpse up and pack him into cases
Leonard has taken from the tunnel. Leonard, exhausted and in shock, wanders through Berlin with the heavy cases
262:
argued, "Though its plot rivals any thriller in narrative tension, this novel is also a character study--of a young man coming of age in bizarre circumstances, and of differences in national character: the gentlemanly Brits, all decorum and civility; the brash, impatient
Americans; the cynical
207:
Leonard and Maria's relationship seems about to fall apart due to the strain of dismembering Otto's body, and both appear relieved when Leonard decides to go back to England for a short time. Just as his plane is about to take off he sees Maria and Bob Glass together on the roof of the airport
171:
to tap phone lines of the Soviet High Command. Leonard Marnham is a 25-year-old Englishman who sets up and repairs the tape recorders used in the tunnel. He falls in love with Maria Eckdorf, a 30-year-old divorced German. The story revolves around their relationship and Leonard's role in the
303:
argued in 2006 that Leonard's relationship with his American boss and affair with Maria "are tense and dynamic relationships, masterfully unveiled, and the atmospherics are first-rate. The Berlin of McEwan’s novel is scented with the real thing, the diesel fumes and beery scents and the
184:
The British are aware that the Americans are on the verge of a breakthrough with decoding, and are annoyed that they have not been a part of it. MacNamee, a scientist, insists that Leonard act as a spy for them, as he is in with the Americans. Leonard fails dismally in his role as spy.
29:
243:
novel as "a haunting investigation into the varied and troubling possibilities of knowledge.” Joan Smith referred to the novel as "far and away McEwan's most mature work" and "an outstanding achievement".
294:
lackadaisical and routine. An epilogue, set years later, turns this routine ending into a 'happy' ending that is utterly banal". Eder concluded that the novel is entertaining but lacks feeling.
1015:
208:
terminal. Convinced from this that they are having an affair Leonard decides it is over between Maria and himself, having already been suspicious of them for some time.
269:
wrote that the different elements in the story material are well integrated, and said that the book establishes McEwan as "an acute psychologist of the ordinary mind".
196:. The novel neatly intertwines fictional meetings between the two men, and one of Blake's most notorious betrayals is given a new slant by Leonard's foolhardy act.
822:
911:
1010:
318:, Eileen Battersby praised the novel as "an interesting study of distrust" and one of McEwan's three best books. Tina Jordan and Susan Ellingwood of
1040:
625:
384:
652:
883:
200:
the couple. While defending Maria Leonard is being badly beaten, Maria hits Otto with a blow to the head which subsequently kills him.
557:
119:
287:
reality Mr. McEwan's cool, perfectly controlled account of the macabre events lends a kind of inexorable logic”. Richard Eder of
1050:
265:
1045:
1035:
673:
1030:
1025:
1020:
1005:
661:
975:
891:
944:
778:
690:
645:
335:
263:
Germans. McEwan's neat, tensile prose raises this book to the highest level of the genre.” George Stade of the
920:
960:
802:
404:
952:
864:
831:
354:
234:
136:. It received positive reviews from book critics and is considered by some to be one of his best novels.
899:
839:
583:
429:
72:
505:
506:"The Dark at the End of the Tunnel : THE INNOCENT by Ian McEwan (Doubleday: $ 18.95; 270 pp.)"
936:
770:
638:
278:
531:
188:
Ironically, Leonard lives in an apartment above one occupied by a rather stuffy character named
738:
730:
698:
682:
591:
479:
380:
289:
258:
114:
471:
794:
786:
746:
810:
754:
314:
270:
193:
248:
239:
160:
999:
762:
722:
445:
299:
68:
984:
989:
273:
is a fan of the novel, writing that the "resonance twangs long after the reading".
189:
619:
374:
168:
164:
28:
714:
665:
133:
42:
595:
483:
256:
is as "skillful in design execution" as previous McEwan works. A writer for
928:
149:
192:, who was a Soviet agent imprisoned in the 1960s, and who escaped from
630:
145:
634:
157:
153:
973:
910:
875:
850:
821:
672:
558:"Reasons to read Ian McEwan, and the ones to avoid"
232:was acclaimed by book critics. Michael Wood of the
113:
105:
97:
89:
79:
64:
56:
48:
38:
446:"Fiction Book Review: The Innocent by Ian McEwan"
326:in 2018 as one of McEwan's six noteworthy works.
582:Jordan, Tina; Ellingwood, Susan (17 May 2018).
646:
379:. Univ of South Carolina Press. p. 110.
8:
312:, the air of Berlin.” In a 2014 article for
21:
431:THE INNOCENT by Ian McEwan | Kirkus Reviews
653:
639:
631:
27:
20:
1016:Cultural depictions of the Cambridge Five
405:"Well done, Ian McEwan · LRB 10 May 1990"
334:McEwan also wrote the screenplay for the
980:
556:Battersby, Eileen (28 September 2014).
