This article aims to show why Ian McEwan is so obsessed with relationships, as well as with other socio-cultural issues such as class difference, sense of loss, music, role of parents, and with certain mental illnesses, in his fiction. McEwan also makes very pronounced use of the aforementioned issues in different ways and colours his fiction with them, one way or another. Examining McEwan’s life reveals that he experienced quite troubled circumstances and, as he himself admits, his writing can never escape from his background, so this is mirrored in his work. His obsession with language is also clear in much of his work. This article investigates McEwan’s life with the help of several interviews and articles written by him about his life, particularly relating to his childhood and family background. This article examines various aspects of his life, from childhood to maturity, and shows the reflection of Ian McEwan’s life in his work.