The novel Enduring Love by Ian McEwan is written mainly from the perspective of a first person narrator, Joe Rose, and this means he is in control of the narrative portrayed. McEwan has chosen to tell the narrative in this style of prose to disguise the truth and withhold information from the reader by making us view the unfolding action through the eyes of a narrator. Therefore this technique is compelling the reader to empathise with Joe, to share his emotions and views whilst letters from the viewpoint of other characters hint that his honesty and impartiality as our guide is far from certain.

The plot begins with the protagonist Joe describing an incident that is the catalyst for the ensuing events in the novel. McEwan has chosen to write this chapter on the balloon with Joe using hindsight to express his regret because it allows the "catastrophe...