Julian Barnes was born in Leicester, England on January 19, 1946. He was educated at the City of London School from 1957 to 1964 and at Magdalen College, Oxford, from which he graduated in modern languages (with honors) in 1968. After graduation, he worked as a lexicographer for the Oxford English Dictionary supplement for three years. In 1977, Barnes began working as a reviewer and literary editor for the New Statesman and the New Review. From 1979 to 1986 he worked as a television critic, first for the New Statesman and then for the Observer.
Barnes has received several awards and honours for his writing, including the 2011 Man Booker Prize for The Sense of an Ending.
His most recent book The Man in the Red Coat was published in the UK in 2019 and in the US in 2020.
The story of a man coming to terms with the mutable past, Julian Barnes's new novel is laced with his trademark precision, dexterity, and insight. It is the work of one of the world's most distinguished writers.
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1) The Title – ‘The Sense of an Ending’.
The title of Julian Barne’s “The Sense of an Ending” is borrowed from the famous book written by Frank Kermode known as “The Sense of an Ending: theory of fiction”. In this, he stated that the aim of the book is to make a sense of the ways we try to make sense of our lives. In any text, title has a great influence on people’s minds, in Julian Barne’s novel we can see that as the title suggests the novel is also about the death of two lives Robson and Adrian. In the novel story was narrated by Tony Webster who is also old and at the end of his life. He is at the ending of the journey and by recounting his school days he unfolded the entire story. At the end of the story also we can not come to a clear conclusion of all events, Julian Barne’s did not reveal anything about it and he left on the reader to decide what had happened at the end. Thus the title of the novel plays an important role in the novel and the use of the word ‘ending’ is very significant.
2) "History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation." How far can you agree with this definition of Adrian? Justify your answer with reference to your reading of ‘The Sense of an Ending’.
In the novel, there are many definitions about what is history but there is not any final conclusion about history. From all those, I found this definition by Adrian is more relevant. History is that which makes you aware of what happened in the past and gives you some lessons from it. History is always written by living people. Adrian says, “History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation." History comes out when imperfect memory is documented in any way and latter on surviving. If anyone is writing about something, we can’t say that whatever he/she written is as exact as what happened and they witnessed. It may happen that they involve their own perspectives while documenting anything. And the same thing happens with memory. As we discussed that memory is something which has been told to us by people around us we can never know what is right and wrong. But no doubt history is important to know something and it plays an important role in shaping the current culture. Thus, I am agreed with what Adrian said about history.
3) What is the meaning of the phrase ‘Blood Money’ in Veronica’s reply email?
The phrase ‘Blood Money’ has a negative meaning, in the novel, Veronica addressed Tony as Blood Money. This phrase may have different meanings in the novel. Tony was rejected Veronica but he didn’t tolerate her relationship with Adrian and wrote him a letter, that could be done huge damage to their life and leaded Adrian to commit suicide. The relation between Adrian and Sarah Ford was started because of the letter written by Tony Webster. And as a result of their relation Sarah at a very old age gave birth to the mentally retarded baby known as junior Adrian. After that Adrian committed suicide and Veronica spent her life in taking care of her mentally challenged brother. Thus we can say that Tony was indirectly responsible for the entire situation and Adrian has to pay off his life for it while Veronica has spent her life and tolerated criticism from society in taking care of her brother Adrian. And the biggest damage happens to young Adrian who has to suffer. It can be said that these are the reasons why Veronica called Tony as Blood Money.
The title of Julian Barne’s “The Sense of an Ending” is borrowed from the famous book written by Frank Kermode known as “The Sense of an Ending: theory of fiction”. In this, he stated that the aim of the book is to make a sense of the ways we try to make sense of our lives. In any text, title has a great influence on people’s minds, in Julian Barne’s novel we can see that as the title suggests the novel is also about the death of two lives Robson and Adrian. In the novel story was narrated by Tony Webster who is also old and at the end of his life. He is at the ending of the journey and by recounting his school days he unfolded the entire story. At the end of the story also we can not come to a clear conclusion of all events, Julian Barne’s did not reveal anything about it and he left on the reader to decide what had happened at the end. Thus the title of the novel plays an important role in the novel and the use of the word ‘ending’ is very significant.
2) "History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation." How far can you agree with this definition of Adrian? Justify your answer with reference to your reading of ‘The Sense of an Ending’.
