The Sense of an Ending in Around the World

Jul 26, 2011 Jenny (Reading Envy) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: location-uk, booker-winners-and-listed, read2011

The Sense of an Ending is incredibly short, 150 pages, divided into two sections. The first part tells the story of Tony in his late childhood and into early adulthood. He has a close group of three other friends, and the narrator (also Tony) is constantly reflecting on the nature of time, and on how relationships change. In my vague intentions, I am not being very useful in telling you what the book is about, but saying too much would give it away.

The second part is no longer looking back but T ...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Friederike Knabe rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: uk-lit

Julian Barnes' new novel, The Sense of an Ending *), is an intimate reflection on memory and its unreliability over time. Writing in the voice of sixty-something-year-old Anthony Webster, a "peaceable man", Barnes explores convincingly how the brain grows selective and untrustworthy with age, reinterpreting how "what you end up remembering isn't always the same as what you have witnessed... Thus, the reader is put on notice from the beginning that what we read may not be quite what it will turn Julian Barnes' new novel, The Sense of an Ending *), is an intimate reflection on memory and its unreliability over time. Writing in the voice of sixty-something-year-old Anthony Webster, a "peaceable man", Barnes explores convincingly how the brain grows selective and untrustworthy with age, reinterpreting how "what you end up remembering isn't always the same as what you have witnessed... Thus, the reader is put on notice from the beginning that what we read may not be quite what it will turn out to be.

Isolated memory snippets open the novel: a "shiny inner wrist; a river rushing nonsensically upstream, its wave and wash lit by half a dozen chasing torchbeams; bathwater long gone cold behind a locked door". Initially we don't really know where we are and who is talking. The narrator wonders about "everyday" time - "it holds us and moulds us"; pain or pleasure can give us the illusion of its stretching or contracting... Something has triggered his musings that take his mind back to "a few incidents that have grown into anecdotes, to some approximate memories which time has deformed into certainty."

Those incidents take us without much transition to his adolescent years, when growing up is as daunting as it is exciting: close friendships are an essential component, so are school and teachers, and the mounting physical urge for intimate encounters... Barnes is perceptive and astute in his depiction of Tony and his trio of close friends. Adrian, stands out in terms of intelligence and his admiration for Camus's existentialist philosophy. The others, while joining in the wide-ranging debates in class - on history, on "Birth, Copulation, and Death", on poetry - are more concerned with "getting" a girl or pretending to... These are the early nineteen-sixties and the sexual liberation may be spreading elsewhere but not here. Barnes depiction reminds ne of Ian McEwan's ON CHESIL BEACH.

Then, school is out and life moves on... fast forward. An early tragedy, rather than bringing the friends together, pushes them further apart. So, what, forty odd years later, brought all these memories back to the fore in Tony's mind? Why does his first girlfriend's "You don't get it, do you...!?" comes back to haunt him after all these years? Didn't she not call him a "coward" then, but why? Along the way, we receive few hints as to the connections between past and present. Barnes holds his cards close to his chest, just giving us enough context to want to keep reading... It is only when reaching the novel's concluding pages that we are confronted with scenarios that challenge our own recollections of what might have happened earlier on. Did we get caught out in the memory game by missing sublte clues, by interpreting behaviour and events to suit our image of the hero? Could our perception of Anthony Webster's character potentially "stand up in court"? For me personally, the ending of the book made my reading of the book as a whole much more meaningful. The first part, set in the school and boys' environment, while well captured and interesting in a detached sort of way, did not overly engage my female mind. Yet, after reaching the last pages I looked back at the earlier depictions of people and events and felt them bringing out additional layers and depths to the story. In the end, did Barnes leave enough clues for his readers to solve all of the puzzles? It is up to the reader to decide. [Friederike Knabe]

*) shortlisted for this year's Man Booker Prize ...more

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Oct 01, 2013 Astrid Lim rated it liked it

Shelves: british, literature, tragedy, dramatic, twist, contemporary, man-booker, book-club

This is the kind of book that you'd like to read in one sitting, just to find out what's going on and where it takes you; but at the end of the day, after you finish the last page and close the book, you just don't know what to think‎ of it.

