[2] In 2007, the book was adapted into a BAFTA and Academy Award-winning film of the same title, starring Saoirse Ronan, James McAvoy, and Keira Knightley, and directed by Joe Wright.

Briony and Cecilia's older brother Leon returns from London, accompanied by his friend from Oxford, the well-off manufacturer Paul Marshall.

An injured Lola goes to Briony for comfort, claiming that her younger brothers attacked her, although it is implied to have instead been Paul Marshall, who has a long scratch on his face.

Lola is sedated by the local doctor, Cecilia screams at Briony and locks herself in her room, and Paul Marshall shares cigarettes with the policemen.

Cyril is rejecting Briony's submitted draft of her latest work to his magazine, Horizon, but providing kindly and constructive feedback.

She promises to begin the legal procedures needed to exonerate Robbie, even though Paul Marshall will never be held responsible for his crime because of his marriage to Lola.

Briony did attend Lola's wedding to Paul Marshall, but confesses she was too "cowardly" to visit the recently bereaved Cecilia to make amends.

She writes, "I like to think that it isn't weakness or evasion, but a final act of kindness, a stand against oblivion and despair, to let my lovers live and to unite them at the end."

Atonement contains intertextual references to a number of other literary works, including Gray's Anatomy, Virginia Woolf's The Waves, Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, Henry James' The Golden Bowl, Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, Samuel Richardson's Clarissa, Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, Rosamond Lehmann's Dusty Answer,[3] and Shakespeare's The Tempest, Macbeth, Hamlet, and Twelfth Night.

Scholars observe that Briony's fictional retelling of events encapsulates the impossibility of achieving genuine atonement, as she can only construct an alternative interpretation of the truth rather than reversing her past actions.

McEwan depicts her narrative as a form of self-confession; however, it ultimately fails to redeem her character, illustrating the limitations of storytelling as a mechanism for atonement.

The novel further explores whether literature can serve as a moral or redemptive force, as Briony herself ponders whether a novelist can achieve atonement when they control outcomes like a god.

[citation needed] McEwan explores class tensions through Robbie Turner's working-class background, which makes him a vulnerable target for Briony's false accusation.

The novel juxtaposes Robbie's financial struggles with Paul Marshall's privilege, illustrating how class influences perceptions of guilt and innocence.

[14] In Literary Review, Martyn Bedford wrote: "The skill and compassion that McEwan invests in the unfolding of this tragic love story are exceptional.

[19] ReviewofBooks said on critics consensus, "This is the faint outline of a novel about childhood, love, and war by acclaimed British novelist Ian McEwan that has garnered high praise from all quarters.

He noted that she was credited in the acknowledgments of Atonement and defended his use of historical research, emphasizing that novelists frequently draw from real-life sources.

The central plot revolves around Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old girl who wrongly accuses Robbie Turner of raping her cousin, leading to his imprisonment and the tragic unravelling of multiple lives.

[32] Discussions on literary forums and social media platforms, such as Reddit, have highlighted concerns that McEwan has employed false rape accusations in multiple works, potentially perpetuating a harmful stereotype.

In the final section, Briony Tallis, now an elderly novelist, reveals that she has rewritten history in her fictionalized account, allowing Robbie and Cecilia to be reunited in her novel, despite their actual fates.

Some literary scholars argue that this metafictional twist raises questions about the moral responsibilities of storytelling and whether Briony's act constitutes true atonement.

[35] These aspects of the novel have sparked broader discussions about the responsibilities of authors when depicting sensitive subjects and the role of fiction in addressing historical and moral injustices.

[37] The first edition cover image, designed by Suzanne Dean, depicts a girl wearing a summer dress sitting on the stairs of a country house.

The film, starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, was a commercial and critical success, and won an Oscar for Best Original Score.

In 2023, the novel was adapted for ballet by Cathy Marston, with a score composed by Laura Rossi, sets designed by Michael Levine, and costumes by Bregje Van Balen.