5/10/2023 0 Comments Julian barnes finch![]() ![]() ![]() History would have been different had Julian lived. Julian’s death in battle, in her view, hastened the end of paganism and the rise of fanatical, book-burning Christianity. She speaks precisely, without notes, in perfectly formed sentences, recounting the controversial history of Julian the Apostate, the Roman emperor (362-363) who tried to save paganism by quashing the Christians. ![]() She warns the class that, though she does not pretend to be Socrates, she may not be the right teacher for all students: they will engage in dialogue. ![]() The narrator, Neil, a former student of Elizabeth Finch, takes her class “Culture and Civilization” in his thirties. This short book, divided into three parts, is part traditional novel, part essay, part biography. Of course, Julian Barnes does not do the expected thing. I had expected an imitation of a Brookner novel, with a spinster heroine, afternoons at The National Gallery, and unexpected friendships with surprising characters. (Both are Booker Prize winners.) I read it in an afternoon, completely absorbed but astonished. Aficionados of Julian Barnes may have read his new novel, Elizabeth Finch, based loosely on the life of the subtle writer, Anita Brookner. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |