Nutshell

This is a little novella by Ian McEwan.  Well written, as usual, and a fascinating device of narration by a near-full-term infant in its Mother’s womb listening to a plot (spoiler alert) by its mother and her paramour to do away with the child’s father, who is the paramour’s brother.  They also intended to give the child away.  The infant’s speculations about the effect on its life of these actions, and its forlorn hopes to save its father are heart-wrenching to say the least.  In the middle of the book we are give McEwan’s views on the “identify as” nonsense that pervades both the US and England.  He seems like a quite common-sense person.  We also get some of his perspective on the state of the world, in a historical light.  I would say I am not as optimistic as he is.  A quick read, can be done in one sitting.