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The Sense of an Ending

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The Sense of an Ending

By: Julian Barnes
Narrated by: Richard Morant
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About this listen

Man Booker Prize, Fiction, 2011

The powerful, unsettling, and beautifully crafted new novel from one of England’s greatest contemporary writers.

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, rumour, 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. Memory, though, is imperfect. It can always throw up surprises, as a lawyer’s letter is about to prove.

The Sense of an Ending is the story of one man coming to terms with the mutable past. Laced with trademark precision, dexterity, and insight, it is the work of one of the world’s most distinguished writers.

A complete and unabridged reading by Richard Morant.

©2011 Julian Barnes (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction

Editorial reviews

Winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2011, The Sense of an Ending is written by best-selling British author Julian Barnes and narrated in this audiobook edition by Richard Morant. Friendships forged in childhood are tested to their limits when the past comes back to trouble a man now in middle age. The more his past appears to unravel before him, the more blurred it becomes. What did happen all those years ago? Nothing is as it appears to be in this haunting novel, written with masterful skill and tremendous creativity by a truly gifted storyteller. Available now from Audible.

Critic Reviews

  • Man Booker Prize, 2011
Elegant, playful, and remarkable.” ( The New Yorker)
“A page turner, and when you finish you will return immediately to the beginning . . . Who are you? How can you be sure? What if you’re not who you think you are? What if you never were? . . . At 163 pages, The Sense of an Ending is the longest book I have ever read, so prepare yourself for rereading. You won’t regret it.” ( The San Francisco Chronicle)
“Dense with philosophical ideas . . . it manages to create genuine suspense as a sort of psychological detective story . . . Unpeeling the onion layers of the hero’s life while showing how [he] has sliced and diced his past in order to create a self he can live with. (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)
“Barnes seems equipped to write with humour and elegance about anything he turns his attention to” ( Financial Times)
All stars
Most relevant  
Loved this short, insightful dip into complexities of human relationships. A reader's book, easy but challenging!

Deserving of it's Booker Prize

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Julian has brilliantly written every single line at the exact place and exact sequence in the story.. his style of relating logic , history, mind, life events or actions are indescribable.. I loved it and got lost in it. and looking forward to explore more of his works..

it is the best book ever I've read till now.

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As he didn't ever get it, we didn't get it until the last minute!

Captivating with an unexpected ending

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I loved everything about this book, from first word to last I was hooked. So much so that upon finishing for the first time, I immediately listened again. I feel that I’ll return to this story many times in the years to come. I imagine each time there will be more to discover.

Nostalgic and thought provoking.

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Beautifully read. Gripping story. But the end omg. Did not realise a booker winner could be a novella.

Great but too short

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I sometimes find Julian Barnes to elaborate too much and for too long. This time though I read the book twice, months apart (fell asleep the first time!) so understood and appreciated it far better for picking it up again, and now saw the 'sense' as being not a perception but a logical reasoning, which in this story of not wanting to let go of the past is essential for all characters in its ending. Don't give up as I did first time round as it will draw you in more as it progresses, with the feeling of a buried unease growing that requires awakening to find understanding. The narrator was fabulous.

Found the "sense" in

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Loved the story and the performance. Very moving and thought provoking. It made me feel sad.

It made me feel sad.

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Stick with this one. At about halfway through, I started to feel it was getting slightly dull. Little did I know how the second half would twist and turn! So well crafted. The last sentences will slay you. Definitely read!

Amazingly well crafted story

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