In these seventeen essays, and one short story, the 2011 Man Booker Prize winner examines British, French and American writers who have meant the most to him, as well as the crosscurrents of their different cultures. From the deceptiveness of Penelope Fitzgerald to the directness of Hemingway, from Kipling's view of France to the French view of Kipling, Julian Barnes considers what fiction is, and what it can do. As he writes in his preface, 'Novels tell us the most truth about life: what it is, how we live it, what it might be for, how we enjoy and value it, and how we lose it.'
Julian Barnes
Julian Barnes is a renowned British author best known for his novel "The Sense of an Ending," which won the Man Booker Prize in 2011. His writing style is characterized by its philosophical depth, sharp wit, and keen observations of human nature. Barnes has made significant contributions to contemporary literature.