Meanwhile, How Is This For Jamesian Ambiguity?????

       
                                   When it comes to brevity of text, girls, "The Sense Of An Ending," by Julian Barnes, ranks right up there with Henry James' "The Turn Of The Screw."  As it does, for sexual and moral ambiguity!!!!  But, is it as good????????

                                      Alas, no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      The problem is Barnes plays around with the readers too much.  For starters, he gives us not one, but two, suicides!!!!!!!!!  I mean, honey, not even Virginia Woolf went that far.

                                        Tony Webster is one of a boyhood trio, into whose midst walks the mysterious, enigmatic, Adrian Finn.  During their early years, Rowan, an Upper Grade boy, hangs himself, over his girlfriend being pregnant, and his not being  able to handle it.  The boys mature, and go their separate ways--Tony to Bristol, the brighter Adrian to Cambridge.

                                         In middle age, one of the chums contacts Tony, whereupon he discovers Adrian, too, committed suicide, by slitting his writs in the tub.  But why?  Was it because of a libelous letter the young Tony wrote, berating Adrian and Veronica (a girl Tony once dated, who in youth dated Adrian!!!!)?  And why does Veronica's mother, who met Tony only once, leave him 500 pounds upon her death????  Did she seduce him???? Did Tony sleep with her????  Was there a child????  Or was that child (who turns out to be handicapped and in group care) Tony's--or Adrian's????  Or who is the mother--Veronica, or HER mother????

                                       All of which is too much for a novel of novella length.  The most challenging question James delivered his readers was "And where, my pet, is Miss Jessel?  Where is she, Flora??"  A piece of cake, compared to this!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       What do I think?  I think Adrian had a child, but Barnes wants us to guess, for ourselves, by whom.  I tend to favor Veronica having him young, not telling him she is his mother, but his sister (just like Olivia De Havilland tells her son she is his aunt in "To Each, His Own"), and wanting to keep the whole thing a secret.   Makes sense to me.  But remember, I am the one who still insists a baby was thrown off Tallahatchie Bridge in the song "Ode To Billie Joe."

                                          "The Sense Of An Ending" is beautifully written, not Gothic, and designed to make you think.  Its only flaw is, unlike with James, there is not all that much to think over!!!!!!

                                              On to another one, kiddies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!