The Sense of an Ending
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Meaning of a sentence in "The sense of an Ending"
Ram
Apr 03, 2012 10:30PM
Could someone explain the meaning of "pustular berk with the charisma of a plimsole"?
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The sense of an ending
Hi, there! I am not an English native speaker but like to read this book!
Could someone please kindly explain the meaning of:
1. "Marshall was a cautious know-nothing who lacked the inventiveness of true ignorance" (on page.5),
2. "Colin, argued that everything was down to chance, that the world existed in a state of perpetual chaos, and only some primitive storytelling instinct, itself doubtless a hangover from religion, retrospectively imposed meaning on what might or might not have happened." (on page 11),
3. "... Even the supposedly simple trail of like-a-drink-fancy-a-dance-walk-you-home-how-about-a-coffee?" (on page 20)
your kind explanation is much appreciated!
Thank you
Hi, there! I am not an English native speaker but like to read this book!
Could someone please kindly explain the meaning of:
1. "Marshall was a cautious know-nothing who lacked the inventiveness of true ignorance" (on page.5),
2. "Colin, argued that everything was down to chance, that the world existed in a state of perpetual chaos, and only some primitive storytelling instinct, itself doubtless a hangover from religion, retrospectively imposed meaning on what might or might not have happened." (on page 11),
3. "... Even the supposedly simple trail of like-a-drink-fancy-a-dance-walk-you-home-how-about-a-coffee?" (on page 20)
your kind explanation is much appreciated!
Thank you
1. Perhaps it's clearer in context, but stand-alone I read that as meaning someone who is wholly ignorant needs to compensate in other ways; by inventiveness, or logic, to overcome their flaw. This person isn't ignorant enough to have interesting or inventive compensatory talents.
2.He's arguing that events just happen without having any meaningful reason, but that when humans look back on events we can't help projecting a meaning and a reason for them happening (or not happening) onto them.
3.This is a very British reference; when a woman invites a man in for coffee it is usually on the pretext of wanting to have sex with him. He's talking about one of the standard British cultural practices of how men and women end up having sex.
2.He's arguing that events just happen without having any meaningful reason, but that when humans look back on events we can't help projecting a meaning and a reason for them happening (or not happening) onto them.
3.This is a very British reference; when a woman invites a man in for coffee it is usually on the pretext of wanting to have sex with him. He's talking about one of the standard British cultural practices of how men and women end up having sex.
The author is saying that his character is a nerd with pimples who has the personality of a tennis shoe. Julian Barnes is an English writer - hence the "plimsole"!
Hope this helps.
Althea
Hope this helps.
Althea
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