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• Letters from London -- Christopher Dube, 09:29:34 01/19/10 Tue
  I am working on a attaining a full hardcover collection of Barnes/Kavanagh. I'm on the verge of completing this task (with a few autographed copies by the way), but have come across a stumbling block. I can not seem to find "Letters from London" in a hardcover version! I see it advertised as such, but have been burned twice with paperback copies when ordering online.
  
  My question is thus, is it possible the book was never released as a hardcover?
  
  Regards,
  
  CND
  

  
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  • Re: Letters from London -- Ryan, 14:52:28 01/21/10 Thu
    • Re: Letters from London -- Chris Dube, 05:33:38 01/22/10 Fri

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• Nothing to be frightened of -- Katherine S. (Laughing Out Loud), 10:16:53 03/05/09 Thu
  I keep laughing; I keep laughing reading a book about death. The stories of family and friends, religion, literature and daily life ("Got up...Wrote book.Went out, bought bottle of wine.Came home, cooked dinner. Drank wine.")certainly take much of the sting out of Death.
  But, between the terrific stories there is so much to think about. Barnes' musings on "If you fear death, you don't fear dying; if you fear dying, you don't fear death." are brilliant. Perhaps my favorite parts are the "conversations" he has with his older brother, the philosopher. Like so many of Julian Barnes' books, his latest book is a treasure.
  

  
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  • Re: Nothing to be frightened of -- Susan Bexton (chuckles), 14:22:49 02/01/10 Mon

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• Ira Glass Recommended your book -- Laura, 12:01:50 02/01/10 Mon
  I was fortunate to be in the audience at the Tacoma Pantages Theatre for 'An Evening With Ira Glass' (executive producer of "This American Life") on Saturday night, and one person asked what he's reading right now, and he wholeheartedly endorsed your book, "Nothing to Be Afraid Of." If I were an author, I'd be thrilled to hear this particular voice of approval.
  

  
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• Which came first? -- Nick Labbe, 14:23:28 01/29/10 Fri
  What book was published first, "Duffy" or "Metroland"? They are both listed as 1980. What's the story?
  

  
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  • Re: Which came first? -- Ryan, 10:42:27 01/30/10 Sat
    • Re: Which came first? -- NIck Labbe, 07:16:04 01/31/10 Sun

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• Complete Barnes/Kavanagh Collection -- Christopher Dube, 11:48:41 01/28/10 Thu
  I've included an image of my complete Barnes/Kavanagh collection. Most people don't appreciate this, but I figured people here just might. 3 are autographed. Enjoy!
  
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicolaslabbe/4312237330/
  

  
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• Gustave Flaubert -- Eddy (tinkering), 22:52:23 01/27/10 Wed
  In my belief Flaubert was a mind tortured by love.
  Not common love but Sacred Love. His books are
  all about it.
  - Mme Bovary personalizes the Divine Masculine part of a woman
  - The Sentimental Education the Divine Feminine of a man
  - Salammbo the quest to fight Evil in this world
  - A Simple Soul about a Twin Flame or Twin Soul's life
  without her lover
  
  Flaubert quoted he attracted only animals and crazy people, this another way of saying he felt others as astral
  negative entities, whereas he was astral positive.
  The latter are hard to find, anyway.
  

  
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• Star of the Guardian crossword -- Steve38, 08:19:50 01/07/10 Thu
  Julian - how does it feel to be the subject of today's Guardian crossword. 'Brendan' the setter must be fan.
  

  
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  • Link to the Crossword -- Ryan, 19:02:57 01/07/10 Thu

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• Pedant Recognizing Her Own -- Robin Beatty (Thrilled), 09:01:33 12/29/09 Tue
  I was given a copy of The Pedant in the Kitchen for Christmas. May I say, it was more than the gift of a book; it was the gift of breaking a reading block that has haunted me for far too long. Reading has all my life been a solace from the realities of life and for the last few years I have been unable to read most books all the way to the end. Pedant was so delightful, so delicious, like a box of mixed chocolates that one cannot put down until one finds the box empty and then feels disappointed that there is no more. Thank you, I admire your craftsmanship.
  

  
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  • Re: Pedant Recognizing Her Own -- haward (amused), 11:20:44 01/04/10 Mon

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• Death by the Book -- radu, 04:00:08 01/01/10 Fri
  The latest Julian book exceed it self. Short after a very stylish looking Romanian version of "Nothing to be Frightened of" came on the market, its the publishing house went into his own death : "la faillite". It was one of the first private houses emerging after the 1989 change of regime. Very stylish too, to close for good with such a book ! In its early days, the company used to make its success by publishing SF, but it couldn't predict its own future though. Truly sad, a part of a small history is shuting down. It's also my last book of the year. Am I to be frightened of something ?:)
  

  
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• In praise of Julian Barnes -- Ronnie Pattison (tranquil), 01:54:37 01/29/09 Thu
  The work of Julian Barnes profoundly affects me. So beautifully written. Amusing and thought provoking, his work never fails to inspire. There are a few public figures I would miss if they were not around. Julian, along with Woody Allan,Stephen Fry,Billy Connelly,Bob Dylan,Frank Field MP,Gore Vidaland Arsene Wenger, among others, make the world a more tolerable place to live.One never feels alone when you have free and original public thinkers who have integrity and passion for their genre.
  

  
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  • Re: In praise of Julian Barnes -- Eunice Gpes, 13:00:08 12/29/09 Tue

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• "Flaubert Parrot" and Courbet's "Woman with a Parrot" -- James Connelly (enquiring), 14:03:47 12/13/09 Sun
  Has anyone remarked on any known connection between Courbet's 1867 painting "Woman with a Parrot" and Felicite's death scence in "A Simple Heart"? Flaubert certainly commented adversely on Courbet. Is there any sense that his short tale is a response or retort to Courbet's painting?
  

  
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• bbHNbLLLJlOxbQ -- dhrudiz (MOEYfThyOMizbmKXwp), 18:14:09 12/10/09 Thu
  N8qAMN nevkipudgirw, [url=http://odamtrruxazr.com/]odamtrruxazr[/url], [link=http://zhyvrbgeplrz.com/]zhyvrbgeplrz[/link], http://skhlalutekmz.com/
  

  
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• Barnes Picks Christmas Books 2009 -- Erica Hateley, 18:20:48 11/27/09 Fri
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/nov/28/christmas-book-choice-review
  
  The annual wrap-up:
  
  "Julian Barnes
  
  Laura Cumming's A Face to the World (HarperPress) examines the subtleties of the transaction which occurs in the self-portrait: painters painting themselves, pretending to be looking at us, knowing we'll be looking at them. Richly thoughtful, perceptive and well written, it's that rare item: an art book where the text is so enthralling that the pictures, however necessary, almost seem like an interruption.
  
  Having last year greatly admired Adam Foulds's long poem The Broken Word, I uncharitably wondered whether his novel The Quickening Maze (Cape) might allow me to tacitly advise him to stick to verse. Some hope: this story of the Victorian lunatic asylum where the poet John Clare and Tennyson's brother Septimus were incarcerated is the real thing. It's not a "poetic novel" either, but a novelistic novel, rich in its understanding and representation of the mad, the sane, and that large overlapping category in between."
  

  
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• Sleep -- Ray Pavlik, 09:17:08 12/19/08 Fri
  I'm 87, still active and lucid." Nothing To Be Frightened Of" omitted a most important step in our confrontation with
  death. That is sleep, which is a nightly rehearsal of death.
  We lapse into unconsciousness for eight hours and enter into
  a bizarre world of dreams, knowing we shall awaken to our
  real world again. Death must be a near similar experience
  without the waking up. Whether we enter a dream world is the
  great unknown. But we are accustomed to closing our eyes and
  drifting off without fear so perhaps the long sleep is not
  too unlike the nightly one.
  

  
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  • Re: Sleep -- Leo, 19:30:52 12/27/08 Sat
  • Re: Sleep -- Tina, 09:20:35 01/22/09 Thu
  • Re: Sleep -- Patricia Reckrey, 13:34:48 11/02/09 Mon

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• Honesty -- A Lover, 17:26:27 08/26/09 Wed
  Last Christmas holiday I read "The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters" and while I enjoyed the book on the whole, I was intensely stuck by the half chapter entitled "Parentheses," specifically the first few pages.
  
  Never have I read a passage and been compelled so strongly to read it again immediately. Now when I reread it, as I do from time to time, sometimes my eyes will silently prickle with tears, or other times I can't hold back an excited yelp of tenderness. Either way, it always restores a belief in love, and to have such a tool in a paperback book is truly a Godsend. It is very much the most honest piece of writing I've ever encountered. Thank you.
  

  
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  • Re: Honesty -- Harriet Sheehy (Agreement about "Parentheses" and suggestion), 09:31:25 10/30/09 Fri

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• Flaubert's Parrot -- Graham Robinson, 10:49:38 09/06/09 Sun
  I have been reading Flaubert's Parrot and was interested in the source of the quote at the beginning pf chapter 9 - The Flaubert Apocrypha. It begins "It was not what the built..."
  
  Any help would be appreciated.
  

  
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  • Re: Flaubert's Parrot -- Ryan, 20:39:01 09/07/09 Mon

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• Faulty research -- Quentin Newark, 04:29:16 08/15/09 Sat
  I am currently reading "Nothing to be Frightened of", and came across the reference to Sibelius and "the lemon table" (page 24 in my paperback). Sibelius and some friends meet at the Kamp Restaurant in Helsinki, at the "lemon table" to talk about death, as is the way of morbid Scandinavians. "The lemon", Barnes writes, "being the Chinese symbol of death".
  
  The thing that caught my eye was the idea that the Chinese would have a symbol for death. Unlike Western art which contains both negative and positive iconography, Chinese art is entirely positive. Its imagery is an unending steam of metaphors for everything good in life. The Chinese believe that by depicting it, you invoke it. And the opposite of this idea; that mentioning or depicting bad luck is creating it. Where exactly would the Chinese use a "symbol of death"? On a grave? In a temple? Who amongst the Chinese would dare hang it on their wall?
  
  Driven by my niggle, I have searched in a dozen books about Chinese art and symbolism, word puns, literature, and can find nothing whatsoever about the lemon representing death.
  
  There a handful of examples of bad things being depicted. The Five Poisonous Creatures (wŭdú), all of which can kill – centipedes, lizards, scorpions, snakes and toads – are stitched into childrens' bed clothes, pillows, slippers and hats, as an appeasement. Or perhaps like inoculation. They are accompanied by the figure "wang" meaning king, almost the most potent positive symbol, placed in amongst them as an antidote.
  
  Fruit (zĭ) is a common motif, it generally stands for fertility, of all sorts. But as far as I can establish, the lemon, as a symbol, positive or negative, is pretty much absent from Chinese art. (It is not alone in that, you cant find limes, ants or owls either.)
  
  The inedible finger citron, a kind of lemon at a stretch, used ornamentally in China, has long, gnarled growths extending from its body. It is called fó shŏu in Chinese, Buddha's hands, and is understood to represent blessings. It is commonly shown in art in a trilogy with the peach and pomegranate, the peach (táozi) is the emblem of immortality, and the pomegranate stuffed with seeds stands for fecundity. This set of fruit is known as the Three Abundances (sānduō). Hardly death, rather its exact opposite.
  
  Direct depiction or mention of death (sĭ) is a taboo in Chinese culture. It closest homonym is four (sí), and anyone who has been in Chinese lift or hotel knows that, like the Western dread of 13, it is simply omitted.
  
  The only possibility to support Mr Barnes' usage that I can see comes via Hong Kong. Here the Cantonese sometimes use a simplified Chinese, like everything in Chinese culture, based on word sounds. In this specialised written form, ning meng (lemon) sounds similar to ling (zero). And a zero looks like a lemon. When you buy lemons, the store receipt will show a zero as the grapheme. Oh, you bought nothing? No, lemons.
  
  Might this commercial short-hand have made its way up to Finland? Did Sibelius buy a lemon from a Cantonese sailor (because I doubt Helsinki had a resident Cantonese population in the 1900s)? And this sailor – before till receipts existed – wrote a zero, which Sibelius, apparently ever mindful of death, poetically translated into non-existence?
  
