The Sense of an Ending

By: Julian Barnes

Narrated by: Richard Morant

Man Booker Prize, Fiction, 2011

The powerful, unsettling, and beautifully crafted new novel from one of England’s greatest contemporary writers.

Tony Webster and his clique first met Adrian Finn at school. Sex-hungry and book-hungry, they would navigate the girl-less sixth form together, trading in affectations, in-jokes, rumour, and wit. Maybe Adrian was a little more serious than the others, certainly more intelligent, but they all swore to stay friends for life. Now Tony is retired. He’s had a career and a single marriage, a calm divorce. He’s certainly never tried to hurt anybody. Memory, though, is imperfect. It can always throw up surprises, as a lawyer’s letter is about to prove.

The Sense of an Ending is the story of one man coming to terms with the mutable past. Laced with trademark precision, dexterity, and insight, it is the work of one of the world’s most distinguished writers.

A complete and unabridged reading by Richard Morant.

©2011 Julian Barnes (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Elegant, playful, and remarkable.” ( The New Yorker)

“A page turner, and when you finish you will return immediately to the beginning . . . Who are you? How can you be sure? What if you’re not who you think you are? What if you never were? . . . At 163 pages, The Sense of an Ending is the longest book I have ever read, so prepare yourself for rereading. You won’t regret it.” ( The San Francisco Chronicle)

“Dense with philosophical ideas . . . it manages to create genuine suspense as a sort of psychological detective story . . . Unpeeling the onion layers of the hero’s life while showing how [he] has sliced and diced his past in order to create a self he can live with. (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

“Barnes seems equipped to write with humour and elegance about anything he turns his attention to” ( Financial Times)

This is a wonderful read!

What made the experience of listening to The Sense of an Ending the most enjoyable?

The narrator's voice had authority, the story was believable, the characters memorable.

What did you like best about this story?

I listened to it twice and found the woman character vexing at times, but compelling. I was curious about the reasons for her behavior. Finn's family situation remains a mystery one can only imagine. Maybe we've all been abused, as the mother says. If that be true, then NONE of us is abused. I know that isn't true.

Which scene was your favorite?

The classroom in the sixth form.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The pub scenes, the five men from the

Great book about the inner life of men

Would you consider the audio edition of The Sense of an Ending to be better than the print version?

No, I don't think so. Sometimes I wished I had read it as it seems so dense with ideas.

What did you like best about this story?

Its the best exploration of the inner lives of men since High Fidelity. It almost seems like a sequel. While High Fidelity was about the beginning of adulthood, this is about the end of adulthood, when all one's experiences have coalesced but one still feels more or less as lost as ever.

Which scene was your favorite?

Its less about scenes that making sense of the experience of living, of dealing with relationships from long ago that have been reanimated.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

You don't get it. You never will.

Thought Provoking

Had this book recommended by a friend and didn't have the time to read it - the Audio book was a perfect compromise. Narration was supurb and the plot was good. Had to go back from the ending and listen to the last couple of chapters again because of the unexpected ending. Understand why it was recommended to me and would recommend it to others.

Brilliant Character Study

What made the experience of listening to The Sense of an Ending the most enjoyable?

Julian Barnes has such a wonderful grasp of language and character, that this was a remarkable book. Perhaps the most enjoyable part, however, was how each scene was woven with insights reflected through the prism of old age and youth, which had a well observed honesty that had me listening to passages over and over as I went. Unfortunately, my only complaint was the ending, which felt abrupt and underwhelming. But perhaps that is what the author intended... you will have to read to understand, I suppose.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The ending sort of faded off for me, with neither any insights that were greater than the sum of the parts, nor any twist that gave me a shiver. It is honest, however, in the telling, and feels somehow more real for the lack of sensationalism.

What does Richard Morant bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Richard Morant brings this story to life with his interpretation of Julian Barnes' words. A reader who adds just enough to charge the story with meaning, while reading it straight enough to allow for interpretation. Top listen.

Couldn't put it down

This book made me keep working out longer and longer! Fascinating story with a compellingly 'ordinary' character who doesn't give up trying to understand and master his own life history. Highly recommended.

Exceptional, Intriguing and clever.

What did you love best about The Sense of an Ending?

The clever weave of characters in the story line and it's life learnt messages inherent due to the flippancy and impetuous nature of youth, was revealed in brilliance. I loved this book so much that I re-listened to it straight after it's completion as other reviews have shown. I will be reading more by Julian Barnes and the book's Narrater Richard Morant because I hope for more of the captivating enjoyment that I experienced with this remarkable book. This is the first review I have ever written. This is a book that deserves it.

beautiful story about ugly people

I can see why this book won a prize but I can't see why anyone would want to listen to it.

endlessly hearing.

endlessly hearing. only once i read, in my mother-toung.
tony. u r on ur own now.

A Rare Insight Into Not So Rare Self Deception

What did you love best about The Sense of an Ending?

A unique experience of being taken through a plausible series of one man's formative and less than satisfactory experiences with his first lover as he remembers them, prior to facts unfolding which force him and the reader to reconsider his role in the events, and to see his perception of the ex-lover and indeed his personality in a totally different light. Highlights the subjective nature of memory and how we create a story of our past (and present) that can be totally at odds with how key others may see us, and indeed with objective reality.

What other book might you compare The Sense of an Ending to and why?

Kasuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let me Go' though an entirely different kettle of fish is similar in that it takes the reader on a journey where things turn out to be entirely different to how both the protagonists and the reader had envisioned.

If you could rename The Sense of an Ending, what would you call it?

Am I really who I think I am?

Any additional comments?

The novel gives a lot yet is not demanding.

An intriguing story

The narration of this story was just right and the story itself was intriguing. I enjoyed it.