355:Modern first editions – a set on Flickr
347:
626:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
7:
368:
366:
364:
362:
584:"6 Noteworthy Works by Ian McEwan"
132:is a 1990 novel by British writer
14:
1011:British novels adapted into films
470:Kakutani, Michiko (29 May 1990).
391:typical of the novel's reception.
181:American obsessed with security.
144:The novel takes place in 1955–56
983:
884:Jack Flea's Birthday Celebration
530:Boylan, Roger (9 January 2006).
1041:Novels set during the Cold War
504:Eder, Richard (24 June 1990).
266:New York Times Review of Books
1:
403:Wood, Michael (10 May 1990).
163:, to build a tunnel from the
532:"Ian McEwan's Family Values"
336:1993 movie of the same name
1067:
152:and centres on the joint
26:
691:The Comfort of Strangers
450:www.publishersweekly.com
376:Understanding Ian McEwan
148:at the beginning of the
16:1990 novel by Ian McEwan
1051:Novels set in the 1950s
373:Malcolm, David (2002).
832:First Love, Last Rites
409:London Review of Books
235:London Review of Books
921:The Ploughman's Lunch
840:In Between the Sheets
624:title listing at the
1046:Novels set in Berlin
1036:Novels by Ian McEwan
297:Roger Boylan of the
276:Michiko Kakutani of
1031:Jonathan Cape books
1026:Fiction set in 1956
1021:Fiction set in 1955
1006:1990 British novels
167:of Berlin into the
23:
892:The Imitation Game
588:The New York Times
476:The New York Times
320:The New York Times
279:The New York Times
33:First edition (UK)
971:
970:
851:Children's novels
823:Story collections
699:The Child in Time
683:The Cement Garden
510:Los Angeles Times
386:978-1-57003-436-7
290:Los Angeles Times
259:Publishers Weekly
125:
124:
90:Publication place
49:Cover artist
1058:
988:
987:
979:
961:The Children Act
876:Television plays
795:Machines Like Me
779:The Children Act
655:
648:
641:
632:
607:
606:
604:
602:
579:
573:
572:
570:
568:
553:
547:
546:
544:
542:
527:
521:
520:
518:
516:
501:
495:
494:
492:
490:
472:"'The Innocent'"
467:
461:
460:
458:
456:
442:
436:
435:
426:
420:
419:
417:
415:
400:
394:
393:
370:
357:
352:
308:and the bracing
81:Publication date
31:
24:
1066:
1065:
1061:
1060:
1059:
1057:
1056:
1055:
996:
995:
994:
982:
974:
972:
967:
953:On Chesil Beach
906:
871:
846:
817:
755:On Chesil Beach
668:
659:
616:
611:
610:
600:
598:
581:
580:
576:
566:
564:
562:The Irish Times
555:
554:
550:
540:
538:
529:
528:
524:
514:
512:
503:
502:
498:
488:
486:
469:
468:
464:
454:
452:
444:
443:
439:
428:
427:
423:
413:
411:
402:
401:
397:
387:
372:
371:
360:
353:
349:
344:
332:
330:Film adaptation
315:The Irish Times
271:Anthony Burgess
246:A reviewer for
227:
218:
194:Wormwood Scrubs
178:
165:American sector
142:
98:Media type
82:
71:
52:Robin Cracknell
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1064:
1062:
1054:
1053:
1048:
1043:
1038:
1033:
1028:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1008:
998:
997:
993:
992:
969:
968:
966:
965:
957:
949:
941:
933:
925:
916:
914:
908:
907:
905:
904:
900:Solid Geometry
896:
888:
879:
877:
873:
872:
870:
869:
865:The Daydreamer
861:
854:
852:
848:
847:
845:
844:
836:
827:
825:
819:
818:
816:
815:
807:
799:
791:
783:
775:
767:
759:
751:
743:
735:
727:
719:
711:
703:
695:
687:
678:
676:
670:
669:
660:
658:
657:
650:
643:
635:
629:
628:
615:
614:External links
612:
609:
608:
574:
548:
522:
496:
462:
437:
421:
395:
385:
358:
346:
345:
343:
340:
331:
328:
249:Kirkus Reviews
238:discussed the
226:
223:
217:
214:
177:
174:
169:Russian sector
161:Operation Gold
141:
138:
123:
122:
117:
111:
110:
107:
103:
102:
99:
95:
94:
93:United Kingdom
91:
87:
86:
83:
80:
77:
76:
66:
62:
61:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
35:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1063:
1052:
1049:
