From the Bookshelf of Reading 1001

The Sense of an Ending
by
Start date
December 1, 2012
Finish date
December 31, 2012

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What Members Thought

Rosemary
Dec 28, 2012 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: 1001-books
I greatly enjoyed this gentle little novel although it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I liked the ordinariness of Tony, his faults and his unreliability. I'm also just at the right age to appreciate all the little wisdoms about growing old, looking back and the way that memories 'harden' so that our version of what happened comes to seem more real than it deserves to.

It had something of the same feel as Cakes and Ale by another gentle observer of ordinary life, Somerset Maugham.
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Regina Lindsey
Tony is a sixty-six year old contemporary character who, after receiving an odd bequest, begins a philosophical reflection on his lost high school friends, his first love, his failed marriage, his strained relationship with his daughter, lost dreams, and embarrassing actions towards one friend in particular.

"For instance, that when we are young and sensitive, we are also at our most hurtful; whereas when the blood begins to slow, when we feel less sharply, when we are more armored and have lear
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Jamie Barringer (Ravenmount)
I am working on finishing the combined 1001 Books lists, and this book is on the 2012 List. This story reminds me a lot of Looking for Alaska (John Green) and A Separate Peace (John Knowles), at least in the first half of the book. A man recounts his childhood and youth, his days in a boys' prep school and in college and his friendship with a boy named Adrian, who commits suicide. The main character, Tony, accepts Adrian's explanation in his note for why he chose to die, but still fails to fully ...more
Janet
Dec 31, 2012 rated it really liked it
While this is not an unusual plot, the story is enjoyable. Tony and his friends are very realistic characters. Veronica is extremely egotistical and especially annoying. Julian Barnes' prose, the best ingredient of the book, is lovely. ...more
Ole
Jun 18, 2012 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: 1001-books
Chinook
Jul 30, 2012 marked it as to-read
Shelves: 1-kindle
Teresa Young
Jan 25, 2021 rated it it was amazing
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Shae
Oct 22, 2012 marked it as to-read
Elena
Nov 27, 2012 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Skye Jones
Oct 12, 2013 marked it as to-read
Shelves: 1001-import
Barbara
Mar 25, 2014 rated it it was ok
Sara
Jan 14, 2015 marked it as to-read
Laura Krueger
Oct 24, 2015 marked it as to-read
Tim Hickman
Jan 20, 2016 marked it as to-read
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Kate
Jan 22, 2016 rated it really liked it
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Karina
Jan 26, 2016 rated it really liked it
Sorobai
Feb 22, 2017 marked it as to-read
Yvonne
Jun 17, 2017 marked it as to-read
Daria Zeoli
Dec 10, 2017 marked it as to-read
Shelves: 1001-tbr
Charisma
Sep 14, 2018 marked it as to-read
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Pippin
Nov 09, 2018 marked it as to-read
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Tatiana
Nov 13, 2018 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: 1001-books
Alec
Apr 19, 2019 is currently reading it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: 1001-total