Julian Barnes

Before She Met MeJulian BarnesJulian Barnes (1946 - )

Julian Barnes (1946 - )Born in Leicester, his family moved to LondonBoth of his parents were teachers of French, he studied modern languagesWorked as a reviewer, literary editor and film criticSuffered from shyness First novel: Metroland (1980)Before She Met Me (1982)Before She Met Me: a rather nasty book about obsessions.

Julian Barnes (1946 - )Most successful: Flauberts Parrot (1984); breaks with the linear narrative structure, consists of fragments of an elderly doctors narrative The Sense of an Ending (2011); Booker Prize His fiction: Mixture of the comic and the macabreHis opinion about Before She Met Me: a rather nasty book about obsessions. Issues the novel engages with: the role misinterpretation plays in literature, history.

Group WorkWhat do you think, why is the main character a historian? Why does he become obsessed with Ann? What is the role of Jack in the narrative? Why do both Ann and Graham turn to him for advice? What is the function of the visual (films, dreams, photos) in the narrative? What is the function of travelling (exploring new places) in the narrative? Is the conclusion of the novel predictable? Why/why not?