- What is Chesil Beach and where is it?

Chesil Beach is a shingle beach. It is in Dorset, in the southern England, and it is one of the three major shingle structures in Britain. Its name "Chesil" derived from the Old Engish word "ceosel" or "cisel", meaning shingle.

The beach is 29 kilometres long, 200 meters wide, and 15 meters high.

Chesil Beach is the setting of the book we have reading: On Chesil Beach.

- What is Georgian style and which are its main characteristics?

Georgian style is an architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. Its name derived from the names of the first four British monarchs of Hanover's House: George I of Great Britain; George II of Great Britain; George III of the United Kingdom, and George IV of the United Kingdom.

Georgian style succeeded the Baroque.

Georgian style is characterized by proportion, symmetry, regularity and balance.

- What is St. Mary's Oxford?

St. Mary the Virgin is a university church in Oxford.

It is attended by the university's students.

On Chesil Beach

The book is 2008's book, so it is a contemporary novel.

The writer, Ian McEwan, is one of the most important British writers.

He didicates his book to his second wife Annalena.

Just reading the title I understand the writer wants to underline the story's setting, because he puts the preposition "on" before the name Chesil Beach. So we understand that the story took place on Chesil Beach and only there.

The novel speaks about two 1860s lovers.

Its divided into 5 chapters. The first chapter is the introductive chapter, and describes the situations and tells the reader where we are and what happens.

The second chapter speaks about the past of Florence and Edward and about their social backgrounds.

The third chapter describes the disastrous sexual intercourse, and the fugue of Florence across Chesil Beach.

The fourth chapter speaks about the relationship between Edward and Florence and about their conversation on the beach.

The fifth chapter is the conclusive chapter. It speaks about Edward and Florence's separate life after the honeymoon and after their marriage.

The first chapter

The first chapter is the introductive chapter.

There are two main characters: Edward and Florence. They are both 22 and they are spending their honeymoon in a little hotel on Chesil Beach. They are eating in their suite.

Florence is a violinist, and she belongs to the upper class. Edward is a simple country boy, and he study at the university.

There is a third person omniscient narrator, because he know everything about the two characters, also what they don't say. He makes personal considerations and shifts his point of view.

There is a peculiar and awkward atmosphere: the weather is awkward and the two waiters are nervous.

The setting fits the atmosphere, because the atmosphere is the situation's metaphor.