  I think Sibelius and his friends contrived the idea of the lemon, and fancifully attributed it to China. China has always been a repository for dreams of the fantastic. Like Borges' story which imagined a Chinese encyclopedia, the Heavenly Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge, with a catalogue of impossible animals; "those that tremble as if they were mad" and "those that at a distance resemble flies". I can see Sibelius thinking: I like the sound of the lemon table, and anything you say of China is bound to be partially true, and anyway it is to far away for the truth to matter. And Mr Barnes, despite his fêted research skills, in a moment of weakness, just parroted this fallacy.
  
  Unless I am wrong of course. But, given Chinese art's devotion to auspiciousness, I think not. Take a look yourself.
  

  
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• Nothing to be Frightened of -- Marilyn Floyde, 03:16:32 08/14/09 Fri
  Have just finished reading Nothing To Be Frightened Of - and it made me feel pretty damn peculiar - and a bit frightened.
  One consequence has been trying to taxonomise creative activities into an Immortality Rating List - which begins with Live Performance and ends with Monumental Sculpting - which will probably outlast most things. Ceramics is right up there too. Photography and Gardening are almost bedfellows. Film-making and Song-writing are tricky as they depend on the survival of technology. Writing comes low on the list - as does Cooking. However, standing in an ice-cold workshop, hammer and chisel in mittened hands, chipping away at lumps of marble, is not everyone's idea of fun. Is there a co-efficient between the amount of effort and energy needed to 'create' and its perceived subsequent shelf-life? These things should all be taken into account when selecting how best to leave something 'nice' behind - which surely must be the point of it all?
  

  
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• Belle mort -- Paul Herman (deliberative), 19:31:50 07/21/09 Tue
  Hello again Mr Barnes,
  
  Yes, it is me, the one who drew you up so sharply about the limner folding his chalk drawing.
  
  I have nearly finished 'Nothing to be Frightened of' which I am enjoying a great deal, & this from a reader to whom books by old men considering death are not new; but unless you surprise me in these last pages I think I have an alternative to your list of 'good' deaths: to us creative men, lucky enough to be foolish enough to be excited for an entire lifetime by flying in the face of our own reason & insisting instead in considering our artistic product as having a worth of its own (providing satisfaction if not happiness), isn't dying while being distracted from our own extinction's horrors by the process of being a better writer, painter, musician, poet, as good a death as one can hope for?
  
  With fond empathy,
  Paul
  

  
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• Admiration -- AsyatheGreat, 03:32:20 12/06/07 Thu
  Hello, my name is Asya, I come from Ukraine. It's a not-very-small-but-not-very-big country near Russia. I wonder, if Julian Barnes is reading our messages... Hope he visits this site de temps en temps because I really want to express my admiration for this writer. Yet I have read his Metroland and also one short story from his book "Lemon table" "Silence". And I want to say the words the writer probably knows about himeself but YOU ARE JUST GREAT!!!!! I've read Silence in english and Metroland in russian, but I'm going to reread it in english. My teacher of english (also the professor of english literature of the 20th century in the university)and I were analising Silence and I found a lot of things that make this story the great work of postmodernism. I especially liked that frase in the beginning "A young man from a newspaper helped me PASS THE TIME".
  Of course you already know that you are great but YOU ARE GREAT!!!!!!!
  

  
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• Vigilance -- Robert, 14:33:57 05/18/06 Thu
  Jules,
  
  I know you don't visit this website; much less this board. However, I demand that you right a whole novel based on the characters from your story 'Vigilance'. Thanks.
  
  Robert
  
  ahahahahah. Seriously though. : )
  

  
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  • Re: Vigilance -- bob, 21:34:41 07/02/09 Thu

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• Wrong Julian -- Barry M. Watson, 03:27:20 06/30/09 Tue
  I picked up a copy of ‘Nothing to be Frightened of’ by mistake. The book had no jacket, and therefore no author information. I got the wrong Julian in my mind, thinking it was written by the M.P./author/actor Julian Fellowes! A fortunate mistake-I really enjoyed it!
  

  
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• new barnes interview -- bob, 14:13:25 03/01/08 Sat
  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/03/01/sm_julianbarnes01.xml
  
  interview with barnes about "nothing to be..."
  

  
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• no real subject -- Marijana, 14:33:38 06/27/06 Tue
  I've read most of Julian Barnes' novels that I was able to find and purchase where I live, and I am absolutely delighted. The fact I love most is that each book of his is something completely different from anything else written. I'd even go so far to say that he is the best writer at present.
  
  All the best,
  Marijana
  

  
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• Emily & Florence -- Charles Nicol, 12:24:05 05/20/06 Sat
  Dear Mr Barnes,
  I love your books.
  I was wondering if the characters Emily and Florence in the popular television series "Little Britain" are named after the cryptogamic ladies in the your short story in "Cross Channel"
  
  Charles Nicol
  

  
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• new story in granta -- bob, 12:04:20 12/22/07 Sat
  http://www.granta.com/extracts/3162
  
  Marriage Lines
  Julian Barnes
  
  The Twin Otter was only half full as they took off from Glasgow: a few islanders returning from the mainland, plus some earlyseason weekenders with hiking boots and rucksacks. For almost an hour they flew just above the shifting brainscape of the clouds. Then they descended, and the jigsaw edges of the island appeared below them.
  
  He had always loved this moment. The neck of headland, the long Atlantic beach of Traigh Eais, the large white bungalow they ritually buzzed, then a slow turn over the little humpy island of Orosay, and a final approach to the flat, sheeny expanse of Traigh Mhor. In summer months, you could usually count on some boisterous mainland voice, keen perhaps to impress a girlfriend, shouting over the propeller noise, ‘Only commercial beach landing in the world!’ But with the years he had grown indulgent even about that. It was part of the folklore of coming here.
  
  They landed hard on the cockle beach, and spray flew up between the wing struts as they raced through shallow puddles. Then the plane slewed side on to the little terminal building, and a minute later they were climbing down the rickety metal steps to the beach. A tractor with a flatbed trailer was standing by to trundle their luggage the dozen yards to a damp concrete slab which served as the carousel. They, their: he knew he must start getting used to the singular pronoun instead. This was going to be the grammar of his life from now on.
  
  To read the rest of Julian Barnes's story, purchase Granta 100 online. Or become one of our valued subscribers.
  

  
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• thank you -- sad girl, 02:45:52 12/01/07 Sat
  Thank you for your prose! When I have some problems, when I don't know what to do, I read Your books. They are very clever and their language is the best! I think, You are one of the best writers of our time.
  

  
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• new barnes story published -- bob, 05:28:48 05/12/08 Mon
  http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2008/05/19/080519fi_fiction_barnes
  

  
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• Desperate Essay Help - Flaubert's Parrot -- Nick, 01:32:09 03/02/06 Thu
  I'm stuck on this Flaubert's Parrot Question.
  
  "Explore the Narrative and Linguistic Devices Used By Barnes in this Chapter [Cross Channel] to Bring Out the Themes and Preoccupations of the Novel [Flaubert's Parrot] as a Whole and to Reinforce the Underlying Comic Perspective"
  
  I literally am stuck at where to start, and well finish.
  
  
  Any help would be superbly appreciated!
  
  Thanks,
  

  
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• Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize -- Ryan, 19:07:02 09/08/05 Thu
  Congratulations to Julian Barnes, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Arthur & George!
  
  Order a copy online via Amazon.co.uk.
  
  Pre-order the U.S. edition from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, or BN.com
  

  
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• Indian tribe mentioned in 'Parenthesis' -- Franny, 13:12:16 08/24/05 Wed
  I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the northwestern Indian tribe Barnes metioned in 'Parenthesis' in History of the World. It's the one that stole things from each other for fun.
  

  
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• Arthur & George -- Ryan, 15:28:37 03/02/05 Wed
  Julian Barnes's next novel will be published 7 July 2005 by Jonathan Cape. Please keep visiting the Official Julian Barnes Website for more information:

  
  www.julianbarnes.com/bib/arthur&george.html.
  
  

  
  

  
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• Resources -- Francisco Diaz, 10:25:35 01/29/09 Thu
  Hello.
  I am reading, Nothing to be frightened of, currently. I find the book discussion well presented, intelligently and in a good tone. There is one thing that I would like to know and is the following: will Mr Barnes consider to publish his list of sources and if so, may I get a copy.
  Thank you
  

  
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• A history of the world in 10 1/2 chapters : Franklin Hughes -- Anne, 10:21:23 06/16/05 Thu
  I'm not convinced that he does it out of egotism. I rather think the opposite, i.e. that for once, he is doing it out of altruism, but ironically (as already stated by himself) it returns like a boomerang on his own head. Q.E.D. Anne
  

  
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• Hullo from America -- Mizterious (Compressed), 08:02:55 03/28/09 Sat
  We, the Board Members of TC Boyle's website, have been discussing the works of J Barnes and so, (I) thought it proper to give a shout-out from across the pond! My favorite J Barnes novel is, England, England.
  

  
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• Thank You, JB -- Ann Whipple, 20:31:40 03/10/09 Tue
  Your beautiful postcard was a great thrill---thank you so much. And of course I had no thought that you would ever prefer Rossini to Pergolesi--just my joke.
  
  Today I heard part of Karl Jenkins's setting--well, it will take me a while to get used to that.
  
  Atb,
  Ann Whipple
  

  
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• The Pedant in the Kitchen -- Isobel, 03:23:42 03/04/07 Sun
  So refreshing to read a light, joyful, amusing book which all the same contains Julian Barnes' habitual and personal examination of the subject in hand.
  Having been brought up in Berlin in the fifties, where the "occupiers" had to employ the locals to help with the employment effort in the aftermath of the war, I never even set foot in the kitchen which was ruled over by a cook and various servants. When we moved out to Kenya in the sixites, I discovered the joys of being a pedant in the kitchen using recipes from girls' magazines and making "those for whom" sick with mountains of fudge every Sunday when the cook had his day off. Since then I have come a long way and amassed a huge number of cookery books (which I can't cull), both new and old and definitely multi-cultural (we also lived in India, Greece and England) and now I live in a French province where foreign food is just too foreign for the French (even Indian cuisine is prepared without chilli as hot food is looked down upon by my now-compatriots. Actually, this surprises me as when you see the amount of harissa heaped onto a plate of couscous, you know that it would make even an Indonesion's eyeballs explode). A few Christmasses ago, I was given the GREATEST COOKERY BOOK EVER and NOTHING EVER GOES WRONG. It's a magical tool for the pedant but unfortunately for any interested, it's totally unavailable now. It's called Complete Cooking Step-by-Step, is by nobody in particular, but bears the Cordon Bleu label and a foreword by André J. Cointreau. Lucky me and a friend of mine who scoured the world to get the very last copy still knocking about out there.
  

  
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• Gift -- Sibila Seibert (Regret), 10:35:51 02/13/09 Fri
  Dear Mr Barnes: I hear you have given the Universidad del Sur, in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, a very valuable gift consisting in a first copy in English of Don Quijote.
  I'm sorry to say that it was a very wrong decision, although I know it was meant well. This book will be stolen in less than one year, because employees in museums, libraries, etc. are not being controlled by authorities and valuable documents have been stolen along the years in many institutions. You can give your time, your professional advice, etc., but nothing material and valuable, because after a while it will not be there where it is supposed to be.
  

  
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• About a play -- Humberto Robles, 13:26:28 09/12/08 Fri
  Hello, Mr. Barnes:
  I really love your books.
  I'm a mexican playwrite with plays in Mexico, Enlgand, Spain, Italy, France, Scotland, Argentina, Brasil, USA, Uruguay, Chile, Puerto Rico, Paraguay and other countries.
  You can know about me in http://roblesteatro.blogspot.com
  I did an adaptation for the stage about "The Survaivour" from "A history of the world in 10 1/2 chapters" (in Spanish).
  Would you give me your permisson for this adaptation for the theater?
  Would you like I send to you the play (in Spanish)?
  Best regards and thank you four your books!!!!
  Robles
  

  
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• The Limner -- Paul Herman (Chuckling!), 07:32:16 06/26/09 Fri
  Mr Barnes- you almost had me going with your short story in the New Yorker, Jan 09, 'The Limner', until he folded the drawings he gave to the kitchen staff.
  
