The Sense of an Ending

The Sense of an Ending is a novel written by Julian Barnes and was awarded the Man Booker Prize in 2011.

Tony, Colin and Alex are good friends in their high school. A new classmate comes to the high school and they become good friends soon. He is Adrian who is smart and philosophical. In history class they challenge to answer their teacher, Old Joe Hunt, when the teacher asks what the history is. One of the themes of this novel is what the history is.

When they finished school, they promised lifelong friendship, and went their separate way. Adrian won a scholarship to Cambridge. Tony read history at Bristol and goes out with mysterious girl Veronica. Tony introduces Veronica to his friends in London. But he is somehow hesitant about Veronica, and breaks up with her. Soon after that, Tony gets a letter from Adrian that he wants to get Tony's permission to go out with Veronica. Tony hurts them with a spiteful letter.

Some time after that, Adrian commits suicide leaving a philosophical note.


40 years later, Tony is in his early 60's, divorced, involved in a volunteer activity. One day, he receives notification of unexpected bequest from unexpected person who is Mrs Sarah Ford, Veronica's mother. The story drastically changes.

Mrs Ford left Adrian's diary and 500 pounds to Tony. But Veronica holds onto the Adrian's diary. Tony tries to contact with Veronica to get the diary back.

The author doesn't give any explanation about Veronica's and her mother's breast, and also Adrian's diary all the way. Veronica is somehow irritated when Tony sees her again.

Veronica says to Tony, 'You just don't get it, do you? You never did, and you never will.'

What is the history? When Adrian was a high school student, he told Old Joe Hunt,

'History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation.'


Although the author doesn't make known many things to readers, we often experience the same things when we remember and try to understand our young life. We often don't have any obvious facts but just recollections.

Now that I'm the same generation as Tony, and come to think of it, my young days were full of remorse and torment.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Flowers at Dusk

Dawkins Scale

Totoro Trail and the flying carp