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ezzi_x's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
zelinerrr's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
theclairac's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-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
lauranoonz's review against another edition
2.0
I have always been a fan of Julian Barnes and haven't had read his books in a very long time, I was excited to read this one.
My general feeling is that the storyline is not particularly novel for Julian Barnes fans which makes the book less exciting to read. Of course, Barnes' mastery in describing the complexity of human emotions and memory is evident and somewhat comforting if you haven't read Barnes in a while, which is perhaps the only reason I read the book very quickly. It was a simple and easy read, but not a book that I would strongly recommend to others, even re-reading other Barnes books seem like a better option when on one is missing Barnes' writing. Barnes has written far superior books, I'd recommend those.
My general feeling is that the storyline is not particularly novel for Julian Barnes fans which makes the book less exciting to read. Of course, Barnes' mastery in describing the complexity of human emotions and memory is evident and somewhat comforting if you haven't read Barnes in a while, which is perhaps the only reason I read the book very quickly. It was a simple and easy read, but not a book that I would strongly recommend to others, even re-reading other Barnes books seem like a better option when on one is missing Barnes' writing. Barnes has written far superior books, I'd recommend those.
lola425's review against another edition
4.0
Is love the only story? And can there ever really be a happy ending? In the case of Barnes' characters in The Only Story the answers to those questions are yes and no. Susan and Paul's nontraditional love affair is doomed from the start, but that doesn't stop you from hoping that it isn't.
Spoiler
Neither of them every really recover and that left me feeling pretty depressedgrgrhnt's review against another edition
3.0
Barnes uses Samuel Johnson's definition of a novel as an epigraph.
Novel (n.): A small tale, generally of love.
The story does satisfy this definition. But lacks when it comes to the adjective form of its meaning. 'Novel' when used as an adjective meaning something new. The Only Story is no something new. It is written for the sake of writing and whatever illuminatory sentences it provides come forth because of the skill of this eminent author. Of course, there are all of those Britishisms that rouse a sense of worldly participation in a foreign reader and pull them towards the end of the story.
There is nothing new here. And if the reader's read Barnes' most famous book The Sense of An Ending, it seems even repetitive theme-wise. The themes of time, memory, nature of love, Oedipal relations and the struggles and comforts of ageing have all been explored before to great satisfaction by the Barnes himself. That's why I've come to make the accusation of repetition.
Does the book satiate those of us who still wonder about and pursue the meaning of love? No, it treads the same old path of nebulosity that things concerning love take. Within the text itself, the idea of the undefinability of love is addressed. It follows the same bromides and presents the opposition of those bromides as real truth, which in themselves, after years of exploration and re-exploration, have turned into bromides themselves.
One thing I liked about the book was the dialogue, but that's expected of Barnes. It doesn't have the depth or scope of The Sense of An Ending, but it does have a real ring to it. The prose is classic Barnes. Overall, the book is just a good read that won't last long in the annals of memory.
Novel (n.): A small tale, generally of love.
The story does satisfy this definition. But lacks when it comes to the adjective form of its meaning. 'Novel' when used as an adjective meaning something new. The Only Story is no something new. It is written for the sake of writing and whatever illuminatory sentences it provides come forth because of the skill of this eminent author. Of course, there are all of those Britishisms that rouse a sense of worldly participation in a foreign reader and pull them towards the end of the story.
There is nothing new here. And if the reader's read Barnes' most famous book The Sense of An Ending, it seems even repetitive theme-wise. The themes of time, memory, nature of love, Oedipal relations and the struggles and comforts of ageing have all been explored before to great satisfaction by the Barnes himself. That's why I've come to make the accusation of repetition.
Does the book satiate those of us who still wonder about and pursue the meaning of love? No, it treads the same old path of nebulosity that things concerning love take. Within the text itself, the idea of the undefinability of love is addressed. It follows the same bromides and presents the opposition of those bromides as real truth, which in themselves, after years of exploration and re-exploration, have turned into bromides themselves.
One thing I liked about the book was the dialogue, but that's expected of Barnes. It doesn't have the depth or scope of The Sense of An Ending, but it does have a real ring to it. The prose is classic Barnes. Overall, the book is just a good read that won't last long in the annals of memory.
ciaraegan_'s review against another edition
Just wasn’t gripping enough to keep me interested!
esamea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
shirin_mandi's review against another edition
3.0
هرکس داستان عاشقانه خاص خودش را دارد، حتی اگر عشق یک شکست مطلق باشد، حتی اگر شعله اش خاموش شود...
هرکس داستان عاشقانه خاص خودش را دارد، حتی اگر یکی پسری ۱۹ ساله و دیگری زنی ۴۸ ساله باشد...
فقط یک داستان مربوط به معنای دل شکستگی، این که دقیقاً چگونه میشکند و بعدش از دل چه باقی میماند!
فقط یک داستان غمگین، دردناک و سنگین از بار گناه.
هرکس داستان عاشقانه خاص خودش را دارد، حتی اگر یکی پسری ۱۹ ساله و دیگری زنی ۴۸ ساله باشد...
فقط یک داستان مربوط به معنای دل شکستگی، این که دقیقاً چگونه میشکند و بعدش از دل چه باقی میماند!
فقط یک داستان غمگین، دردناک و سنگین از بار گناه.
alice_horoshev's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0