  Any draughstman knows charcoal drawings must be rolled as they will not survive folding- indeed: it is an indecorous way to treat anything on paper.
  
  Best regards,
  Paul Herman
  

  
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• Inspiration -- Thomas Layton (Arthur & George), 01:16:29 06/12/09 Fri
  After Reading Arthur and George I became rather interested in Arthur Conan Doyle. I think it was because you made him quite human. So many biographers seem to kill off their subject. You, on the other hand, came at it from a totally different angle. Quite creative really.
  
  Currently, my friends and I are replicating Undershaw, as best we can, in the virtual world called Second Life. Seems as if no one has placed interior pictures or descriptions of the interior of the building on the internet.
  
  Nonetheless, we are having a great deal of fun, all due to your inspiration. Thank you for that.
  

  
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• Arthur and George -- Chris Roberts, 02:20:34 04/08/06 Sat
  Dear Julian,
  
  I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Arthur & George'and I learned much about Arthur Conan Doyle's life as a result. One thing that intrigues me, (and which you do not mention) is why, given his long term associations with Edinburgh, Southsea, London, Hindhead and Sussex, was the small churchyard in Minstead in the New Forest chosen for his burial? There he lies close to the graves of several of my ancestors and I had assumed some connection of his to the place. Did your researches throw up anything to shed light on this?
  
  Regards
  Chris Roberts
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Arthur and George -- P. John O'Neill, 02:37:45 04/22/09 Wed

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• Conversations with Julian Barnes (New Book) -- Ryan, 10:48:51 03/17/09 Tue
  Conversations with Julian Barnes. University Press of Mississippi, April 2009. 212 pages (approx.)
  
  Conversations with Julian Barnes collects eighteen interviews, conducted over nearly three decades, by journalists and correspondents throughout the world with Julian Barnes, the author of such highly praised novels as Flaubert's Parrot and Arthur & George. The interviews collectively address the entirety of Barnes's varied works and provide readers the most vivid portrait yet of contexts and influences behind his ten novels, his short stories, and his essays. The interviews focus not only on the author's fiction but also on his essays, translations, and pseudonymous writings. Barnes's evolving understanding of the themes developed in his works (history, truth, love, art, and death), his views on the art of the writing process, and the role of authors in contemporary society are also discussed at length.
  
  About the Editors: Vanessa Guignery is assistant professor of British literature at the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne and the author of The Fiction of Julian Barnes. Ryan Roberts is a librarian at Lincoln Land Community College. He also maintains the official websites of Julian Barnes and Ian McEwan.
  
  Publication is scheduled for April 2009, and you may pre-order a copy at the University Press of Mississippi website or online via Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, or a variety of Independent Booksellers.
  
  Contents of Conversations with Julian Barnes:
  

  Introduction
  Chronology
  Ronald Hayman: Julian Barnes in Interview
  Caroline Holland: Escape from Metroland
  Patrick McGrath: Julian Barnes
  Bruce Cook: The World's History and Then Some in 10½ Chapters
  Michael March: Into the Lion's Mouth: A Conversation with Julian Barnes
  Observer: He's Turned Towards Python (But Not the Dead Flaubert's Parrot Sketch...): Interview with Julian Barnes
  Rudolf Freiburg: "Novels Come out of Life, Not out of Theories": An Interview with Julian Barnes
  Vanessa Guignery: "History in Question(s)": An Interview with Julian Barnes
  Shusha Guppy: Julian Barnes: The Art of Fiction CLXV
  Robert Birnbaum: Julian Barnes, Etc.
  Peter Wild: Interviews: Julian Barnes
  Vanessa Guignery: Julian Barnes in Conversation
  Nadine O'Regan: Cool, Clean Man of Letters
  Ramona Koval: Big Ideas-Program 5-"Julian Barnes"
  Stuart Jeffries: "It's for Self-Protection"
  Xesús Fraga: Interview with Julian Barnes
  (Previously unpublished in English)
  Margaret Crick: Julian Barnes: Are You an Oldie? (Expanded version)
  Vanessa Guignery and Ryan Roberts: Julian Barnes: The Final Interview (Conducted specially for this collection)
  

  You may also view the submitted index courtesy of Ryan Roberts. Please note that the final, published index will likely be edited with fewer entries. All page numbers correspond to the published edition. Index to Conversations with Julian Barnes.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Conversations with Julian Barnes (New Book) -- Erica Hateley, 23:07:53 03/31/09 Tue
    • Re: Conversations with Julian Barnes (New Book) -- Ryan (:-)), 17:16:39 04/10/09 Fri

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• Nothing to be Frightened of -- Danielle Osborne (Lucky), 16:18:48 03/13/09 Fri
  I'm reading Nothing to be Frightened of. I'm amazed and impressed by Barnes' priviledged upbringing. Just think how fortunate, rare and unusual it was during the 1940's and 1950's to be brought up without religion! I wish I'd had that childhood.
  

  
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• George & Arthur -- ROBERT SCHWALBAUM (TRAVELLER), 10:03:35 03/10/09 Tue
  About a month ago, I had never heard of Julian Barnes... of course.. living in Hawaii I don't find many literary circles.. found HIM in a book "The 1,000 books you should read" or something like that.
  
  Why I selected "G & A" over all the others offered.. I do not know.. But I DO know that I'm very grateful at having discovered Julian.. and specifically G & A.. one of the MOST fascinating novels I HAVE EVER READ!!
  

  
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• Funny book -- Robert (Expressing reading bliss), 14:25:05 03/05/09 Thu
  Nothing... is a wonderful book. I teared up several thousand times in complete laughter. I hope Mr. Barnes writes of nothing but death from now on. As a Buddhist overcoming the fear of death is a first lesson. This book will help all with that lesson with wit both contemporary and ancient, stylish prose and the cleverness of a seasoned voyager.
  

  
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• Startling revelations in Nothing to Be Frightened of.... -- Greg McCombs (the startled), 16:56:21 02/21/09 Sat
  What a joy reading "Nothing to be Frghtened Of." It glittered with wit and revelation from every facet of every paragraph. But one line in particular riveted me for many minutes: the wry aside about throwing away a bouquet of rotting roses - and the jug they were in ---
  Wow. Who knew about the jug throwing? Yet, who among us has not been so repulsed by the stench of rotted roses we didn't take them, jug and all, and toss them in the bin? And since this is always,(in my life a least) a solitary, stealthy action (I mean, who would want to be seen doing this?), how did Mr. Barnes manage to know about it or be the first brave human to reveal it to the world? I imagine that so many rotted rose jugs have been tossed away this century as to have exceeded the 100 million mark, and the pile of shattered glass that would result if all the broken jugs were swept together, would reach from here to the moon.
  

  
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• In praise of Nothing To Be Frightened Of -- Bruce Morse (amused), 11:36:16 02/21/09 Sat
  Having struggled with a comparable death anxiety my whole life (65 years) I
  was curious to read this book. I haven't laughed so much in years. In addition I was touched by the intimacy and humanity of the personal reflections. Several years ago my nine year old daughter came home from school one day and, while fixing herself a snack in an uncharacteristically subdued manner, asked me casually as I sat at the kitchen table, "Dad, if we're all going to die one day what's the sense of living?" When I stopped laughing at the casualness of her
  profound question I tried to give her my ideas on the subject. ( Something like each of our lives is our answer to that question). Now I intend to supplement my thoughts by leaving her this wonderfully wise, witty and poignant books about life's biggest question. In fact all my children will get a copy of this book. Thanks Julian and here's wishing you long life and a "good ending."
  

  
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• Nothing to be Frightened of -- Willis Housewright, 09:23:46 01/27/09 Tue
  I very much enjoyed the book. At 68 I find myself often preoccupied with these issues. Here are a few observations:
  
  A. God Argument I
  From time to time I have a go at E CONSENSU GENTIUM, but give up when I think of how many absurd things lots of people believe. The closest I get is with music. Listening to Bach or Lassus or Victoria I suspect there might be some sort of God.
  
  B. The Cat
  This book may have solved a mystery. In nearby Rhode Island, there is a nursing home cat, not known for being friendly,who will from time to time curl up with one of the residents, who will in a matter of hours, be dead. The cat is not known to have bedded down in error. It could be Schroedinger's cat on the loose and vengeful, but I think the fish smell theory is the answer.
  
  C. The Emergent Self and Free Will
  I have managed to convince myself that human consciousness is an emergent phenomenom not subject to reduction. I believe this on the basis that most people believe most abstract things, because I want to. Besides, I need to get to Free Will which I also want to believe in. After all as I. B. Singer quipped, "We must believe in Free Will, we have no choice."
  
  D. God Argument II
  Edging a little more out on the limb, if emergent consciousness, why not an emergent God? Surely at some level the complexity of the universe could yield up an Emergent God. Hard to say anything about Its characteristics, unlike the God I grew up with in central Texas. He was omniscent and omnipotent; not sure how many "omnis" there are but He had the monopoly, the "full omni", as it were.
  The key question, of course, is: what offerings do you make to an Emergent God, about whom you know nothing? A chicken? Gin? The odd virgin?
  
  Dunno.
  

  
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• new short story -- bob, 07:02:58 12/29/08 Mon
  http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2009/01/05/090105fi_fiction_barnes
  

  
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  • Re: new short story -- liquidprisoner (not an inadequate laugh), 06:33:11 01/20/09 Tue

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• yet another reader -- Bradley, 12:47:55 01/11/09 Sun
  Good News...
  
  Another read your book, and will pass it on!
  
  Bradley
  
  Eastern PA, USA
  

  
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• Reading of Nothing to be Frightened of -- Elizabeth Lewis, 13:46:30 01/08/09 Thu
  Is Julian Barnes' reading of 'Nothing to be Frightened of' on Radio 4 available as an audio book?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Reading of Nothing to be Frightened of -- Ryan, 08:46:28 01/10/09 Sat

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• Nothing To Be Frightened Of -- Tom K. (Humored Melancholic), 05:29:58 01/08/09 Thu
  LAST WORDS:
  One of the many pleasures (even though I don't think I'm ghoulish) from the book is the account of the "death bed scene and final words" of a number of well known people. I tumbled to another good one (not in the book) from a recent book review of a biography of Joseph Priestly. I was unaware that the good scientist spent his last years in America, having aroused much controversy in England. One of his friends and admirers was Thomas Jefferson who was President at the time of Priestly's death. Priestly wrote in a letter several days before dying: "Tell Mr. Jefferson that I think myself happy to have lived so long under his excellent administration: and that I have a prospect of dying in it. It is, I am confident, the best on the face of the earth, and yet I hope to rise to some thing more excellent." (Eloquent to be sure, almost too perfect.)
  
  Another favorite one is that of Stonewall Jackson, the redoubtable Confederate general in the American Civil War, whose words were a perfect metaphor for his "passing to the other side" expressed in terms of an army on the march: "Let us cross the river and rest under the shade of the trees." (Perfect.)
  
  As for me, I'd rather stay mum and get "piped over" to the other side with an aria by Mozart.
  
  TOMK JAN 8th 2009
  

  
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• Eternity -- Allen Levy, 22:41:07 12/31/08 Wed
  What no one has addressed, not even the witty Mr. Barnes, is the truly terrifying thing about death---the eternality of it. Nothingness for eternity until the end of time. One man I know, quoting some philosopher or scientist, mentioned that in the long eternity of time, there was the chance that atoms would recombine and we would all live again. I doubt it. In a sense, I don't mind death--I do mind being nothing for eternity.
  

  
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• "Brits Abroad." The Guardian, 18 October 2008 -- Joanna Goddard, 14:26:02 12/10/08 Wed
  "Brits Abroad." The Guardian, 18 October 2008
  
  I was absolutely riveted by this article and wondered if it was going to be developed into a book as i need to know more. Esp the flayed hand! Or has the research disturbed you too much to continue?
  

