Book Review - The Sense of an Ending

It starts with a group of slightly above average teenagers facing the same odds and ends as any other - that euphoria of having officially said good-bye to childhood and entering the adult phase, the same larger than life philosophical boasts - they talk as if they really understand what they are talking about. Midway, it turns into an existential debate on the morality of life and death, suicide in particular. But the end...its the end that leaves you thinking, or rethinking, about the past: your perceptions of the events that took place in your lifetime with the limited knowledge of the context, is that really what happened? The things you remember now, did they actually happen or are they just manifestations of what you believe happened? Were you so prejudiced about something, or someone, that you could not see what was in front of you all the time? And more such questions. And guilt. And remorse. 

Of course, or in the author's words, it is psychologically self evident that, all this happens to Tony, the protagonist who is also the narrator, but somewhere, we can see some reflections of ourselves in him. The author has beautifully woven a story with characters that seem like everyday people, with Tony candidly describing all that comes to his mind. The plot is gripping, to say the least, and offers a magnificent take on history - both personal and otherwise - and our interpretation of it. The language is rich, yet easy to understand.

But no matter how many questions it raises and attempts to answer, it is after all a  story, a brilliant one at that, which simultaneously mystifies and baffles you. That it makes you think, is an added advantage. Mr. Julian Barnes, you totally deserve that Man Booker you earned for this compelling work of fiction.