The Sense of an Ending (Borzoi Books) (original 2011; edition 2011)

This short but very powerful novel has a casual and easy flow, that is packed with a depth of insight laid out so effortlessly that Barnes gives a sense that he didn't just come to these life-lessons and dwell on them, but rather moved on quickly and without fanfare.

Tony Webster, the protagonist of the story reflects on his life with a sort of dulled sense of connection. That is he is objectively able to be critical about his own behavior, but without the sort of omnipotent understanding that objectivity often brings in novels, which is what I found so rewarding. The discoveries he's made about himself is revealed quickly, and densely scattered throughout the story, some flattering, some critical, but all very nuanced, bearing the weight of maturity and a life-lived imperfectly.

The story, though mostly a character study, has a decent amount momentum to the plot, and enough action that drives it along like a scenic train ride through the alps. A Corvette it is not, nor should it be.

Barnes's language and comfort within his own voice reminds a lot of Nabokov, with some contemporary phrases like "Skype" thrown in to shake you out of your ivory-tower projections, which was a nice surprise. The pace was great, and the subtlety that he conveys is so rich and understated that it makes you at once nod your head and say, "yes, yes," and other times shake your head and say the same. It's definitely a novel that you want to read through in one sitting, and when you're done, read again to catch all the morsels you've dropped the first time. ( )

I don't do this often, but as soon as I finished this s.im volume, I went direct.yback to the front and retread it in its entirety. All the answers are there, practically from the beginning. And one can see how Tony Webster slowly makes sense of an ending. ( )

A gem of a novella which I avidly read in one sitting (after the first few pages which seems slow, but then you really get into Tony's story and memories). ( )

Only a couple of us read the book (Donna and Rita) and 2 of us had a terrible time getting it. Donna and Rita didn't feel it was worth the effort to go ahead and complete it. Both found it a strange story, albeit very well written. Couldn't compare to Elegance of the Hedgehog and we were discussing both books this evening, so everyone wanted to get on to the discussion of Hedgehog. ( )

Tony is a retired man looking back on his teenage life, with the self-awareness that it is impossible to remember everything accurately and there are always more than one version of our stories. This reflection is prompted by a small legacy he receives from Veronica's mum, which initially makes no sense. He takes us through his school days and university days; at school he was part of a group of four and at university he had a relationship with Veronica. The other women in his life are Veronica's mum and Margaret, his wife. Tony also has a daughter, who never appears in the novel in person and I couldn't get a clear grasp on his relationship with her.
This novel is well written and engaging. Tony is not a sympathetic character but neither is he a villain; he seems to have muddled through life 'peaceably', as he calls it and now decides to push for answers to give a conclusion and all he finds is 'unrest'. ( )