I Don't Like Amsterdam

OK now, take a deep breath.  First of all, this post is called "I Don't Like Amsterdam."  It is not "Amsterdam is the Worst Book of All Time," "Ian McEwan Should Never Pick Up a Pen or Pencil Again," or "Amsterdam Stinks So Much that I am Going to Stop Reading Forever."  This is my opinion, and that is all.

Second of all, I feel as if a person saying that they do not like a book is a bold claim to make - one that is freely imparted all too often, without consideration of its implications.  I've heard fellow classmates exclaim their distaste for particular English books so often that I really want to use that cliche about having a dollar for every time some one said something... Because I would be so wealthy that by now I would have my own yacht... Because a yacht is totally something a wealthy person buys.  But nonetheless, the phrase "I don't like..." is unconsciously tossed around more than that random beach ball in the stands at a football game.  People rarely legitimately support their opinions, and if they did so, maybe they would even see the other side of an argument.

So for one, don't take my expressions personally because they are just my opinions.  No one shares the exact same musical taste as someone else, so no one should share the exact same literary taste as someone else.  Secondly, I plan on backing up my above statement, so don't go calling me a hypocrite just yet.

For starters, I must admit that I have enjoyed what we have read this year for the most part.  Othello lived up to its fame as a classic Shakespeare play, The Namesake was a surprisingly entertaining story, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest proved thoroughly amusing as well as thought provoking.  But when it comes to Amsterdam... well, you know how I feel.  Some of you, my classmates, share this feeling with me, and we have most likely shared this opinion with one another.  We might have different reasons, but these are mine (and since lists are just so gosh darn cool, I'm going to use one of them).

1. Ignorant Claims - You may or may not know I'm the President of the Young Republicans club (thanks, November WAS a nice victory), but now that you do, it's probably obvious that the assertions Clive and Vernon make about Garmondy and the effects of his conservative policies infuriate me.  To just state as simple fact that "'There'll be even more people living below the poverty line'" because of Garmondy is not only objectionable to me, but in a broad sense, is immature (79).  One way or another, drawing severe conclusions like this one do not advance political discussion in any way, and just come off as ignorant and childish.
2. Predictability - Even from the epigraph, the general conclusion of the book can be seen from a mile away.
3. Unimaginative -  In a way, this coincides with #2, as the story line in general is rather simplistic and boring.  Two friends who turn on each other.  As if that hasn't been done before.
4. Unrealistic Conclusion - In a feeble attempt to compensate for #3, the ultimate fate of the characters is completely unreasonable.  We have discussed the novel's ending in class, and as some of us have mentioned, it is rather difficult to believe that they would go to the extent that they would kill each other.  Unless they were both clinically insane, I cannot bring myself to accept that as realistic.
5. Weak, Unlikeable Characters - While this reason is highly subjective, I still feel as if Clive and Vernon, while moderately well developed by McEwan, are so immoral, so distasteful, and so objectionable, that it is overly difficult to not necessarily sympathize with either of them, but to care about them in a general sense.  Honestly, I couldn't really care what happened to them because I just hated them so much.  No matter if this is intentional or not, I personally found it hard to feel invested in the outcome of these characters lives.

I could possibly go on, but since it is rather late and your attention span must be wearing thin, I shall stop myself.  Once again, these are MY OPINIONS!!! I do not discourage you from disagreeing with me.  In fact, I encourage it.  I promise, I won't be offended... I'll just belittle you into either agreement with me, or into shame because of your foolish ignorance... :)