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An Oxford man,
you might have an idea of what to expect from Barnes. And true enough, he
effects a style that's quite erudite, but can also be a bit weird at the same
time. Or at least weird for an Oxford man. His structures loose, his voice
often unreliable, Barnes is still a bit of a post-modernist despite his claims
as a moralist: With these literary devices Barnes is able to make you question
your ideas of love, commitment, the past and what you do with the consequences
now. But if his voice is unreliable, what you can count on for sure is a full
exploration of the sad irony that fills the open spaces in our lives.
So what is he doing exactly? Barnes is writing is the "novel of ideas": A
story that invites the questioning of big, abstract ideas, the kind of stuff
that kept Aristotle awake at night but that we contemporaries tend to avoid.
At least on a daily basis, anyway. Among Barnes's favorite themes, for example,
is the ability to cope (or inability, as the case may be) with the present
as it stands. Now, do we as people, spend 200 pages figuring that out, or
do we just wake up and muddle through the day as best we can? I'm not sure
that sucking it up is the best way to handle any one problem, but I don't
see how a protracted discussion filled with bloated terms is much of a help,
either.
Not that the books aren't good; I don't mean that at all. On the contrary,
nearly every one of them has won this award or another, all big national
prizes surely involving money. What I mean to say is that his stories
have within them a purpose larger than simply telling the story. Talking
It Over, for example, is a novel written as a series monologues describing
the three alternate perspectives of a love triangle. A great, interesting
story to be sure, but the construction and language invite deeper questions
of love, relationships, and individuals ways of seeing. It's great discussion
to have with a trusted and smarter friend over coffee or better yet, a
stout or two.
Should you pick up Julian Barnes and enjoy it, you will probably also
enjoy Italo Calvino and John Berger. Or if you are excited about Barnes's
tries at the anti-novel (Flaubert's Parrot and A History of
the World in 10½ Chapters), give Nabokov's Pale Fire a shot.
Special Note: Julian Barnes has also worked as a pulp suspense writer
under the name of Dan Kavanaugh, and is purportedly very good at it. Those
of you who enjoy suspense may also want to give him a try. His works as Kavanaugh
are listed below. |
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