The Sense of an Ending

Julian Barnes

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Awards

Shortlisted for Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2011.

Winner of Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2011.

Shortlisted for Galaxy National Book Awards: Waterstone's UK Author of the Year 2011.

Shortlisted for Costa Novel Award 2011.

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Description

A truly wonderful novel that will have the reader immersed in the story from the very first page, and all the while marvelling at the precision of Barnes

Julian Barnes speaking on winning the 2011 Man Booker Prize

The story of a man coming to terms with the mutable past, Julian Barnes's new novel is laced with his trademark precision, dexterity and insight. It is the work of one of the world's most distinguished writers. Tony Webster and his clique first met Adrian Finn at school. Sex-hungry and book-hungry, they navigated the girl drought of gawky adolescence together, trading in affectations, in-jokes, rumour and wit. Maybe Adrian was a little more serious than the others, certainly more intelligent, but they swore to stay friends forever. Until Adrian's life took a turn into tragedy, and all of them, especially Tony, moved on and did their best to forget. Now Tony is in middle age. He's had a career and a marriage, a calm divorce. He gets along nicely, he thinks, with his one child, a daughter, and even with his ex-wife. He's certainly never tried to hurt anybody. Memory, though, is imperfect. It can always throw up surprises, as a lawyer's letter is about to prove. The unexpected bequest conveyed by that letter leads Tony on a dogged search through a past suddenly turned murky. And how do you carry on, contentedly, when events conspire to upset all your vaunted truths?

Comments & Discussion

Goodfella68 rated this book

Help! Someone please clear up the ending of this book for me? I understand most of it but I'm left with not really sure why Victoria was called Mary was it absolutely necessary to change her name? Also Why did her Mother give the Diary to Tony and not just give it straight to her daughter? Why had she thought Tony would want it after all these years. Why did he register with her after all those years, she only met him once? Too many things not fully explained. A wonderfully written book though.

12 days ago...

2 users like this

Lady Luck commented:

There isn't really an ending to this story. Self-absorbed Anthony’s faulty recollections failed to provide concrete clues. Veronica was probably not her first name, her middle name was Mary and I think she just reverted to it. The Will, diary and money were lures to get Anthony to face up to his past. Although I don't think his cruel letter had much to do with the events which followed. It doesn't really matter whose child Adrian2 was, it's just about youthful indiscretions and the regrets of middle-age and how facts look different from the distance of 40 years. Particularly as it's only Anthony's viewpoint. It's a contrived story with unlikeable characters but well-written and no doubt will be discussed on forums for many years without satisfactory conclusions.

8 days ago...

Goodfella68 commented:

Thanks LL for your summary, very helpful. I did some reading on the internet as well and found some other views that helped a fair bit. In fact they made me think a lot more about the book, post read and almost enjoy it all over again but this time a little more informed. Someone also wrote that ultimately you only really get 'A sense of an ending' as you also point out. This, whilst not ultimately satisfying is I guess the point in soem ways and in such a short book… what did I expect. Thanks again, nice that someone actually answered as well.

8 days ago...

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Goodfella68 rated this book

Sorry I meant Veronica not Victoria.

12 days ago...

Lady Luck rated this book

After much encouragement from friends, I've finally decided to read my hardback copy of this novel. Whilst the beginning is nothing special (Jeffrey Archer does a similar schoolboy version in Only Time Will Tell) I like the way Barnes cuts out unnecessary words and gives us the raw bones of the story. Bones which I assume will soon turn out to be a proverbial skeleton in the cupboard!

20 days ago...

annaTRR likes this

lovepuppy21 commented:

i love this book and i cant wait to see the movie or something like that it will be exiting..

20 days ago...

annaTRR rated this book

Sense of an Ending is an absolute gem of a book; a powerful reflection on what memories mean in our lives. The story is told by an older man whose discovery of a strange bequest wakes a strong desire in him to come in terms with his past... but memories are funny things. They seem to often change with us and the experiences that we gather through our lives except that at times these memories clash with the reality of the consequences of our past actions and when that happens there is some reckoning to be done....

1 month ago...

ieshita rated this book

isha sharma it is a good book.you may find it at Free Book Spot.Enjoy..

5 months ago...

isha sharma rated this book

Actually this book seems to be an interesting book.... I want to read it .... can please any one guide me how to read this book ....

Thnxxx

5 months ago...

ekim5remarc

i just finished 'the sense of an ending' so i have, for the first time, finished the man booker short list before the winner was announced. each novel; a great adventure in reading...

7 months ago...