The author helped his son prepare for an essay on his 1997 novel Enduring Love, but it appears the son’s teacher disagreed with what he had to say

Stranger than fiction: Ian McEwan’s son got a C in an A-level essay about one of his father’s books

Name: Ian McEwan.

Age: 69.

Appearance: Careworn lecturer.

He’s that novelist, isn’t he? That’s right.

The one who is both clever and popular? That’s him. Although it turns out he might not be as clever as all that.

Oh really? Don’t say he uses omniscient narrators instead of the close third? Um … No, I won’t say that. Mainly because I don’t know what that means.

Does he endearingly misplace his spectacles when immersed in the final chapters of a new book? I expect so, but that wasn’t what I had in mind.

What is the problem then? He only got a C in English A-level.

Oh, that’s no big deal. He has surely proved himself since. Yes but …

I mean, I failed geography, but then along came the satnav, so who’s slapdash and inattentive now? I think you misunderstand. McEwan only got a C in English A-level quite recently.

Seriously? Yes. In a way.

In what way? Well, a couple of years ago his youngest son, Greg, was preparing an English A-level essay.

Right. And the subject was the novel Enduring Love, from 1997.

I vaguely remember that. Doesn’t it have a famous opening scene with a hot-air balloon? That’s right.

And clever fake documents attached to it and things? Yup. You may remember who wrote it too.

Not … Why yes. Ian Russell McEwan.

So this lad was studying his own father’s book for A-level? He was.

But he could just ask the author himself for help whenever he wanted? Yes. Although that needn’t be an advantage. You are constantly asking me about things, and you don’t get any cleverer.

I’m not writing an essay about you. I’m glad to hear it. Anyway, young Greg got help from his dad, as you suggested. “I confess I did give him a tutorial and told him what he should consider,” McEwan told the Mail on Sunday.

Outrageous! Maybe so. “But,” McEwan went on, “it turned out his teacher disagreed fundamentally with what he said. I think he ended up with a C+.”

Oh. You see?

But you said that “McEwan only got a C in English A-level”. Yes, well, I suppose he contributed to someone getting a C in an essay.

Still, you’re not quite being accurate there, are you? Oh well. He writes fiction too.

Do say “Dad, how do you spell ‘exquisitely juxtaposed’?”

Don’t say “Dad, how do you spell ‘middlebrow’?”