Our journalist is reliving the accident, feeling guilt about it, being stalked, and seeing his marriage change. Unfortunately he doesn't even know if there is anyone in his life with whom he could talk. He is quite clearly dealing with PTSD, and is struggling to know how to talk about the events on the day of the accident. He is far too emotional and his quickly changing moods affect his wife and his marriage. He shares his fears with his wife, which leads to a very clear and harsh impact on his marriage. And part of the aftermath involves the woman who becomes a stalker of the journalist. Several other men who tried to help are left to deal with the emotional aftermath. The story begins when there is a tragic accident when a hot air balloon is escaping its moorings with a child aboard and a man who is trying to save the boy is left clinging to the rope as it quickly ascends. He is a married man who writes articles about science for magazines. It also captured my attention right away. It is an odd and unique condition that made the book equally odd and unique. She believes that only she can interpret the signs.

She believes that he sends her personal messages and signs of his love. It is a book about De Clerambault’s syndrome (now known as erotomania) a young woman is convinced that a man of higher social standing is in love with her when in fact she is a stranger to him. The authors narrative at the end discusses this illness and real cases McEwan reviewed to weave this compelling story.Įnduring Love was published in 1197 and made into a movie in 2004. All in all I am glad I stayed with this book. These behaviors confuse those directly involved and in this first person narrative you find at times you question Joes sanity. His attempt to shoot President Regan in order to impress Jody Foster is much like Parry's behavior. This mental illness has also been called erotomania and was demonstrated by in the stalking behavior of John Hinkley. The term de clerambault is introduced and I found I needed to Google the definition. You feel frustration for Joe as he unsuccessfully tries to communicate the advances of his admirer to friends and family. The story unfolds and the characters are introduced and the stunning revelation Jed Parry is perusing Joe with romantic notions entwined with religious undertones with the need to save Joe's soul. Is the book's view point Joe's or is he the one having the delusions. His first person narrative kept me guessing for most of the book.

Some technical problems and my interest in the story waned however after a 2 hour drive I was captivated.

This was a book I had a hard time staying with.

Enduring Love by Ian McEwan