1047:
1044:
1042:
1039:
1037:
1034:
1032:
1029:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1019:
1017:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1007:
1004:
1003:
1001:
991:
986:
981:
977:
963:
962:
958:
955:
954:
950:
947:
946:
942:
939:
938:
934:
931:
930:
926:
923:
922:
918:
917:
915:
913:
909:
902:
901:
897:
894:
893:
889:
886:
885:
881:
880:
878:
874:
867:
866:
862:
859:
856:
855:
853:
849:
842:
841:
837:
834:
833:
829:
828:
826:
824:
820:
813:
812:
808:
805:
804:
803:The Cockroach
800:
797:
796:
792:
789:
788:
784:
781:
780:
776:
773:
772:
768:
765:
764:
760:
757:
756:
752:
749:
748:
744:
741:
740:
736:
733:
732:
728:
725:
724:
723:Enduring Love
720:
717:
716:
712:
709:
708:
704:
701:
700:
696:
693:
692:
688:
685:
684:
680:
679:
677:
675:
671:
667:
663:
656:
651:
649:
644:
642:
637:
636:
633:
627:
623:
622:
618:
617:
613:
597:
593:
589:
585:
578:
575:
563:
559:
552:
549:
537:
536:Boston Review
533:
526:
523:
511:
507:
500:
497:
485:
481:
477:
473:
466:
463:
451:
447:
441:
438:
433:
432:
425:
422:
410:
406:
399:
396:
392:
388:
382:
378:
377:
369:
367:
365:
363:
359:
356:
351:
348:
341:
339:
337:
329:
327:
325:
321:
317:
316:
311:
310:Berliner Luft
307:
302:
301:
300:Boston Review
295:
292:
291:
285:
281:
280:
274:
272:
268:
267:
261:
260:
255:
251:
250:
244:
241:
237:
236:
231:
224:
222:
215:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
195:
191:
186:
182:
175:
173:
170:
166:
162:
159:
155:
151:
147:
139:
137:
135:
131:
130:
121:
120:0-224-02783-2
118:
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
84:
78:
74:
70:
69:Jonathan Cape
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
47:
44:
41:
37:
30:
25:
22:The Innocent
19:
959:
951:
945:The Innocent
943:
937:The Good Son
935:
927:
919:
898:
890:
882:
863:
858:Rose Blanche
857:
838:
830:
809:
801:
793:
785:
777:
769:
761:
753:
745:
737:
729:
721:
713:
707:The Innocent
706:
705:
697:
689:
681:
621:The Innocent
620:
599:. Retrieved
587:
577:
565:. Retrieved
561:
551:
539:. Retrieved
535:
525:
513:. Retrieved
509:
499:
487:. Retrieved
475:
465:
453:. Retrieved
449:
440:
430:
424:
412:. Retrieved
408:
398:
390:
375:
350:
333:
324:The Innocent
323:
319:
313:
309:
305:
298:
296:
288:
284:The Innocent
283:
277:
275:
264:
257:
254:The Innocent
253:
252:stated that
247:
245:
233:
230:The Innocent
229:
228:
219:
210:
206:
202:
198:
190:George Blake
187:
183:
179:
143:
129:The Innocent
128:
127:
126:
18:
912:Screenplays
771:Sweet Tooth
306:Wurstwagens
172:operation.
1000:Categories
715:Black Dogs
666:Ian McEwan
601:14 January
567:14 January
541:14 January
515:14 January
489:14 January
455:14 January
414:14 January
342:References
134:Ian McEwan
43:Ian McEwan
929:Soursweet
739:Atonement
731:Amsterdam
596:0362-4331
484:0362-4331
225:Reception
101:Hardcover
73:Doubleday
65:Publisher
787:Nutshell
747:Saturday
282:praised
150:Cold War
57:Language
811:Lessons
322:listed
140:Summary
60:English
976:Portal
964:(2017)
956:(2017)
948:(1993)
940:(1993)
932:(1988)
924:(1983)
903:(2002)
895:(1980)
887:(1976)
868:(1994)
860:(1985)
843:(1978)
835:(1975)
814:(2022)
806:(2019)
798:(2019)
790:(2016)
782:(2014)
774:(2012)
766:(2010)
758:(2007)
750:(2005)
742:(2001)
734:(1998)
726:(1997)
718:(1992)
710:(1990)
702:(1987)
694:(1981)
686:(1978)
674:Novels
594:
482:
383:
240:Gothic
216:Themes
146:Berlin
39:Author
990:Books
763:Solar
662:Works
106:Pages
603:2020
592:ISSN
569:2020
543:2020
517:2020
491:2020
480:ISSN
457:2020
416:2020
381:ISBN
176:Plot
115:ISBN
85:1990
75:(US)
664:by
158:MI6
154:CIA
109:231
1002::
590:.
586:.
560:.
534:.
508:.
478:.
474:.
448:.
407:.
389:.
361:^
338:.
978::
654:e
647:t
640:v
605:.
571:.
545:.
519:.
493:.
459:.
434:.
418:.
156:/
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.