The narrator of this story is Tony Webster, living in England and currently in his 60s. He told us the story of his life, and how one simple act could result in a catastrophe that changed his life forever.

Tony had three close friends during his high school da This is the kind of book that you'd like to read in one sitting, just to find out what's going on and where it takes you; but at the end of the day, after you finish the last page and close the book, you just don't know what to think‎ of it.

The narrator of this story is Tony Webster, living in England and currently in his 60s. He told us the story of his life, and how one simple act could result in a catastrophe that changed his life forever.

Tony had three close friends during his high school days: Colin, Alex, and the smartest of them all, Adrian. After finishing high school, they drifted apart even though still been in touch with each other. Tony went to a college in Bristol and met with Veronica, who became his first serious girlfriend.

But a chain of events made Tony realized that he and Veronica were not meant to be together, and they broke up in a relatively hostile circumstances.

Tony tried to forget Veronica, and at the same time, cut off his ties with his old friends. He lived his life separately from them and even went to America for a while.

But his past kept on haunting him, especially when a tragedy occurred and Tony needed to visit his past one more time; even meeting with Veronica again to clear things up. But his contemplation and investigation brought back all the sad memories, pain, and the guilt from the past. One thing for sure: you would never know what your actions would cause, and that became a painful lesson for Tony.

It's hard to review this book without giving out too many of its plot and even some spoilers. Because this book was narrated from beginning to end with some puzzles and vague moments that weren't clear even until the end of the book. Julian Barnes has left so many holes to be filled in by the readers, and even some space for interpretation.

This book needs so many discussions and talks, and you can easily become addicted to it. I chatted with Opat after reading this book because I know that she had read it. And we can't even come up with the same conclusion! :D

I also do some googling and searching and found some useful posts that tried to explain the meaning behind all the symbolism inside this vague story with its unreliable narrator. But funny enough, the comments of these posts made me think of other solutions and meanings as well. So it's a never ending circle!

I recommend this book for readers who love symbolism, vague story, interpreting things, and also for those who'd love to try reading a Man Booker Prize book. Because as controversial as this book is, it is enjoyable to read and can be done in one sitting. ...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Wendy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: anglophilia, fiction, light-reading, 2011

Once again, I have been suckered by the Man Booker Prize. I should have known better based on past experience with previous years' winners, but I started this book with high hopes and ended it feeling like it had not delivered. To be fair, the book is extremely well written -- very crisp, good flow, smooth narration, etc. But, I just could not find it in myself to care much about the characters and I suspect the reason for this is because the main character seems to care so little himself. The b ...more

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Aug 24, 2014 Daisy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: england, favorites-2nd-place, aroundtheworld2014

My first Julian Barnes. (And not that this is the point but, I figured out the ending of The Sense of an Ending...).

But I remember what Old Joe Hunt said when arguing with Adrian: that mental states can be inferred from actions. That's in history--Henry VIII and all that. Whereas in the private life, I think the converse is true; that you can infer past actions from current mental states.

It strikes me that this may be one of the differences between youth and age: when we are young, we invent dif ...more

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Sep 11, 2011 toria (vikz writes) rated it liked it · review of another edition

This year I have decided to read, and blog about, the Man Booker prize short listed books. I will do this in the order that they arrive from the library or Amazon. This is the first book that I have read. The first thing to say about this book is that it is short, weighing in at 149 pages. It really is nothing to write home about. It is standard literary fiction stuff. Pseudo intellectual, pretentious unknowing young lad grows into cynical, unknowing, apathetic retiree who learns that he never a ...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Kristi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reading-challenge-2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I quite enjoyed this book. One of its main themes is the way that histories (both social and individual) are created and altered over time. How "true" are the stories we tell ourselves about our lives? How do they compare to the ones that others tell about us? And can we ever hope to discover what was real?

This is a short but beautifully written story about Tony, a man looking back on his life, particularly his memories of Adrian, a brilliant friend from youth. Adrian becomes involved with Tony ...more

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