  
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• My heart goes out to you -- Pam Baker (Very very sad), 21:31:13 11/29/08 Sat
  I have been reading NTBFO and just went online to see if Julian Barnes had a book tour planned for my area, only to discover the tragic news of the rather sudden death of his wife, Pat Kavanagh, from a brain tumor. The unimaginable coincidence of the publishing of NTBFO with this devastating loss for Mr. Barnes is heartrending. My deepest sympathies go out to you, Mr. Barnes.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: My heart goes out to you -- David Bussey, 14:34:10 12/05/08 Fri

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• HELP -- Aybars (curious!), 21:21:45 11/23/08 Sun
  in the book "staring at the sun" a semi main character --if i'm not mistaken it was main character's son-- did a list of possiblities about god and her existence. he was saying there are simply not 2 possibilities (that god exists or not) but a lot more and he was writing down a few (like 10-15) i don't have the book with me and i couldn't find it over the internet --even though i searched for like 2 hours in english, turkish even spanish! nothing...
  can anyone be so wonderful and reply the list please?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: HELP -- Ryan, 07:58:38 11/25/08 Tue

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• Actual Correspondence -- Roger Huard, 09:19:14 11/24/08 Mon
  How can one actually correspond with Mr Barnes rather than engage in the blah, blah, blah of a blog?
  

  
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• Nothingto be frightened of -- Dean Dowson (sad), 18:56:57 11/05/08 Wed
  The author's musings belie his premise. There also should be a disclaimer: depending on your spiritual state at the time of death!! Here is a truth you might wish to consider: "it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgement". It would be very beneficial to investigate the final moments of others' who left life be-lieving as the author does. Voltaire's experience would be a good place to start. Dig deeper! The reality between the book's premise and truth is incomparably terrifying.
  

  
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• Very sad news -- Erica Hateley, 10:40:52 10/21/08 Tue
  I was shocked and saddened to read of Pat Kavanagh's death. Clive James has written a tribute which can be read at
  
  In sympathy,
  
  Erica
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Very sad news -- Erica Hateley, 10:44:00 10/21/08 Tue
    • Re: Very sad news -- Hélène, 09:13:19 11/03/08 Mon
  • Re: Very sad news -- helene mendes (inerested), 15:52:55 11/01/08 Sat
  • Re: Very sad news -- Viera Seligova, 08:08:09 11/03/08 Mon
  • Re: Very sad news -- Sarah Hodges (So sorry), 13:10:04 11/04/08 Tue

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• RIP Pat Kavanagh -- Simon Bowden, 17:22:29 10/20/08 Mon
  Condolences to Mr Barnes
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: RIP Pat Kavanagh -- Sirin, 12:44:53 10/28/08 Tue

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• Nothing to be frightened of -- T.F Reynolds (Disapponted), 22:59:54 10/22/08 Wed
  There may well be a short article in this book - lots of repetetive filler -so sad to hate all one's family and be so glib and so lacking in substance. Struck me as someone unloved and unloving - all downhill from the opening sentence.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Nothing to be frightened of -- Steatpygous (Insensitive twat), 19:22:50 10/23/08 Thu
  • Re: Nothing to be frightened of -- bob, 12:39:01 10/26/08 Sun
  • Re: Nothing to be frightened of -- bob, 12:40:29 10/26/08 Sun

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• A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters -- Linda Burton, 16:48:41 10/17/08 Fri
  I am trying to figure out what "dragonfly mistake" (p. 236) means. Is it possibly an English/American thing like squeezed flannel possibly meaning a wet washrag?
  

  
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• NO! The Genetic connection is not there. -- Ted Christopher, 18:50:42 10/13/08 Mon
  I saw your assessment in an NYT book review. The assessment reads,
  
  “Individualism — the triumph of free-thinking artists and scientists — has led to a state of self-awareness in which we can now view ourselves as units of genetic obedience.”
  
  This is may sound profound. This certainly sounds scientific. It also wrong - wholesale wrong.
  
  Here is a quote from an NYT article (Sept. 16, 2008) entitled "A dissenting voice as the genome is sifted to fight disease" in which a geneticist David B. Goldstein belatedly acknowledges the following,
  
  "It's an astounding thing that we have cracked the human genome and can look at the entire complement of common genetic variants, and what do we find? Almost nothing. That is absolutely beyond belief."
  
  They have found almost no connection between common variations in genes (the protein-defining subset of the DNA) and the susceptibility to common diseases.
  
  Secondly in the Oct. Sci. American there is an article entitled "The search for intelligence" which reveals findings from a rather thorough look (half a million SNPs) at the correlations between variations in DNA and variations in human intelligence. They found only one DNA variation with a statistically significant impact on intelligence and "it accounted for 0.4 percent of the variation in the [intelligence] scores. And to cap it all off, no one knew what the gene does in the body."
  
  The intellectual bedrock of the scientific or materialist position - that we are a bunch of DNA programmed biomolecular robots - is in fact getting the snot beaten out of it upon examination. It is worth noting that there has been a long-apparent rebut to genetic determinism that has been largely dodged. The rebut is of course the remarkable divergence of monozygotic twins in terms of their personalities (see the book "No Two Alike") and their health and longevity (see the Aug. 31 2006 NYT article "Live long? Die Young? Answer isn't just in your genes." by Gina Kolata).
  
  The bio-robot model is a bust. It might be good to investigate the mysteries of life - many of which science won't even peek at - and see if there is perhaps more to it.
  

  
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• A letter to Mr. Barnes -- Richard L. Aronstein, 10:09:41 09/30/08 Tue
  I would like to send a personal letter to JB, or electronically if not. I believe I may be able to assist him with at least one of the issues he raised in NTBFO and in his interview by Bob Edwards, which I heard this past weekend on NPR. I am a very old American lawyer with similar experiences and concerns to which I believe I have found answers.
  
  Postal address? JB's e-mail address?
  
  Thank you.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: A letter to Mr. Barnes -- Ryan, 22:21:36 10/05/08 Sun

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• death -- eugene krasnow md, 09:37:59 10/05/08 Sun
  Julian Barnes; The fear has nothing to do with G-d. It has to do with the loss of the future and whatever hope one has for good things ahead. gene krasnow
  

  
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• Suggestion -- Jordan, 06:29:05 09/23/08 Tue
  Julian,
  
  About death, Robinson Jeffers' "The Bed by The Window" sounds the right note. It works for me, at any rate.
  

  
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• Heaven vs. Hell -- Cheryl, 21:06:47 07/23/08 Wed
  I heard a bit on NPR about a story where a man thinks he has died and gone to heaven but after a few days, he realizes that he is actually in hell. Does anyone know the name of the story?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Heaven vs. Hell -- Jordan, 06:05:39 09/23/08 Tue

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• Gillian-Oliver-Stuart -- Marcus Moore (Frustrated), 04:37:49 09/08/08 Mon
  Having written two great novels serial style, always leaving one with a thirst for the next instalment, is Julian Barnes the ultimate sadist making us wait till 2011 for the sequel to 'Love, etc.' and 'Talking it over'?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Gillian-Oliver-Stuart -- youneverknow, 16:16:29 09/10/08 Wed

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• appearance in UK -- Laetitia, 12:56:13 09/08/08 Mon
  Do you know if Julian Barnes will make an appearance in London?
  

  
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• doyle quote -- Andy Aligne (curious), 10:42:31 09/04/08 Thu
  In Arthur and George, Conan Doyle is quoted as saying "about the writer's responsibilities: they are firstly, to be intelligible, secondly, to be interesting, and thirdly, to be clever."
  
  What is the source for this quote?
  
  Is it made up by Barnes?
  

  
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• A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters -- Gillian, 04:41:39 09/02/06 Sat
  My Upper-Sixth form has enjoyed reading this. Yesterday we were discussing Chapter 10 and the question arose as to why Hitler was the arch "bad guy" who was observed from behind bushes. Why not Stalin or Mao who both had similar atrocities committed in their names?
  Has anyone any ideas?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters -- Steven, 11:09:55 05/20/07 Sun
  • Re: A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters -- Andrew, 06:26:11 06/03/07 Sun
  • Re: A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters -- Lucas (MA thesis on A history), 03:14:32 08/25/08 Mon

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• Help! -- Matias, 13:32:09 07/10/08 Thu
  Hi! I'm from Argentina and reading a book by Julian Barnes for the first time. I started with 'England, England' -was the character of Sir Jack inspired on Sir Alan Sugar?-. Never mind, as my mother tongue is Spanish, I find some difficulties with vocabulary... no to mention acronyms! Would someone be so kind as to say me what "T... N... P!" means?
  
  Thanks! I will keep reading.
  
  All the best,
  
  Matias Casano
  Buenos Aires, Argentina
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Help! -- Ryan, 17:15:24 07/13/08 Sun
    • Re: Help! -- Matias, 22:16:40 07/20/08 Sun
  • Re: Help! -- Elma, 04:23:47 08/07/08 Thu

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• "Nothing to be Frightened Of" -- Erica Hateley, 20:35:15 03/14/08 Fri
  Okay, so due to time-management (or lack thereof) issues, I've only read the first 95 pages, but I'm loving it!
  
  Rather than viewing it as an autobiography--which despite JB's resistance to--was a possibility for me, I think (at least so far) it's more of a literary autobiography. That is, if you're familiar with Barnes's earlier works, there are a number of connections that emerge here and there in "Nothing". Also, it has the added bonus for me of being a meditation on mortality undertaken by a speaker who is at the least Agnostic. As an athiest, I find these issues fascinating, particularly as I view them without the optimism of an Other Force/Presence/Organising Principle at play in the universe.
  
  I'd love to hear what people think of the book, so far, or in completion!
  
  Cheers,
  
  Erica
  

  
  [ Post a Reply to this Message ][Edit]
  
  Replies:

  • Re: "Nothing to be Frightened Of" -- Fred, 06:44:21 03/17/08 Mon
  • Re: "Nothing to be Frightened Of" -- David Munslow (Amazed), 10:50:49 03/21/08 Fri
  • Re: "Nothing to be Frightened Of" -- Erica Hateley (chagrined), 12:05:33 03/21/08 Fri
  • Re: "Nothing to be Frightened Of" -- effie Araouzou, 09:35:32 03/22/08 Sat
  • Re: "Nothing to be Frightened Of" -- Annie Mole, 16:46:43 04/01/08 Tue
  • Re: "Nothing to be Frightened Of" -- Breda, 16:30:07 06/12/08 Thu

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• polar bears -- luke kelly, 15:17:53 06/05/08 Thu
  In Flaubert's Parrot, Geoffrey Braithwaite suggests that polar bears cannot be tamed. This article suggests that they were tamed in the past: http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16539&ew_0_a_id=307177
  

  
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• Nothing to be frightened of -- Theo Veenhof, Almere, Netherlands, 06:56:58 05/15/08 Thu
  Dear Mr. Barnes,
  
  On page 50 of "Nothing to be frightened of" you mention a "temperature [that] often rises to 20 degrees". could this possibly be 20 degrees Réaumur, which would equal 25 degrees Celcius? 20 degrees Celsius is a fine temperature for a room, 25 degrees is unpleasantly hot...
  
  I am really enjoying your new book!
  
  Kindest regards,
  
  Theo Veenhof
  

  
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• Nothing to be frightened of -- Tony Sandy, 06:54:42 03/18/08 Tue
  I don't think athiests can claim to feel wonder as this is a religious reaction to life - worshipping at the altar of existence. Atheism is dispassionate, nuetral and therefore outside the world of emotion - when it enters it, it becomes by definition spiritual or religious in experience.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Nothing to be frightened of -- Trefor, 10:58:15 03/18/08 Tue
  • Re: Nothing to be frightened of -- Erica, 19:31:13 03/19/08 Wed
  • Re: Nothing to be frightened of -- bob, 21:39:47 05/02/08 Fri

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• Arthur & George -- Beverly Fox Martin, 09:01:46 02/04/06 Sat
  Thank you, Mr. Barnes, for writing Arthur & George. Your eloquent prose reminded me very much of the tenacious and precise writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself. It was very compelling for me to be driven, once again, on a twisting textual journey by such an outstanding word weaver! I was sorry to have the tale come to its inevitable end. I look forward to reading more of your work. Most sincerely, Beverly Martin
  

  
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• 'People say life is the thing; but I prefer reading'.... -- Bianca, 09:37:05 03/23/07 Fri
  I'll be joining the camp of message posters who are writing a dissertation, hoping that you enthusiasts will have an educated nibble at a dangled question...
  
