Then the book went downhill for me, as another character, Sir Jack, took center stage in the second, and longest, section. This is the first work by Barnes I've given less than 4 stars, though I thought the first section detailing Martha's childhood and formation of character was great. Too serious a feeling of irrevocable loss! It just made a sad and hopeless impression, and I find it hard to apply the dry sense of humour of its content to the review. It is a very readable book, and very true in all its sarcastic absurdities. After all, he is English, as one of his characters conveniently states in defence of all his opinions. He can not help making the list of the quintessentially English, and neither can he help joking about it. You choose what sad ingredients of English life you want to consume, and Julian Barnes with all his genius is one of the many options you have. I read it in a couple of hours, devouring it, waiting for hope to appear and give me a glimpse of a better future.īut there is nothing but a replica of what we have already seen a million times to be expected, more of the same, but condensed to a fun park experience and lived through in fast forward.

Maybe Julian Barnes, in 1998, understood and captured the feeling of the future 'England 2016' and conserved it for me to suffer through at this moment in time. I found myself constantly thinking that it is not funny anymore, that it is too much to bear. Julian Barnes undoubtedly has the intelligence and skill to write a poignant satire on the state of Englishness. On the one hand, it illustrates in a satirical and sad way why England has such trouble finding its place in the world right now. As much as I love Julian Barnes, I am divided about England, England.

England, England by Julian Barnes