Booklist Reviews
As in McEwan's previous novel, Nutshell (2016), told from the point of view of a fetus, this much-revered writer again stretches himself. Here he imagines an alternate history in which technology advanced much faster than in real time, and the great polymath Alan Turing lived much longer. The narrator, Charlie, lives in south London in the 1980s, and he decides to invest his sizable inheritance in an Adam, one of the first fully conscious androids. Charlie and his much younger girlfriend, Miranda—a stupendous creation—navigate this new world together, and as Adam struggles with what he is, McEwan explores complex themes of consciousness, being, and self as well as the impact Adam's existence has on Charlie and Miranda. While the alternate history is at times clunky and distracting, the comparisons between contemporary British politics and the 1980s are apt. McEwan makes an odd but inventive premise work spectacularly well; it enables him to explore nearly every hot-button issue, and it is fascinating to witness one of the finest living novelists delve into topics of such pertinence and complexity.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: McEwan's literary audaciousness ensures ongoing, elevated interest in each new book. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews
The British author's latest novel concerns a triangle formed by two humans and one android in an alternate version of England. The year is 1982, the British are about to lose the Falklands War, and Alan Turing is not only still alive, but his work has helped give rise to a line of androids almost indistinguishable from humans. The narrator, Charlie Friend, an aimless 32-year-old, inherits enough money to buy one of the pricey robots. He and Miranda, the younger woman living above him, each supply half the "personality parameters" required to push Adam past his factory presets. Before long, as things between the humans seem to be getting serious, Charlie finds himself the first man "to be cuckolded by an artefact." They all survive the fling, although Charlie imagines he detects "the scent of warm electronics on her sheets," and Adam turns lovesick, composing 2,000 haiku for Miranda (namesake of the Bard's character who famously utters: "O brave new world, / That has such peop le in't"). Early on, the android has told Charlie that Miranda is a liar and might harm him without providing details. These statements flag a fateful backstory comprising a teenage Miranda, two schoolmates, and a death threat. Along the way to a busy and disturbing ending, Charlie makes a connection with Turing that allows for some nerd-pleasing kibble like "non-deterministic polynomial time." McEwan (Nutshell, 2016, etc.) brings humor and considerable ethical rumination to a cautionary tale about artificial intelligence. But his human characters seem unfinished, his plot a bit ragged. And why the alternate 1982 England, other than to fire a few political shots about the Falklands, Thatcher, and Tony Benn? Does the title make sense as either clause or complete sentence? Are we meant to imagine the "real" author as a present-day Adam? McEwan is a gifted storyteller, but this one is as frustrating as it is intriguing. Copyright Kirkus 2019 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Reviews
In 1980s London, Charlie longs for mysterious upstairs neighbor Miranda but contents himself with spending his inheritance on one of the 24 beautiful new robotic humans, named Adam or Eve, created by Alan Turing after his World War II triumph with the Enigma code-breaking machine. Charlie's Adam figures in his courtship of Miranda, as protests against Margaret Thatcher's policies rage. Alternate history from the multi-award-winning McEwan.
Copyright 2018 Library Journal.LJ Express Reviews
What darkness lurks in the minds of humans? Across numerous novels and short stories, McEwan (Atonement; Nutshell) has asked this question from the point of view of an accused murderer, an unborn child, and now a conscious machine. Set in 1980s England, the narrative unfolds in an alternative history wherein Alan Turing lives long enough to see his contributions to the field of artificial intelligence usher in the apex of the digital age. Adam is one of several robotic humans developed with advanced machine learning and the ability to learn and adapt without programming. Charlie, a directionless day trader, purchases Adam and begins to shape his personality and habits. However, as Adam's understanding of love evolves so does his desire for Charlie's partner Miranda. As the three of them move through the liminal space of friendship and love, Adam rapidly understands the complexity of human emotion, action, and morality. Ultimately, the weight of the human condition becomes an algorithm too complex for Adam's cognitive machinery. VERDICT McEwan pushes past the mind-body problem to ruminate on the influence of love in the evolution of humans and machines alike. [See Prepub Alert, 10/24/18.]—Joshua Finnell, Colgate Univ., NY (c) Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
McEwan's thought-provoking novel (after