Summary of The Sense of an Ending
Tony Webster, a retired man, looks back on his school days in the 1960s, in particular his friendship with Adrian Finn, an exceptionally intelligent boy. Tony reflects on the choices he and his friends later made, and on how those decisions shaped their lives. In the second part of the novel, Tony is drawn back into the past when he reconnects with his former girlfriend, Veronica Ford, who later became Adrian’s lover. He is forced to confront a bitter letter he once sent to Adrian and discovers that Veronica possesses Adrian’s diary. As fragments of memory resurface, Tony begins to question the reliability of his own recollections.
Reasons to read The Sense of an Ending
“The Sense of an Ending” is a short, slow-paced, and elegantly written meditation on memory, ageing, and moral responsibility. More philosophical than romantic, the novel explores how people reshape the past to protect themselves from uncomfortable truths. Julian Barnes is one of Britain’s most acclaimed contemporary writers. He won the 2011 Man Booker Prize for “The Sense of an Ending”, the 1992 Prix Femina étranger for “Talking It Over”, and the 1981 Somerset Maugham Award for “Metroland”. Other notable works include “Flaubert’s Parrot”, “England, England”, “Arthur & George”, and “The Porcupine”.
Setting: London & Bristol (England, UK)
The second part of the novel is set primarily in London and Bristol, while the setting of Tony’s school days in the first part is left vague, likely suburban London.
Original title: The Sense of an Ending
Year of publication: 2011
Nr of pages: 163