  I am looking at 'Flaubert's Parrot' and the statement it makes on the relationship between literature and the reader. Does it promote empathy, insight and a sense of life's possibilities? Or is it a ghetto for saddos who can't cope with the intimacies and complexities of real life? Although packaged up to sound more academic, naturally. Any resources or ramblings you'd care to supply would be received with rapture...
  
  How do you suppose one would actually be able to angle a conversation with Barnes, short of stalking? Is it worth sampling the delights of Swindon to see him at a literary festival I wonder? Musings on this subject, welcome too.
  
  Many thanks.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: 'People say life is the thing; but I prefer reading'.... -- Fred, 12:45:01 04/11/07 Wed
  • Re: 'People say life is the thing; but I prefer reading'.... -- effie araouzou, 10:28:36 03/22/08 Sat

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• Oblivion -- Ron Fox (Apprehensive), 02:33:44 03/19/08 Wed
  Good morning,
  My interest in J.B's work stems from our mutual fear of death.I first heard of J's "condition" some years ago,on R4.It prompted me to buy a book of his short stories,title escapes me,but I've read nothing else by him.I shall be reading "Nothing To Be Afraid Of".I'm catching bits of it on the radio.
  What I'm working round to is this, I shall be 61 in a few days time & as a younger man I used to think,"if I live long enough I'll get used to the fact of death & come to terms with it". This doesn't seem to be happening,the only comfort & it's cold,that I am able to take,is that so many people have coped with the event already.
  Ron Fox.
  

  
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  • Re: Oblivion -- effie Araouzou, 09:57:52 03/22/08 Sat

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• Title -- Ron Fox (Apologetic), 02:43:47 03/19/08 Wed
  Sorry, I meant " NOTHING TO BE FRIGHTENED OF " in my previous post.
  

  
  [ Post a Reply to this Message ][Edit]
  

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• Heard the first extract on Radio 4 -- jerome kiel (Enthusiastically inspired!), 10:23:44 03/18/08 Tue
  As a writer and mature OU student, when I heard the first extract today, I recognised some of the brilliantly thought out techniques which we learnt in Creative Writing last year.
  This year, although still writing short stories and poetry, I'm doing Humanities, a concoction of Art History, Literature,Philosophy,Religion,Science, Architecture,History and so on. This book, curiously, seems to promise covering some of those subjects for me, but in a wonderfully enjoyable way. I look forward to my own copy when it gets here from Waterstones.com in the next day or so. Yippee!
  
  Until today, I hadn't heard of Mr. Barnes.
  

  
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• Death Book -- David Heinaman, 14:04:44 03/04/08 Tue
  I'm your age and trained as a scientist and mathematician. I found your comments about Darwinism enlightening, but what if Darwin is wrong? Consider Michael Behe, The Edge of Evolution.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Death Book -- Graham Dunstan Martin (Optimistic), 05:50:01 03/11/08 Tue

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• MC&HNY!!! -- Irina, 06:28:39 12/24/07 Mon
  Dear friends!
  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all JB's readers and to our great author and his famaly of course!
  Be happy in your countries and read good books!
  With the best wishes from Moscow,
  Irina.
  

  
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• Story of Mats Israelson -- Irina (Dear friends! Dear Mr. Barnes!), 00:05:44 12/14/07 Fri
  The first time I met the author while reading his Story of Mats Israelson.
  I thought he is Swedish because he told a very beautiful love story happened in Sweden. Then I found out he is English and wrote many other things. I have read almost all of them and I like them very much, but you know The Story of Mats Israelson was like "coup de foudre", love at the first sight, which you can’t forget.
  Irina, Moscow.
  

  
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• Good prose -- Pam, 12:30:07 07/01/07 Sun
  I've just finished redaing "Love, ect." and keep on wondering where are all the good writers? I find this book so superficial & boring (with some rare good passages) that I had to resist temptation to throw it right away. I love literature but really struggle to lay my hands on some decent British writer. Sorry, if I am too straightforward, but I guess I am entitled to my opinion. The question that haunts me is the following one - "Are the writers deliberately write all sorts of rubbish books to cater to mass market or they just do not see what rubbish they produce?" Why forty plus dissapointed & cynical ladies march along the pages in thier droves? Is that such an exciting character to work on? What's the message behind? On the second thoughts - give me Golsworthy any day. Probably, I'd better stop buying modern writers.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Good prose -- bob, 17:30:10 07/01/07 Sun
  • Re: Good prose -- Erica, 05:47:19 07/02/07 Mon
  • Re: Good prose -- Ann, 13:14:19 07/11/07 Wed
  • Re: Good prose -- Claire, 22:52:22 11/30/07 Fri

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• Arthur and George -- Michael (satisfied), 16:57:55 10/22/07 Mon
  At the end of a visit to Paris, I picked up a copy of "Arthur and George" in the airport bookstore - I had never heard of the author, but the cover was appealing, at least when compared to the rest - and read it on the flight to New York.
  
  I was very lucky in my choice - What a wonderful book!
  
  I especially enjoyed the clever and craftful melding of fiction and history. There was never an awkward moment in the writing - unless the final peculiar bit in the Albert Hall...although that was as memorable as the rest.
  
  I intend to read more books by this gifted author.
  

  
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  • Re: Arthur and George -- bob, 11:40:25 10/29/07 Mon

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• Obtaining translations -- Daniel (hopeful), 05:15:02 06/17/07 Sun
  Hello everyone,
  
  It's great that Julian Barnes' website provides a list of known translations of his work into other languages, but I need a little help in how to get hold of copies.
  
  I see that 'History Of The World...' has been translated into Czech and I'd like to buy a copy for my girlfriend. I've been to the website of the publisher of the translation, but I'm afraid my Czech has barely got off the ground, so I'm not able to learn much there.
  
  Has anyone any experience of obtaining foreign translations that might help me?
  
  Many thanks
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Obtaining translations -- Ryan, 22:01:31 06/26/07 Tue
  • Re: Obtaining translations -- Viera Seligova, 07:06:42 08/01/07 Wed

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• translations -- Viera Seligova, 07:00:33 08/01/07 Wed
  Hello,
  
  if your girlfriend is Czech, she should have no problem reading a Slovak translation. Here is a webpage where you can order some of Barnes' books translated into Slovak. They even have one translated into Czech {Flaubert's parrot}. Unfortunately they don't have History of the World..Good luck :-}
  
  Viera
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: translations -- Viera Seligova, 07:04:10 08/01/07 Wed

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• arthur & george -- michael, 13:00:29 07/21/07 Sat
  just finished Arthur & George... i was torn between 2 desires - to read it overnight or to stretch it over several days of reading pleasure, and the latter won. I could not sleep for a few nights because george's case was bothering me so much.
  
  Dear Julian, thank you very much for this book - i do not remember another one I've read in the past few years that took over my imagination so completely, and got me so fully immersed in the story told.
  
  waiting for more of your creations,
  michael
  

  
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• Arthur & George -- Brian Lynch (Puzzled), 07:18:32 05/04/07 Fri
  Is it true that J B Partridge,while at Stonyhurst, did not know the difference between the Virgin Birth and the Immaculate Conception of Mary?
  

  
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• england england -- monalisa (help please), 14:29:22 03/07/07 Wed
  hi everyone,
  
  i'm writing on julian barnes and other narratives which are linked to england and englishness, can you give me your opinion on the subject and tell me more about how it is underlined in barnes' novel thanks for your help
  

  
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  • Re: england england -- roger, 19:34:19 03/15/07 Thu

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• Arthur et George -- Nordon (grateful), 13:37:47 02/23/07 Fri
  My name might ring a bell (no pun intended). I would like to know what was at the inception of your book. Carr and I had mentioned the Edalji case but by no means as thoroughly as you treat it. I look upon your study (investigation ? analysis ? novel ? ) as a brilliant sequel. And as far as I can judge admirably translated. Thanks for mentioning Adrian whose guest I was on several occasions. His relationship with his French secretary was very much of the ACD - Wood kind. You and I briefly met in Paris some 20 years ago - about the time when I retired from Sorbonne and all that.
  Best regards.
  Pierre Nordon
  

  
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• Get rid of religion, but not of spiritual values -- D. R. Khashaba, 10:41:39 01/07/07 Sun
  Dear Professor Barnes,
  
  I feel that we have much in common. I believe it is high time for humanity to grow out of religion, but not to abandon spiritual values. Permit me to invite you to have a look at my website and weblog.
  http://www.Back-to-Socrates.com
  http://khashaba.blogspot.com
  
  You might also find my latest book, Hypatia’s Lover, which has just been published of interest:
  http://www.virtualbookworm.com/store/search.php?mode=search&page=1
  
  Best regards.
  
  D. R. Khashaba
  Cairo, Egypt
  

  
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• Barnes -- Daria, 06:20:26 10/11/05 Tue
  Hello everybody,
  I'm looking for people who wrote or are going to write dissertations and articles on Barnes's novels and short stories. Hope to get in touch with someone to exchange ideas on his literary output. My icq number is 203094883. Many thanks,
  Daria
  

  
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  • Re: Barnes -- Iga, 06:54:29 12/13/06 Wed

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• Quotation uncertaintity -- Maxell Harvester, 07:31:00 12/04/06 Mon
  I've heard the quote that postmodernism argues for the existence of a "multiplicity of theoretical standpoints". Does anyone know who this can be attributed to?
  
  Thanks
  

  
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  • Re: Quotation uncertaintity -- Daria, 09:10:55 12/05/06 Tue

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• JB reviews Therese Raquin dramatic adaptation -- Erica Hateley, 23:18:03 11/27/06 Mon
  http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1956167,00.html
  
  Cheers,
  
  Erica
  

  
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  • Re: JB reviews Therese Raquin dramatic adaptation -- Erica (again), 23:23:21 11/27/06 Mon
    • Keep posting, Erica -- Ryan, 18:43:05 11/28/06 Tue

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• Quotation -- Mark Hall, 09:04:53 11/27/06 Mon
  Hi
  I know this may seem a bit strange, I am writing a 20th American History Essay and believe that Julian Barnes once observed that any foreigner visiting the United States can perform an easy magic trick.
  `Buy a newspaper and see your own country disappear.'
  Does anyone have any proof that he said this as I would like to use it and think I need both evidence he said it and permission to use it.
  
  Regards
  Mark
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Quotation -- Ryan, 21:43:44 11/27/06 Mon

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• A History of the World in 10 1/2 chapters' -- Anastasia (Help!), 09:07:09 09/05/06 Tue
  Hello everybody!
  I am from russia, and it is really impossible to find an original English variant of the book here. But i badly need it, really. PLEASE if anybody has an electronic/ scanned version of the book or at least of the second chapter "The Visitors" give me the link, or my e-mail is portwine_777@rambler.ru Iwill be very grateful.
  Thanks all =)
  

  
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• Reception of books in England and France -- Klaas Roggeman, 01:37:38 08/14/06 Mon
  I wonder if there are any known comparisons between the reception/sales of Barnes' books in respectively England and France or any difference in popularity?
  

  
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• Arthur & George -- Subhankar Mondal, 01:26:26 08/01/06 Tue
  I have just completed reading "Arthur & George" and find it a masterpiece. I've always bore a bizzare scepticism against modern novelists but now that I've read a great modern writer,this shield of cynicism is gradually revealing cracks. The novel is an exquisitely contrued work of literature that must remain a great book till eternity.
  

  
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• Staring At The Sun -- Marion, 04:20:21 07/12/06 Wed
  Please help me! There's been a question bugging me ever since I've read this truly haunting book - Staring At The Sun - someone p l e a s e tell me: WHY IS THE MINK TENACIOUS OF LIFE???
  Put me out of my misery, I beg you!
  

