Ryan Pearson's Final Post

Overall, I have very mixed feelings regarding The Sense of an Ending. Throughout the narrative, Tony Webster was nothing but straightforward. He said what was on his mind and the material was always presented clearly. This was enormously appreciated after a challenging read such as Notes from the Underground. While I liked how easy to read it was, I also found myself disappointed that nothing in the plot appeared too complex or mysterious. To that end, I found that nearly all of the information that was subject of discussion in Julian Barnes’ books had already been spoken about in our prior talks. I hate to word it like this, but I found the read to be relatively pointless. It was essentially a real world application of the concepts analyzed in class with NFTU. I haven’t really had an opportunity to address my thoughts on the actual plot of the rest of the book.

I went from absolutely hating Veronica (seriously, what a bitch), to feeling sorry for her all in about 10 pages. It sounds like she had a really rough go of it. I couldn’t imagine losing my wife around childbirth and being confused about her intentions. I was furious when I learned Veronica had burned Adrian’s diary, however. I think Tony was too complacent, although there wasn’t very much he could do. I think Tony was an interesting protagonist. I can’t say that he intrigued me; he was a straightforward and negative narrator.

 All in all, I found The Sense of an Ending to be average. It provides solid emotion and a solid plot. I am sure that I have missed something that we will cover in class. As of now, it seems that the author, Julian Barnes, is simply addressing how common, boring and sad life truly is. Honestly, I am not sad to see this book end and I am not sure what all of these book reviewers found so clever.  

            Ryan Pearson