The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Barnes give us a Chekovian tale with a bit of Chinatown thrown in. The gun in the first act is actually a logic formula. And we know it will show up in the final act.

The narrator is full of insight throughout. There are memorable bon mots and keen observations on what relationships mean over the passage of time. It is also a detective story in which we don't really know who is the victim and who the killer is until very near the end.
Words, as we should know, are weapons, and this comes into play (pun intended). The movement of consciousness across years and relationships is worth the read itself.

It is short but also full of telling detail.

I wish I had been in the history class the narrator shares with friends. The people are far more intelligent than I could hope to ever be. Especially the enigmatic character who haunts the book. Not quite literally but it is close.

Our actions from the past can come back, as words, memories, and convenient fictions. And more.

I have been disappointed with some Booker Prize winners recently but this book is a wonderful choice. It arcs well except for an ending that rushes to its revelation.

"After such knowledge what forgiveness" should be the epigraph.



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