  
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• Soil on Shoes? -- Dr Alastair Ruffell, Queen's University Belfast, 02:26:03 03/30/06 Thu
  I read Arthur and George with two intentions. First was to enjoy a good read, as we always do with Julian Barnes. The other was to see how the evidence we often cite in the Edalji case - of Doyle proving his innocence by the mud on his seized shows not matching that of the scene of the last animal mutilation (see Ruffell & McKinley, 2005, Earth Science Reviews, V 69, p235-247). The latter point, forgive me if I missed it, was not in Barne's book. Now I am seeking to test the veracity of this oft-quoted evidence (Murray 'Evidence from the Earth', Mountain Press, 2004). Can anyone help?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Soil on Shoes? -- adam navin, 01:38:16 06/13/06 Tue

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• Emily & Florence -- Charles Nicol, 12:25:31 05/20/06 Sat
  Dear Mr Barnes,
  I love your books.
  I was wondering if the characters Emily and Florence in the popular television series are named after the cryptogamic ladies in your short story in "Cross Channel"
  
  Charles Nicol
  

  
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• Synoptic Paper -- Richard Morris, 11:27:26 06/19/03 Thu
  The author Julian Barnes belives ‘A history of the world in 10 ½ chapters’ is a novel, by his definition ‘an extended piece of prose, largely fictional, which is planned and executed as a whole piece.’ By this classification the book could be described as such. Other critics have called it, ’10 Short Stories’ and a work which posses ‘no character who rises above the cipher and no plot worth speaking of’. It is true that most novels will follow trends and themes which re-occur in each chapter, Barnes’ book takes a different stance and each chapter seems for the most part to be separate from those before or after. The only frequent theme and character is the ‘narrator’ (the woodworm) and the theme of separating the clean from the unclean which occurs in both the story of Noah’s arch which was built because God felt the world was too corrupt, the flood therefore was intended to cleanse the world leaving only Noah. This also occurs on the raft, when the clean and unclean or healthy and dying were separated to save food. Beyond this I can find little else to link Barnes work chapter to chapter. What then is Barnes’ reason for this seemingly unstructured ‘novel’ I ask myself. The only answer I can derive is that the unstructured book is supposed to symbolise as a whole man on earth and the random nature by which we live.
  
  I would be as bold to say that this book is an attack on history itself. The humorous title almost mocks history. Furthermore I came across a quote of Barnes’ on the internet, ‘47% is better than 41%’, this pessimistic view on how truthful a source can be reflects Barnes’ whole attitude towards other peoples account’s. In this way we must remember that of the 150 on the raft only 15 survived and 2 told their story, how truthful do you believe those two guilty survivors where? Barnes’ aim as far as I can see with this book is to undermine history as a genre altogether, ‘there are as many types of history as there are ways of writing’ (Barnes).
  
  I gotta get back to real work now but please reply, unfortunately I didn’t get around to the painting but briefly I believe that this picture is attempting to portray, as the source I believe says, mans isolation and will to survive despite the unbeatable forces of the ocean.
  
  Please Respond, Good Luck.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Synoptic Paper -- Lindsay, 11:36:56 06/19/03 Thu
  • A History vs. (The) History -- Stefan Stefanov a.k.a. Cheeseus, 16:09:45 05/14/06 Sun

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• History of the world -- George, 05:30:56 04/11/06 Tue
  Hey there,
  
  Barnes certainly wrote a "clever" book. It is clearly provocative, thoughtful and searching, but it is also unconventional in form, impartial and unjudgemental. What does Barnes want the reader to think? Is this an insurmountable problem for the litery theorist or is this the exact position that Barnes wants his readers to be in, and if so why?
  
  Any thoughts on this greatly appreaciated!
  
  Thanks George.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: History of the world -- Omotola, 10:57:40 04/26/06 Wed
  • Re: History of the world -- Dr.Fanta, 07:56:35 04/29/06 Sat

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• Flaubert's parrot -- Hugo Lewyllie, 12:43:44 04/01/06 Sat
  Dear Mister Barnes,
  I've just read your novel on Flaubert and his parrot.
  Some questions have since bothered my somehow.
  First question: Are your really sure that "bear" has the same connotation in English as in French? I myself have some doubts. The English dictionaries explain it's use for a human being as "a pessimist, an ill-mannered person", but none that I have checked states the connotation "person that seaks solitude", which is what Flaubert was referring to and can be found in any good French dictionary.
  Secondly: You translate somewhere (page 138, Picador paperback) a excerpt of one of Flaubert's letters, wherein he writes Bouilhet of his plans. "My Flemish novel about the young girl who dies a virgin and a mystic... in a little provincial town, at the bottom of a garden planted with cabbages and "bulrushes"... (highlighted by me). Bulrushes are in French "des joncs", but in the original French correspondance I read "quenouilles". Quenouille means here: fruit trees cut in the form of a "spindle". This surely must be a mistake? Anyway, I haven't heard of "planted" bulrushes...
  Yours truly,
  Hugo Lewyllie (Belgium, mother tongue: Dutch)
  

  
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• Arthur and George -- caroline walker, 07:14:41 02/16/06 Thu
  Having just finished reading Arthur and George,(I only got the book yesterday).
  I live in the area that this book mentions. firstly I should point out that the Bridgtown mentioned is not spelt with an 'e' as in Bridgetown, small point I know, but folks around here get very 'put out' about that.
  However last night it sparked a conversation with my parents, who are in their eighties, and my mother reckons that my grandmother(her mother)was 'in service to that household, somewhere near that time!! so now you have set me about on a mission to find out more!!!!!!!
  I enjoyed the book,and will read more of your work.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Arthur and George -- Allan Howard, 11:33:09 03/24/06 Fri

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• essay -- Natalia, 13:51:11 03/12/06 Sun
  Hello, everybody!
  I should write an essay on the chapter Parenthesis of Julian Barnes' "History..."
  If somebody has any material on this chapter,send it,please, on my e-mail.
  Best regards from Ukraine and thank you for your help
  

  
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• just asking... -- Lea Marie, 19:20:11 02/26/06 Sun
  hmm.. just wanna ask if his character/hero in flaubert's parrot a non-fictinal character. thnx folks. :)
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: just asking... -- Ryan, 04:36:48 02/27/06 Mon

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• Arthur and George -- Helen Humphreys, 07:41:03 02/24/06 Fri
  Really enjoyed Arthur and George, but sorry to be a bit of an anorak about this but Ingleton is nowhere near the Yorkshire Wolds its in the Yorkshire Dales, so it would be fells and dales not Wolds, also the station was at Thornton which was then 2 miles to Masongill- across the viaduct from Ingleton- the halt at Thornton was demolished about 1970 although I remember it as a child- i am from Ingleton so rather pedantic about these things.I hadn't realised that the stories I heard were in fact true, my family apparently knew Conan Doyle as a visitor to the village and a friend of the local doctor.The only bit that village gossip got wrong was the relationship of the governess at Thornton Vicarage to Conan Doyle.They also believed that the Hound of the Baskervilles was based on the moors above Masongill, its certainly wild enough.
  

  
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• Re Verlaine House Camden -- Michael E Corby, 00:39:06 02/24/06 Fri
  Heard you on the wireless today.
  
  
  Am interested in getting involved in this, possibly buying and restoring, with utmost sympathy and commitment, the properties.
  
  Can I have more info please?
  
  Regards
  
  M E Corby
  

  
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• Happy Birthday, Mr Barnes! -- Dr Max, 12:30:07 01/19/06 Thu
  Happy Birthday, Mr Barnes! With the 250th birthday of one of Europe's most excellent composers coming up in about a week from now, let's not forget the 60th birthday of one of Europe's most excellent writers - today's the day!
  

  
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• I love Barnes! -- Lea Marie, 20:06:52 01/08/06 Sun
  or maybe braithwaite's flaw? how about flaubert's flaw? or canaria's flaw perhaps? ok, let's call this barnes' flaw... no no no! let's call this flaubert's, braithwaite's and canaria's flaw.
  
  Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes (copyright: 1984)
  
  1984, the year i came to existence and the rest to extinction. the year this novel (anti-novel) came to the market. or did it? or was this only a reprint? who knows? julian barnes sure does. ask him? posthumously? hopefully not..
  
  few years ago, i came across with this novel at my aunt's bookshelf (im the person who would mess ur shelf looking for a nice book to crack). but it honestly didnt have my least attention. i find the cover boring and assumed the whole is as plain as its front.
  
  but things are made to decieve. and to my surprise, this is the only novel who had me up for some nights chuckling my heart out (and some more nights thinking about the novel itself, and the author alongside). and the only prose i find too delightful, indulging and exceptionally witty... so far. no. i am not trying to adulate barnes (or braithwaite?) for such a job well done. im just expressing what is due and what is there to express.
  
  so who might these people be? flaubert? a french novelist. braithwaite? an english anti-novelist. canaria? a filipina wannabe? from the 18 hundreths, to the 19th, to the 20th or 21st perhaps? does it matter? does time really matters? the generation? the war? the abstract? the absolute? the writings? the parrot? the ironies? the flaws? or maybe the philandering?
  
  i've actually looked up the encyclopedia if flaubert really did exist; Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880). i wonder if it is really his picture that is there. a bald, stout french guy who happened to be a 6-foot mere adonis in his early years. but again, does it matter? does looks matter? the height? the built? the color of the eyes? of the hair? of the skin? the prominence of the nose? the contour of the mouth? but why? we were born without any knowledge of how we look and how we have to look. if we find it too frustrating facing the mirror, do we have a choice? we were born the way we are. no matter how good or bad it was, it is and it can be, we were simply born; unknowing, choiceless. but does it matter? does looks really matter? do we have to fixate ourselves to physical aesthetics? especially of a person? sure thing, when one is physically beautiful, he'll have as many women as he like chasing after him, and even men by all means. but when our age progress, do we progress physically? do we expect to look the same on our deathbed half a century after the peak of our youth? "when the mind inside declares itself prematurely old, the flesh do its best to conform"-- braithwaite.
  
  
  the only real deal in this world is regression, deterioration. it's the boiling pot of everything, of evey detail of our existence. of every struggles, of every foe, of every gray hair that multiplies day and day and of every wrinkle in our face that is much too frustrating than the faec itself.
  
  
  you may call these hypocritical thinking; yes it is, and no it is not. somehow, we do set requisites and standards for the right person to love -- tall, dark and handsome, pretty, sexy and petite. it's sane enough, isnt it? we dream. and when we do we cross the horizon. we dream of the abstract, the ideal. y not? the dream is the reality of the dreamer. but we're not dreamers (maybe, not always) and reality, unfortunately, always set in and strike us hard. how about the short ones? the ghostly ones? the not-so-handsome-nor-pretty ones? the pudgy ones? the walking sticks? isnt there a bright world ahead of them? do we have to prejudge, judge or adjudge people by the way they look? no, of course not. looks is the shallowest part of the stream. and those who see a person by the way he look, are as shallow as looks itself.
  
  braithwaite's had had me a still-vague picture of flaubert (though he gave himself a cloudless view). i have always wanted to learn french. but maybe, with all these translations and different language versions, learning such is just but a waste of time. (just the way learning english has made me less of a filipina, has made me divert my native tongue from filipino to english. and in a way, made me less of the ordinary and more of the intellectual -- if it makes sense, and if u would agree.) i wanted to have a copy of his vulgar and controversial "madam bovary". (anybody with a good heart pls?) and why it has brought him into legal interrogation. freedom of speech? freedom of expression? did he somehow violate this? funny isnt it? how will one ever violate such freedom? or if that was such then we should omit the term freedom and call it "of speech" and "of expression" instead. well, his novel simply went against the moral law. and yes. during the 18th century, they speak of moral law; of chauvinism, of feminism, of egoism, of sadism. of war, of homosexuality, of syphillis, of philandering.
  
  my client (braithwaite) is an english retired doctor who fed his obsession to his client (flaubert), set all the way from england to rouen, to croisset, to wherever these places be. i honestly am not so sure if he does exist (or if barnes just like flaubert, built his characters) but apparently, he seemed to. i've theorized his own obsession out of the synopsis the encyclopedia had for "madam bovary". did braithwaite, somehow, feel the weight of flaubert's novel? did he, in a way or another, able to relate the story of emma bovary to ellen braithwaite? i honestly felt moved by his pure story. it looked like, "madam bovary" was a prophecy that had befallen unto him. and braithwaite was in search for the prophet who had almost cursed his life, his whole being. i felt a little symphatetic, that's all.
  
