This book can only be described as a flawed masterpiece - had the novel bothered in fleshing out the characters from the bland caricatures that they were (lucid vs mysterious, 'clever' vs pragmatic/complacent, and so on), it would have been an amazing read. But it was not, and I can't even blame Barnes for the result - the book is meant to be a short slice-of-life piece, and that's what it remains till the end.

This is a short read, but the ending, while not being a gut punch, was a surprise for sure - of facades and of avoiding responsibilities.

TL;DR - good read for a lazy weekend afternoon, the protagonist is worth empathizing for, and the digressions are not dumped, and feel natural. ( )

What a terrific (small) book! I like his writing very much, and the story & characters fascinated me. It is unusual, largely the protagonist's reflection on some of his actions with others in the long past & reflecting some of his present actions with some of the same people, 40 years later. It is compelling and did not work out as I expected it would. Quite a book. ( )

I appreciate why this book won the Booker Prize. The prose is beautiful, and the content is compelling and really makes you think about your own memories and how others' actions (or yours) might have been misinterpreted, etc. ( )

So glad I read this. One of those books that makes you think about things differently. It reminded me of how fluid human memories and experiences are. The ways that you can change your recollections, particularly over time,to protect you from memories of the more unsavoury things you did/thought/said/were in the past.

An excellent story.

( )

This is a magnificent book, the kind that I try to read slowly so I can savour it and understand what's going on, but which I end up racing through, on to the next beautiful turn of phrase or poignant scene. There is so much to like about it I don't even know where to start my gushing. I guess the first point is that it's a perfect book. There is not a single misstep or awkward sentence in all hundred and fifty pages. Nothing is wasted and it thus feels totally whole.

Point two is that it's profound, and not just at the end as some books are. Right throughout it conjoured emotions beyond just delight and pathos. It is an experience in itself, as great literature must be. At different stages it prompted me to reflect on the unknowability of others and the self, on the uncertainty of memory, on the fear of death, on ambition.

Points three and four are that the characterisation and plot are wonderful. Point five is that it's funny when it needs to be.

Point six is for example, the last sentence of this quote: "...she never wore heels of any kind.I'd read somewhere that if you want to make people pay attention to what you're saying, you don't raise your voice but lower it: this is what really commands attention. Perhaps hers was a similar kind of trick with height. Though whether she went in for tricks is a question I still haven't resolved." ( )