There's a certain level of cuteness that cannot even be tarnished by disfiguring beards. But as always, mileages vary.

But at this point the whole idea is that Briony is a totally unreliable narrator. I mean, if you still think you're supposed to take her evaluations of anything at face value by the end of that chapter, I can't help you either.

Idk, I always thought Ginzo was pretty cute. The nipple-incident rather left a bad taste, but up to that point….

But there had been an actual rape. The point I took away from it was rather about how class/status/rape culture can protect the true perpetrators, by providing incentives to deflect the blame to more vulnerable targets. I mean, okay, Briony's motives for her lies were rather —- idiosyncratic (contrived), but her…

First thought when I saw that image. But quick, he's aging out of it.

It is! Thanks for answering!

I'm not a native speaker, but isn't the conventional idiom for that kind of thing "armchair XY"?

Thanks for the clarification. I feel I have a fair idea of what you're referring to now.

I didn't get ennui as much as anxiety about the threats to the walled garden. If anything, I think the protagonist generally shows a refreshingly high appreciation for all the comforts and luxuries available to him. But he also fears that his peace and comfort might be untenable, because the whole thing is founded on…

Couldn't agree more.

Then he fears and hates himself. I think Briony was a pretty blatant self-insert, for instance.

My impression is that McEwan's novels are generally investigations of what if means to be in this world at that level of living/education first and foremost.

Which is why I added "the overwhelming majority of men - certainly".

Asexuals out of the dating pool? Where did you get that idea? What's to stop asexual people from dating each other? There's obviously more to dating than sex.

I wouldn't say _ all_ men (there are men who are asexuals, let's not erase them; although there are, admittedly, also asexuals who might occasionally look at porn), but the overwhelming majority, certainly.

Enver Gjokai is the male Tatiana Maslany.

As if sexism was something that had to be declared in order to exist.

In your eyes? I couldn't care less.

I think that those close to someone who killed themselves have every right to express anger and disappointment, because that's a very natural way to feel in this situation. But I also think we should have no illusion about this expression of anger and disappointment being helpful to people who suffer from depression.…

That's a pretty big IF - for many clinically depressed people, statements like this will only reaffirm them in their self-loathing.