  and as for me, i wouldnt have to do anything with "madam bovary". but braithwaite's real-life story and exceptional writing style had interest and at the same time inspired me. i've always wanted to write a novel (a book). i've tried, but that lacked spice. u may call me braithwaite's amateur but i would inclined myself to vera brittain, a realist romanticist (or maybe to miguel de cervantes' don quixote; a mad hopeless romantic). but brittain was just too profound and spontaneous the way i always try to be. i can never be like her. i cant deal with all her "corporeal" and i havent wont, nor submitted, nor made a brilliant, award-winning literary work at 20. i want to be a little of braithwaite's intellectually funny sense.
  
  i have always wanted to meet a lot of people. 1st, shakespeare. i wanted to tell him "how dare u made literature a man and only a man's thing." 2nd, virginia woolf, she reprimanded and counterproved the thought that literature is only a man's thing. 3rd, byron george gordon, he's damn gorgeous. 4th, elizabeth browning. i want to ask her how to be romantically bitter. 5th, abraham lincoln, he knew just what freedom and human rights are. 6th, andres bonifacio, a brave heart. 7th, conrado de quiros, a brave soul, daringly opinionated. 8th, vera brittain, a woman of melancholia, a true woman, a brain. 9th, lualhati baustita. i like her "dekada 70". 10th, the sophists. "dont make things hard for an idiot!" 11th, eisntein. i want to trim his hair, he honeslty and no doubt needs a little grooming. and now lastly, geoffrey braithwaite. i wanted to ask him how to make people come to u time after time, at any rate. seriously, i wanted to tell him, "u'll come out of it."
  
  so is this the life we talk about almost everyday of our unpredictable existence? when u're in ur 20's and u talk about life, do u get criticisms on ur head? at ur breasts? behind ur back? under ur feet? from whom? from the old and experienced ones? yes, for sure. but what do they know about u? what do they know about the billion "other" people living in the same planet as u do? how do they ever know if u exist, if u did exist, or if u'll about to exist? how will u know one if u just take a glimpse on him and fainted with his boisterous look? and apparently, died from his unfunny jokes and dull wit. (but is this all that matters? the looks? the intellect? is this all that makes one happy? no. "to be stupid, to be selfish and to be healthy are the three requirements to be happy -- though if stupidity is lacking, the others are useless"-- flaubert. now, can u tell if u're happy?) do they know about the things u had gone through? do they experienced all the things u had? do they know every detail of what u're going through? do they? did they?
  
  
  what is life to u may not be life to me, and what is life to me may not be life to u. what is love to me may be lust to u, what is lust to me may be love to u. i may be a riddle to u, i may be a riddle to braithwaite the way he's starting to be a riddle to me. what is orthodoxy to me might be paradoxical to u. what is philandering to me, may be sanity to u. we never know the absolute, we never can tell if there is really such. but what if we can? what difference will it make between knowing, unknowing and wanting to know? if u want to know, will u know? if u dont know, will u want to know? if u know, will u understand?
  
  ..........
  

  
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• US News and World Report article -- Zaleski, 20:33:37 01/02/06 Mon
  Is this the same Julian Barnes who spent time with Maj. Jon Fox in Iraq and wrote an outstanding article for U.S. News and World Report?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: US News and World Report article -- W.M., 20:50:55 01/02/06 Mon

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• Love, etc. -- Ni, 01:14:59 12/03/05 Sat
  Is there any critics on the book 'Love, etc.'and where could I find it? It is very intersting to read, but it is also necessary to know what others think about it.
  

  
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• Help Me Gooch McCracken...You're My Only Hope -- John Smith, 17:44:10 11/28/05 Mon
  Gooch, golfers, Tony, etc.,
  
  Where's Mart's new board? I know you've found it if there is one.
  
  John Smith
  

  
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• i'm writing a paper and i don't want to read the novel -- John, 20:50:40 11/03/05 Thu
  i'm writing a paper on history of the world, can you tell me the importance of the fish that swim up the urine. and is parentheses the 1/2, or what? any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. if you wil write my paper that would be really really cool.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Hmmm ... -- Jacko, 21:27:42 11/04/05 Fri
  • Re: This is how I can help you:-) -- Daria, 11:39:28 11/07/05 Mon

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• Conference -- Guillaume, 13:13:52 11/01/05 Tue
  Hi there!
  I haven't read any book of Julian Barnes yet (and I know I'm wrong...), all the more since I study English!
  Anyway, while working on Ford Madox Ford's "The Good Soldier", I happened to read a clever article written by Barnes about it, and then I found the recording of the conference he held at La sorbonne in Paris a few years ago that might interest some of you, because he talks about his "Flaubert's Parrot" and answers to a number of questions concerning other matters with humour and spirit.
  Here's the link:
  www.ercla.paris4.sorbonne.fr
  Tell me if you find it useful... or not!!
  Guillaume
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Conference -- Ryan, 22:56:38 11/02/05 Wed

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• Talking it over & Love etc. -- Anton Segers, 15:12:28 11/01/05 Tue
  Hello,
  I'm wondering if Talking it over & Love etc. have ever been adapted for the theatre. I know about one production in Belgium (just Talking it over) but has it been done in other countries as well?
  It seems very logical, but I do not seem to find a trace of a theatre version anywhere on internet.
  Can anyone help me please?
  Anton Segers,
  Ninove, Belgium
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Talking it over & Love etc. -- Ryan, 22:52:33 11/02/05 Wed

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• Flaubert's Parrot -- Lies, 11:02:27 10/03/05 Mon
  I read 'Flaubert's Parrot' a very long time ago. I seem to remember a quote about animals and crazy people. Something like: "I only attract animals and crazy people". Does anyone have the correct quote? Does anyone have this quote in French (this would be wonderful). Thanks anyway.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Flaubert's Parrot -- Ryan, 18:24:20 10/03/05 Mon
  • Re: Flaubert's Parrot -- Daria, 06:14:25 10/11/05 Tue

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• Writing to Julian Barnes? -- Yelen, 04:11:14 09/12/05 Mon
  Hi, I am a huge fan of Mr. Barnes's amazing works and I'd like to write a letter to him. Does anyone know where to address it? Thanks in advance.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Writing to Julian Barnes? -- Ryan, 05:20:50 09/13/05 Tue

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• Where can I get more info about Flaubert's Parrot? -- Yana, 06:05:39 12/17/04 Fri
  Please, can you tell me where I can get more information about Barnes's novel Flaubert's Parrot? I need any critique for my thesis. Thank you
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Where can I get more info about Flaubert's Parrot? -- Shmavon, 10:59:10 03/23/05 Wed
  • Re: Where can I get more info about Flaubert's Parrot? -- Albertina, 05:02:53 03/26/05 Sat
  • Re: Where can I get more info about Flaubert's Parrot? -- Matthew, 07:46:55 08/22/05 Mon

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• Barnes's appearance ? -- Lara, 12:12:50 06/02/05 Thu
  Any prospective public appearance (TV, lecture...)? Coming to France any soon?
  Is there any information about that available?
  

  
  [ Post a Reply to this Message ][Edit]
  
  Replies:

  • Re: Barnes's appearance ? -- Ryan, 12:52:30 06/03/05 Fri
    • Re: Barnes's appearance ? -- Jane Rayko, 18:52:44 07/23/05 Sat
      • Re: Barnes's appearance ? -- Ryan, 23:23:33 07/23/05 Sat
  • The Private Wound -- Bevis, 03:35:35 08/01/05 Mon
    • Re: The Private Wound -- Ryan, 07:53:27 08/02/05 Tue

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• Arthur and George -- Blair Southerden, 14:12:45 07/22/05 Fri
  This is my first Julian Barnes novel and I am enjoying it immensely - but for idiosyncratic references to the law which are so wrong. 'A pair of gloves is Going Equipped' says Sgt Upton. Well it is under the Theft Act of 1968 to which the story later refers as the Theft Act, while at the time of this story the governing legislation was the Larceny Act 1861. How can this be? Going Equipped replaced the old offence of 'being found (by night) with face blackened and disguised'. Oh dear, I am showing my age.
  

  
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• Arthur & George -- Allen Shelley, 04:09:21 07/17/05 Sun
  Enjoying Arthur & George a lot. It is beautifully written & I love the detail & the psychological insight into the life of George in prison. It is my first read of Julian Barnes. Can more practised readers of him recommend his other books? What would be a good follow up to read after this one?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Arthur & George -- Fred Bosanquet, 06:41:05 07/20/05 Wed

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• Arthur and George -- Gerry Kilduff, 13:16:56 07/05/05 Tue
  Reall enjoying this new book so much I have to ration myself to 20 pages a night to make it last.Thank you.
  

  
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• CONAN DOYLE INVESTIGATES -- Darryl David, 09:24:34 07/05/05 Tue
  Dear Julian Barnes: Having heard your interesting discussion on Monday 4/7 'Start The Week' you may be interested in the following:
  
  In 1971 the Victoria Theatre Stoke on Trent presented 'CONAN DOYLE INVESTIGATES' by Roger Woddis regarding the E-DAL-ji case ( that's how we pronounced it)as it was of local 'Potteries' interest. I played the part of SHAPURJI EDALJI ( VICAR FATHER)[ there were no Asian actors then] and my son George, the lead was played by CHARLES MCKEOWN (Pythonesque actor/writer)and Conan Doyle was played by ALAN DAVID ( late of Dr Who). The premiere was attended by Con-D's daughter (Dame Jean?). My memories fail. The villain was a local man called Royden Sharpe. Also in cast was Carol Drinkwater (Olive Grove author). It was directed by Peter Cheeseman.
  The case was familiar to the elderly patrons of the 5 Towns- - they believed the Ansons ran a harsh regime and corruption was rife. It was an interesting play and worth resurrecting perhaps.
  
  PS I thought 'FL's Parrot' one of the greatest books of the last century.
  

  
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• Parenthesis -- Cheeseus, 13:40:38 02/12/05 Sat
  It's all about that half of a chapter, isn't it?
  It's what makes the book complete, I think. Half a chapter - unfinished - it's not history, it's not art, it's not an essay - it's not an account, an indisputable truth shown. It's perhaps the least imaginative of all the chapters - what is there to imagine about love? There is, of course, plenty to imagine about the history of the world - it's all stories, all characters, events - you can't see them, so you need to imagine them - which is where art comes handy. Helps you imagine. And, carried away into fantasies, we forget that love is not a fantasy, and it can't be COMPLETE, a full chapter :)
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Parenthesis -- Sonia, 18:14:36 06/25/05 Sat

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• Snarr -- Trisha Snarr Beck, 15:23:55 05/11/05 Wed
  Somebody thought they heard Julian Barnes discuss the history of the "Snarrs" in England. Could you tell me if this is so and if so, where I would find the information? Thank you so much, Trisha Snarr Beck
  

  
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• Re: New Articles on Flaubert's Parrot -- Yasin, 15:01:49 05/10/05 Tue
  Please send me an article on Flaubert's Parrot
  

  
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• Seeing the truth and history/past in Flaubert's Parrot -- Whiskas, 03:37:08 04/20/05 Wed
  I need help on the topic above.. a.s.a.p.
  Any suggestions?
  Thanx :)
  

  
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• Chapter ten: Flaubert's Parrot -- Liz, 06:13:24 04/19/05 Tue
  Hi, this discussion board is pretty useful, thanks!As an A-Level student i am studying Flaubert's Parrot for the exam. I am, very interested in Barnes'writing but at times it is a little hard to get my head around. got a few quations that i am to answer, was wondering if anyone can help me. they are regarding chapter 10 of Flaubert's Parrot 1) What does Braithwaite mean when he says that italics seem to be the readers "favourite mode of utterance" (page 151)
  2) What does the list suggest about the realtionship between art and life?
  
  i would be very grateful for any insight into this chapter. Thanks a lot
  
  Liz
  

  
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• Franklin Hughes -- Emma, 03:42:03 01/25/05 Tue
  Despite inital misgivings,does the Character Franklin Hughes in Barnes' novel History of the world in 10 and a half chapters show himself to be a good man, or is he shallow and vain through and through? I would be greatfull of anyone's opinion.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Franklin Hughes -- alice, 11:16:28 04/18/05 Mon

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• Barnes and God -- Button, 15:56:09 09/13/04 Mon
  I was wondering if any one had read anything about Barnes' own beliefs about religion and God etc?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Barnes and God -- Mohammad Arfan Hussain, 06:45:42 03/30/05 Wed

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• barnes on flaubert's parrot (3/5/05 guardian.co.uk) -- bill, 20:15:25 03/06/05 Sun
  http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,1429954,00.html
  

  
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  Replies:

  • I'm gonna shoot Barnes to impress Jodie Foster & Erica Hateley -- Geoffrey Hately-Mate, 19:29:51 03/16/05 Wed

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• Mein Ericaerection is currently in abeyance -- Rolf Grolsch, 19:46:05 02/17/05 Thu
  HEADLINE: A palace coup--but it had to be done
  BYLINE: Sarah Bradford
  SOURCE: The Sunday Telegraph
  DATE: 13 February 2005
  
  [blah blah blah]
  
  The novelist Julian Barnes wrote in 1995 that when he was growing up the Royal Family operated as a moral and domestic exemplar for most of Her Majesty's subjects. "This function", he added, "is currently in abeyance." Indeed, apart from the shining example of the Queen herself, it is. The events of the 1990s destroyed the "ideal family" image of the monarchy that had been so assiduously promoted since the days of Queen Victoria.
  
