Scan barcode
novabird's review
4.0
An experimental novella, providing an eerie exercise that cognitively challenges us to suspend our usual mental architecture of judgment and perspective. Fallible memory stands in as the ‘unreliable narrator,’ in this book. The most interesting aspect of, “The Sense of an Ending,” was the primary character, Tony Webster’s construal of his person-hood as the sum total of all averages. This sum total of averages reminds me of Hannah Arendt’s idea of the ‘banality of evil,’ whereby the Nazi’s were just following orders and not deeply, irrevocably immoral. Instead of the ordinariness of immorality, what we have with at the onset is Tony as the representation of apathetic averageness found in most people. Where most don’t look to more closely examine the formation of our memories but instead frame them in the most positive light possible. Tony is different in that he doggedly pursues, and indeed wants corroboration for his memories and in investigating his history we are left with the hope that he was able to reconstruct his past into something more consistent with the evidence or documentation.
This is a quote that deserves memorization.
The unusual ending is startling in its insidious impact on how we rethink our perspectives on the characters, sort of like an “ah ha” moment, when pieces fall neatly into place and in doing so reveal much more depth. We get the sense of an ending, only to realize that we need to reinterpret the story once again. Certainty is abolished.
Barnes undoubtedly deliberately chose to make, “The Sense of an Ending,” a short offering that invites rereading and further introspection. If I were to begin this with this piece, I would be moving beyond the point of the necessity of history and see-sawing back and forth between imperfection and inadequacy ad infinitum. Yet still, the brevity of this book leaves me with a feeling of escape from this conscious continuum, and feeling like I’m not stuck in the air but have hit the hard bottom of the ground of reality of ‘the end,’ and landed on my feet. For the recognition of this ‘process,’ and the state of my being, as a combination of see-sawing and eventual grounding, this is an almost five.
““History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation.”
This is a quote that deserves memorization.
The unusual ending is startling in its insidious impact on how we rethink our perspectives on the characters, sort of like an “ah ha” moment, when pieces fall neatly into place and in doing so reveal much more depth. We get the sense of an ending, only to realize that we need to reinterpret the story once again. Certainty is abolished.
Barnes undoubtedly deliberately chose to make, “The Sense of an Ending,” a short offering that invites rereading and further introspection. If I were to begin this with this piece, I would be moving beyond the point of the necessity of history and see-sawing back and forth between imperfection and inadequacy ad infinitum. Yet still, the brevity of this book leaves me with a feeling of escape from this conscious continuum, and feeling like I’m not stuck in the air but have hit the hard bottom of the ground of reality of ‘the end,’ and landed on my feet. For the recognition of this ‘process,’ and the state of my being, as a combination of see-sawing and eventual grounding, this is an almost five.
bartps's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
tildahlia's review
3.0
Look, this book was totally fine. Enjoyable even. But I don't quite get the extensive accolades?! Barnes can write and the story (and the way it unfolded) was reasonably interesting. The ending gives you a bit to think about and it does engage well with the albeit unoriginal concept of our memories/interpretations of past events being largely self-serving. But the narrator is peak White Male and while he does have moments of self-awareness, it can be a bit ugh. I did the audiobook and I'm not sure the narrator did the protagonist many favours.
anneposthuma's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fbroom's review
5.0
Forget the plot, just read it for its beautiful and memorable language. I was mesmerized by it and enjoyed reading every word and every sentence of this short novel.
sashathewild's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
klokar's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
klparmley's review against another edition
3.0
I found the ending a little garbled and there were still some unanswered questions, but I enjoyed the story and the telling of it nonetheless.
This is NOT a happy book. (I don't require happy endings.)
This is NOT a happy book. (I don't require happy endings.)
victoria_madler's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5