The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, my choice of book for this week, won the 2011 Man Booker prize. I picked it based only on this fact, so I began the book unsure of what to expect. The story, which is centered on a 60-year-old divorced man living in England, is not one I would have chosen by myself, so I’m glad someone else chose it for me!
The novel centers on Tony Webster, a man who begins to reflect on his life when an ex-girlfriend from over forty years past reenters his life. This woman, Veronica Ford, has something that Tony is desperate to see – the journal of Tony’s close friend who had committed suicide decades earlier, Adrian. After an intense investigation of his relationships with both Veronica and Adrian, Tony discovers that his young self was not quite as innocent or wronged as he remembered.
Though I was really fascinated by my selection for this week, it was somewhat disconcerting to enter the mind of a 60-year-old man reflecting on his youth. His remorse for the things that he had done (and more so the things that he failed to do) really rattled me; his regret made me almost anxious as I imagined myself in the same position. After a reality check, though, I ultimately left the book inspired not to push important issues aside or let fear get in the way of my choices.