A book set on the Dorset coastline is topping the bestseller lists, following a paperback release on January 3rd.
On Chesil Beach, a novel by acclaimed author Ian McEwan, focuses on the honeymoon of a middle class English couple in the early 1960s. The book takes its name from the celebrated shingle beach, where much of the tale's drama pans out.
"They were young, educated, and both virgins on this, their wedding night, and they lived in a time when a conversation about sexual difficulties was plainly impossible."
So begins McEwan's book, which has been feted on both sides of the Atlantic. That said, one or two Dorset locals were a tad miffed by an admission that Mr McEwan made after completing the tale. In an interview with the BBC, the author revealed that he had kept a cluster of Chesil pebbles on his desk whilst he wrote the book. Innocent enough you might think, but conservationists were none too happy. They invited McEwan to return the pebbles, or else face a 2000 pound fine. With grace, the award-winning writer returned the stones:
"I was not aware of having committed a crime," he revealed, "Chesil Beach is beautiful and I'm delighted to return the shingle to it."
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