by Julian Barnes
Partial synopsis from GOOD READS: 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, rumor 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.
My Thoughts: This little book is very well written. For me it begins a bit slow, but I really enjoyed reading about the memories from Tony’s teen and college years. The author describes those gaps in what we remember in a way I hadn’t considered before. I like thinking in new ways. Tony retires. He’s an average guy just doing average things and has no idea what he set in motion way back in college until he receives a letter from an attorney. If I were to be held accountable today for something I did in college, I have to wonder how I would respond. I’ve done some pretty stupid things. I hate to give away much more of the story, but I definitely want to read this little book again to pick up on the hints for the ending. That Ending! Oh, my! What a surprise! I’d also like to see the movie. The book is almost always better than the movie!
My favorite line from the book: “If life is a wager, what form does the bet take?”
What have you been reading?
😉 -Marci