In the novel, there are many definitions about what is history but there is not any final conclusion about history. From all those, I found this definition by Adrian is more relevant. History is that which makes you aware of what happened in the past and gives you some lessons from it. History is always written by living people. Adrian says, “History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation." History comes out when imperfect memory is documented in any way and latter on surviving. If anyone is writing about something, we can’t say that whatever he/she written is as exact as what happened and they witnessed. It may happen that they involve their own perspectives while documenting anything. And the same thing happens with memory. As we discussed that memory is something which has been told to us by people around us we can never know what is right and wrong. But no doubt history is important to know something and it plays an important role in shaping the current culture. Thus, I am agreed with what Adrian said about history.
3) What is the meaning of the phrase ‘Blood Money’ in Veronica’s reply email?
The phrase ‘Blood Money’ has a negative meaning, in the novel, Veronica addressed Tony as Blood Money. This phrase may have different meanings in the novel. Tony was rejected Veronica but he didn’t tolerate her relationship with Adrian and wrote him a letter, that could be done huge damage to their life and leaded Adrian to commit suicide. The relation between Adrian and Sarah Ford was started because of the letter written by Tony Webster. And as a result of their relation Sarah at a very old age gave birth to the mentally retarded baby known as junior Adrian. After that Adrian committed suicide and Veronica spent her life in taking care of her mentally challenged brother. Thus we can say that Tony was indirectly responsible for the entire situation and Adrian has to pay off his life for it while Veronica has spent her life and tolerated criticism from society in taking care of her brother Adrian. And the biggest damage happens to young Adrian who has to suffer. It can be said that these are the reasons why Veronica called Tony as Blood Money.
4) How do you decipher the equation: b = s – v x/+ a1 or a2 + v + a1 X s = b?
b = s – v x/+ a1
b = s – v x/+ a1
Significance of alphabetical symbols:
V = Veronica
a1 = Adrian
s = Sarah Ford
b = baby
In
this equation we feel that it may give confirmation that baby is the result of
Sarah Ford and Adrian's relationship. Use of - between s and v suggests that
when Veronica was absent Sarah {×/+ (addition, multiply) } become intimated
with Adrian and became pregnant and baby is the result of Adrean and Sarah's
relationship. Baby is not the result of the relationship between Veronica and
Adrian.
a2 + v +
a1 X s = b?
Significance
of alphabetical symbols:
a2 = Antony Webster
V = Veronica
a1 = Adrian
s = Sarah Ford
b = baby
In this equation, mathematical signs have
special meaning. Sign of + may suggest that Antony Webster, Veronica and
Adrian are good friends. But the sign of × (multiply) between a1 and s suggests
that Adrean and Sarah Ford have sexual relations and which turned = (equal) into a baby. Baby is the result of Sarah Ford and Adrian's sexual relationship.
5) Adrian’s diary is willed to Tony by Sarah Ford. Why did Sarah Ford own it? Why was it in the possession of Veronica?
It can be said that Sarah Ford owned the diary because she had an affair with Adrian and they both were happy together. After receiving a letter from Tony Webster perhaps it was the letter’s influence and he started to move towards Sarah rather than to be close to Veronica-his lover. Before the Adrian committed suicide he lived with Sarah and this was the reason why he gave that diary to Sarah and suggested her to give it to Tony Webster. Until her death, she possessed the diary and she wanted to hand over it to Tony but Veronica might be denied for it. Because she was the only one who knew that young Adrian was suffered because of the mistakes done by Tony and later on by Sarah and Adrian. Because of these reasons Veronica kept a diary to herself and denied to give it to Tony but she also gave some clues to him so that he could understand the situation.
Reference:
http://julianbarnes.com/bio/index.html
http://www.julianbarnes.com/books/sense.html
It can be said that Sarah Ford owned the diary because she had an affair with Adrian and they both were happy together. After receiving a letter from Tony Webster perhaps it was the letter’s influence and he started to move towards Sarah rather than to be close to Veronica-his lover. Before the Adrian committed suicide he lived with Sarah and this was the reason why he gave that diary to Sarah and suggested her to give it to Tony Webster. Until her death, she possessed the diary and she wanted to hand over it to Tony but Veronica might be denied for it. Because she was the only one who knew that young Adrian was suffered because of the mistakes done by Tony and later on by Sarah and Adrian. Because of these reasons Veronica kept a diary to herself and denied to give it to Tony but she also gave some clues to him so that he could understand the situation.
Reference:
http://julianbarnes.com/bio/index.html
http://www.julianbarnes.com/books/sense.html
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