Man Booker Prize winner Ian McEwan has announced details of his new novel. Nutshell is described as a "classic story of murder and deceit." However the twist is that the book is narrated by an unborn baby in the womb!
In Nutshell, Trudy has betrayed her husband, John, but is still living in the marital home in London with his brother Claude. The two have a devious plan but there is a witness to their plot - the inquisitive, nine-month old resident of Trudy’s womb.
The novelist told Entertainment Weekly about his inspiration for the novel and his 'unborn narrator’.
“Chatting one afternoon to my heavily pregnant daughter-in-law a couple of years ago, I became intensely aware of the silent presence in the room who was waiting and “wondering” about the world she was about to join,“ he revealed.
“Later, I began to turn over the possibilities of an articulate, thoughtful presence with a limited but interesting perspective.”
In April, McEwan made headlines and later backtracked over remarks about transgender identity. In an open letter he emphasised his belief that “biology is not always destiny”.
The author said he was “surprised” at the angry response after he was strongly been criticised by a LGBT charity over the controversial remarks.
Saoirse Ronan was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the 2008 Oscars for her role in Atonement
Irish actress Saoirse Ronan is due to star in an upcoming adaptation of his 2007 novel On Chesil Beach.
It will be her second starring role in a McEwan adaptation, after she bagged her first Oscar nomination for her breakout role in the movie version of Atonement, alongside Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.
