The Sense of an Ending
2 journalers for this copy...
This short, 2011 Booker-winning novel is true to Julian Barnes' introspective, philosophical style. His protagonist, Tony Webster, is divorced, retired, in his sixties, living quietly in his London flat. He gets on well with his ex-wife and daughter.
Webster heeds Socrates' admonition on the unexamined life. In reviewing his life he sees himself, along with many others, as seeking the path of least resistance. He mentions his career only briefly as something "in arts administration". His thoughts turn to his early life and his first girlfriend, Veronica. After they split, she picks up with Tony's best friend, Adrian, who later commits suicide.
The plot starts to simmer when, decades later, Veronica's mother (whom Tony only ever met briefly) dies and unaccountably leaves him £500 in her will. At the same time he learns that Adrian had bequeathed him his diary, which was in the hands of Veronica.
These events shift Tony's view of his past. Like many people, he tends to see life as a drama in which he plays the central character, and his musings often amount to self-vindicatory script editing to place himself in a better light, or at least a clearer perspective.
Tony renews contact with Veronica in the hope of finding answers to these puzzles, and uses ex-wife Margaret as an at first sympathetic sounding-board. He discovers, perhaps much later than a mature, intelligent man should, that memory is often unreliable, and that some parts of life remain stubbornly fractured, offering no hope of healing or resolution.
A quick and absorbing read. This edition seems to be the first, the cover referring to its shortlisting for the Man Booker prize. There's not even a sticker declaring its victory.
Webster heeds Socrates' admonition on the unexamined life. In reviewing his life he sees himself, along with many others, as seeking the path of least resistance. He mentions his career only briefly as something "in arts administration". His thoughts turn to his early life and his first girlfriend, Veronica. After they split, she picks up with Tony's best friend, Adrian, who later commits suicide.
The plot starts to simmer when, decades later, Veronica's mother (whom Tony only ever met briefly) dies and unaccountably leaves him £500 in her will. At the same time he learns that Adrian had bequeathed him his diary, which was in the hands of Veronica.
These events shift Tony's view of his past. Like many people, he tends to see life as a drama in which he plays the central character, and his musings often amount to self-vindicatory script editing to place himself in a better light, or at least a clearer perspective.
Tony renews contact with Veronica in the hope of finding answers to these puzzles, and uses ex-wife Margaret as an at first sympathetic sounding-board. He discovers, perhaps much later than a mature, intelligent man should, that memory is often unreliable, and that some parts of life remain stubbornly fractured, offering no hope of healing or resolution.
A quick and absorbing read. This edition seems to be the first, the cover referring to its shortlisting for the Man Booker prize. There's not even a sticker declaring its victory.
Sent from Pentwyn PO to jenny_o in TX.
The lovely miketroll sent me this book when I mentioned how much I've enjoyed Barnes' work. I've read "Flaubert's Parrot", "A History of the World in 10 - 1/2 Chapters", and "Arthur & George" and thoroughly enjoyed them all. I am very much looking forward to reading this one as well. Must first finish the Vonnegut biography I'm reading for LibraryThing, but this one has leapt over everything else in my to-be-read stack.
