Julian Barnes
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes unfolds in the first-person point of view of Tony Webster, a grandfather and retired divorcee. In two parts, the novel explores how memory can be manipulated to uphold our self-image.
Part 1 of the novel takes us back to Webster’s school days and early university years. He recalls his friendship with three boys, the most memorable of whom is his brilliant but enigmatic friend, Adrian Finn. Webster has a brief romance with the mysterious Veronica. After he breaks up with her, he receives a letter from Adrian asking his permission to go out with Veronica. Webster responds with a scathing letter, the details of which he glosses over until Veronica sends him a copy of his letter decades later. Shortly after sending the letter, he receives news of Adrian’s suicide.
Part 2 takes place around 40 years later. In the interim Webster reveals he has led a very ordinary life, been married and is now divorced, has a grown daughter, and is a grandfather. Having led a very humdrum existence by his own admission, he is surprised when he receives a letter from an attorney informing him of his inheritance of five hundred pounds from Veronica’s recently deceased mother, a woman he had met very briefly when he spent a weekend at Veronica’s home decades ago. She also left him Adrian’s diary. Webster receives the money, but Veronica, who has taken possession of Adrian’s diary, refuses to release it. There follows a cat and mouse game between Veronica and Webster about Adrian’s diary and about the events of the past. The situation is shrouded in a mystery which is partially resolved in the end. Although there is an ending, it is only the “sense” of an ending since much is left unanswered.
John Webster emerges as an unreliable, somewhat obtuse narrator. He seems to drift aimlessly through life, avoiding deep emotions and strong commitments. News of the death of Veronica’s mother and of Adrian’s diary, as well as his later interactions with Veronica, set him on a quest to re-evaluate his life and the veracity of his memories. He scrutinizes his past and acknowledges that he missed clues, probably mis-remembered much, and had refused to take responsibility for past mistakes.
This short novel explores the role of memory in reinforcing self-image—what we choose to remember, how we choose to remember it, and what we choose to forget. The ending denouement solves some of the mystery and triggers Webster’s epiphany, but since questions are left unanswered, the ending is not fully satisfying.