The Sense of an Ending

by Julian Barnes

This book just won the Booker Prize for 2011.  It was an interesting, thought provoking but also frustrating book.

The book starts off with a sixty something retired man remembering his life as a young man and his friendship with three other young men, one of whom (Adrian) was consdidered brilliant and expected to excel.  The man also recalls a short, painful relationship he had around the same time with a girl named Veronica.  She was very mean and critical of him and treated him very badly.  Later on Adrian and Veronica let him know that they are in a relationship.  After that, the man learns that Adrian has committed suicide, giving a philosophical reason for his decision -- life is a gift you have not asked for, if you don't want it you don't have to accept it...

The man is recalling times with his friends and victory and discusses memories and whether they can be trusted (accurate?).  He talks about his very ordinary, boring life inlcuding his marriage and divorce and seems to be apologizing for being so boring and unadventurous.

Then the man receives a notice advising him that he has been bequeathed 500 pounds and Adrian's diary.
He receives the money but not the diary.  When  he contacts Veronica to try to get the diary she is rude to him and only sends him a photocopy of one page of the diary with a strange formula and which ends with words like If Anothy (the main character)....  She also inlcudes a letter, which Tony cannot recall writing, which wishes Adrian and Veronica an unhappy relationship and a child.....  and he advises Adrian to check with Veronica's mother...

This prompts Anthony/Tony to try to meet Veronica and she does meet with him but is very rude every time they meet.  The last time she drives him to a location and we see her meet some mentally challenged adults her call her Veronica.  Tony for some stupid reason, despite how she has treated him in the past and now, starts to imagine he and Veronica in a relationship -- this is totally ludicrous.  Why can't this guy learn to stand up for himself and be angry when he is treated shoddily!

Tony comes to believe that his "curse" had come true and feels guilty and what had and then worse when he realizes that Veronica is the handicapped boy's sister not mother.

This was a very interesting story, it makes you think about things one has done in the past and friendships and shows that we often want to reconnect with people to check with them as to their memories of shared events (like the character in Ondaatje's Cat's Table).  However, I don't believe the character needs to feel guilty for what happended between Adrian, Veronica and her mother.  They were adults and are responsible for their own actions.  Adrian, rather than being the brilliant philosopher and genius took the coward's way out.