The Sense of an Ending
Books | Fiction / Literary
3.9
(232)
Julian Barnes
BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A novel that follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance: one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single setting, The Sense of an Ending has the psychological and emotional depth and sophistication of Henry James at his best, and is a stunning achievement in Julian Barnes's oeuvre. Tony Webster thought he left his past behind as he built a life for himself, and his career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, who now has a family of her own. But when he is presented with a mysterious legacy, he is forced to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.
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More Details:
Author
Julian Barnes
Pages
176
Publisher
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published Date
2011-10-05
ISBN
0307957330 9780307957337
Ratings
Google: 3
Community ReviewsSee all
"Beautifully heartbreaking, the main character becomes villain, could be triggering but it’s super smart"
Kaity Hammerstein
"I had never read a Booker Prize Winning book before and I kept seeing this one pop up on several different sites so I took a chance and decided to give this one a try. Let's just say that I'm NOT one of the many who loved this book. I felt it was rather boring and only the last 1/2 hour or so was of any real interest to me. The ending was not what I had expected and I'm always one for twist endings......but this twist could not make up for all the 'talkiness' in the book.<br/><br/>I didn't much care for Tony or any of his friends and felt all of them were rather dull. I was really expecting something exciting to POP out and knock me off my feet......when in reality the only excitement was knowing that this book was very short and that the end would be here soon. I really have no idea why this book would be a winner when it was so dull. So....I gave the book a chance and even waited before I wrote my review....so I could think about it and maybe find some redeeming quality in it.....didn't happen....so in the words that Tony hears describing his knowledge of the situation that has overtaken his retirement years...."You just don't get it....and you never will."....my sentiments exactly about this novel."
Tracy Walters
"Very quick read"
R T
Rebekah Travis
"eh. There wasn't enough here for me to connect to. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, and the story just wasn't that interesting to me. I got irritated with the completely ridiculous "that would never happen" exchanges and conversations between characters. At least it was over quickly!"
G N
Gretchen Nord