  That Charles could marry Camilla without expressions of popular outrage is an acknowledgment of this. People no longer expect the Royal Family to behave better than the rest of us; many of the generation under, say, the age of 50 positively welcome the fact. "Good on him" is their reaction. As a pre-emptive strike, Thursday's announcement has another advantage in avoiding the possible threat to the succession had it been left until after the death of the Queen. There will be unresolved problems such as the position of the Church of England in its close relationship with the Crown, but in handling the matter as it has, the monarchy has shown a new sensitivity towards public opinion and a willingness to take action before it is overwhelmed by event. A line has been drawn under the traumatic recent past.
  

  
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• theme of alienation in history of the world in 10 1/2 chapters -- Siobhan Limbrick, 05:45:55 02/07/03 Fri
  I am doing A level coursework on History of the World in 10 1/2 chapters and my question is how Barnes shows the theme of alienation through his language and any other ways in which he brings across this theme.I would be grateful for any help you can provide me.
  
  Thank you very much
  
  Siobhan
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: theme of alienation in history of the world in 10 1/2 chapters -- Mr Taylor, 01:17:23 02/11/03 Tue
    • Re: theme of alienation in history of the world in 10 1/2 chapters -- Ravinder SAini, 02:11:46 11/01/04 Mon
  • Re: theme of alienation in history of the world in 10 1/2 chapters -- Mr Taylor, 01:18:36 02/11/03 Tue

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• Heisenberg's Principal of Uncertainty -- Patrick, 05:48:04 05/11/04 Tue
  In The Pedant in the Kitchen Julian Barnes refers to Heisenberg's Pricipal of Uncertainty twice (pages 90 and 94). When I first came across it I had anticipated seeing it again, because I expected that he would desribe, or explain it. He didn't.
  
  So I am still uncertain as to what it is. (Sorry I couldn't resist that.
  
  Can anyone assist?
  
  Patrick
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Heisenberg's Principal of Uncertainty -- Alex, 07:55:43 05/27/04 Thu
    • Re: Heisenberg's Principal of Uncertainty -- natata, 15:27:08 09/27/04 Mon
  • Re: Heisenberg's Principal of Uncertainty -- Erica, 22:47:13 06/03/04 Thu
  • Re: Heisenberg's Principal of Uncertainty -- Simon, 13:33:31 06/10/04 Thu
  • Re: Heisenberg's Principal of Uncertainty -- Emir Senturk, 05:43:59 06/18/04 Fri

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• The Mystery/Detective Novels. -- Juan Galis-Menendez, 16:10:34 09/18/04 Sat
  I find it intriguing that Julian Barnes elected to turn HIMSELF into a fictional person, complete with an invented history and to write detective novels as this new character.
  
  Perhaps it was a way of making a part of his life (and, thus, of himself) into a fictional character too -- something which most of us these days are good at doing anyway. An author who does this, however, immediately creates a hall of mirrors for the reader: this is Barnes, writing as the character "Dan," in the first person, who is himself writing as the character "Duffy," who is a detective ...
  
  All of this seems like clever French-lit stuff, except that I don't eat souffle and I seem to remember much of the same game-playing from good, solid, dependable English writers like Fowles (see the story "Enigma" and the brief essay "The John Fowles Club"); or bizarre writers from outlandish places, like Borges (see "Borges y Yo").
  
  What is all this nonsense? Is it un-British? Should Barnes go into politics?
  
  My favorite Barnes novels are: "England, England"; "Flaubert's Parrot," and "Love, etc."
  

  
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• Is love something that can be analized through discourse analysis? -- Myrna, 17:13:43 08/29/04 Sun
  Hi everyone. Eight years ago I came acroos A history of the world and I simply loved it, especially Parenthesis, which portrays the nature of love so deliciously described. Last year I concluded a Masters degree in Applied Linguistics and I am really looking forward to getting my degree by carrying out a discursive analysis of Parenthesis. In one of my chapters I would like to include comments from everyone who is willing to share his/her points of view about Parenthesis, so feel free to write and tell me what you thought and felt after reading this great work of art.
  Thank you and best regards from Mexico.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Is love something that can be analized through discourse analysis? -- Ryan Roberts, 20:53:29 08/31/04 Tue

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• what are the points relevant in cross channel ? -- mourad, 10:02:14 12/03/03 Wed
  i'd like to know the main ideas contained in cross channel.
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: what are the points relevant in cross channel ? -- Ryan, 20:48:42 08/31/04 Tue

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• The pedant in the kitchen -- Eleanor, 05:24:48 07/23/04 Fri
  I'd like to have some opinions on the pedant in the kitchen. I'd like to write an essay for my degree on Julian Barnes, and I'm just curious about that book.
  Thanks, Eleanor
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: The pedant in the kitchen -- Ryan, 22:26:07 08/21/04 Sat
    • Re: The pedant in the kitchen -- Eleanor, 03:54:45 08/26/04 Thu

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• the mysterious poet -- gérard van reysel, 01:39:11 07/29/04 Thu
  No Morning Dawns
  No Night returns
  But What We Think Of Thee
  
  who is the author of the poem whose extract can be found in the short story Evermore in Cross Channel ?
  
  Thks
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: the mysterious poet -- Ryan, 12:32:52 08/03/04 Tue
  • Re: the mysterious poet -- Erica, 16:41:42 08/04/04 Wed

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• Trespass -- Steve Wild, 13:23:23 07/20/04 Tue
  Trespass
  Just heard this story on radio 3 - brilliant
  I really enjoyed it
  Thank you
  

  
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• Saddam Hussain's trial and Julian Barnes' The Porcupine -- Cyrus, 22:58:39 07/05/04 Mon
  For those who have already read Julian Barnes' The Porcupine, Saddam Hussain's trial would appear as a deja vu. Can someone volunteer to actually compare the Saddam's court trial transcript, and passages from The Porcupine?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Saddam Hussain's trial and Julian Barnes' The Porcupine -- Ryan, 22:00:01 07/06/04 Tue

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• Madame Bovary -- Paul Andrews, 05:32:20 06/23/04 Wed
  Yes, I know that Madame Bovary is only best read in the original French, but for those whose French is not quite up to the task, which is the 'best' English translation that comes closest to Flaubert?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Madame Bovary -- Erica, 06:42:12 06/23/04 Wed
  • Re: Madame Bovary -- Ryan, 10:19:21 07/01/04 Thu

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• the 1/2 chapter on love.. -- Lyan, 00:04:08 06/24/04 Thu
  Hello everyone:)I am new around here but certainly adore Julian Barnes' work..Well,just wished to know your thoughts on the half chapter on love in " The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters"..Do you think the post-modern or even the post-post modern world would provide a suitable another half a chapter to complete Barnes' one?..Or is it Love the myth that is everpresent as a backdrop for the history of the world?
  I was also thinking about the nature of the original sin..maybe the Barnes could have started from it and not media res as he did...What do you think?
  

  
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• Beetroot, Beeton and Playfair -- Ryetee, 00:25:07 06/22/04 Tue
  I was intrigued by this in The Pedant in the Kitchen:
  
  "When first introduced into Britain, in the seventeenth century, [the beetroot] was viewed as a sweet pleasure of various application; there is even an eighteenth-century recipe for 'crimson biscuits of red beet-root'. But native puritanism kicked in at some subsequent point: this is a vegetable which naturally tastes nice and sweet, so let's make it taste nasty and sour. Mrs Beeton offers only two ways of treating it - pickling and boiling; though she also does cite Dr Lyon Playfair's unexciting recipe for cheapo brown bread made by rasping down the root and mixing it with an equal amount of flour."
  
  because Dr Lyon Playfair is a distant ancestor. Resorting to my copy of Mrs Beeton, I can find no such reference. However, my copy is the "New and enlarged edition" (costing One Shilling) published in 1894 - so it may be a bit new-fangled.
  
  Is anyone able to throw any light on the beetroot/Beeton /Playfair connection?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Beetroot, Beeton and Playfair -- Erica, 06:39:18 06/23/04 Wed

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• Luke Slattery Madness -- Erica Hateley, 11:04:23 06/19/04 Sat
  Luke Slattery - an Australian opinion writer for "The Australian" newspaper - has this weekend outdone himself with his usual infuriating nutbaggery ideas by going to town on Barnes's "The Pedant in the Kitchen", informing the reader that he was "thus saddened to pick up a book by Julian Barnes" (this comes amid a rant about people who are interested in discussing food).
  
  My favourite annoying moment?:
  
  "What was I doing with the book? Reading a much-loved author. What was the writer doing? Fussing about food."
  
  There you go, don't bother reading "Pedant" - apparenly it's just fussing. Ah, where would we be without Luke Slattery?
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Barnes underappreciates waffles, dammit -- Golfing-phenomenon Tom Kite, 20:32:45 06/21/04 Mon

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• Dan Kavanagh's in Russian -- leo, 07:47:26 12/19/03 Fri
  Hi there!
  If anybody has any link or file with any of Dan Kavanagh's novel in Russian - please let me know!
  
  your reply is much appreciated!
  
  peace!
  
  leo
  

  
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  Replies:

  • Re: Dan Kavanagh's in Russian -- Marina, 09:43:50 06/21/04 Mon

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• the use of french in talking it over -- anna, 04:09:26 01/31/04 Sat
  hi everyone,
  i study talking it over for my memoire, and i wonder whether the main reasons for the use of french are to show oliver as pedantic and to "test" the english reader's knowledge of french vocabulary; and i also wonder why julian barnes has chosen to translate some words or phrases into french rather than others.
  does anyone know?
  thanks alot for answering.
  

  
  [ Post a Reply to this Message ][Edit]
  
  Replies:

  • Re: the use of french in talking it over -- amalia, 06:46:06 02/04/04 Wed
    • Re: the use of french in talking it over -- anna, 01:49:48 02/06/04 Fri
      • Re: the use of french in talking it over -- diana, 06:30:23 04/28/04 Wed
        • Re: the use of french in talking it over -- anna, 00:49:32 05/14/04 Fri

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• Albion or Anglia? -- Birke, 04:44:06 04/24/04 Sat
  Does anyone know why in the Picador edition (1999) of England, England the last part is called 'Albion', and not 'Anglia' like in the original Cape-edition????
  

  
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• The Story Of Mats Israelson -- Naveen, 06:57:32 04/16/04 Fri
  This is a story from the new collection, The Lemon Table. Anyone has thoughts about the significance of 'the gunshots to awaken the echoes'? Something seems missing about the story to me. Any insight will be appreciated.
  

  
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