








Charting the story of a remarkable teacher through the recollections of a former student, this stunning novel from the Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Sense of an Ending is both a breathtaking testament to the power of human connection and a deeply-felt love letter to philosophy.
Please note jacket colour may vary (blue or yellow)
We'd like to introduce you to Elizabeth Finch.
We invite you to take her course in Culture and Civilisation.
Her ideas are not to everyone's taste.
But she will change the way you see the world.
'The task of the present is to correct our understanding of the past. And that task becomes the more urgent when the past cannot be corrected.'
Elizabeth Finch was a teacher, a thinker, an inspiration - always rigorous, always thoughtful. With careful empathy, she guided her students to develop meaningful ideas and to discover their centres of seriousness.
As a former student unpacks her notebooks and remembers her uniquely inquisitive mind, her passion for reason resonates through the years. Her ideas unlock the philosophies of the past, and explore key events that show us how to make sense of our lives today. And underpinning them all is the story of J - Julian the Apostate, her historical soulmate and fellow challenger to the institutional and monotheistic thinking that has always threatened to divide us.
This is more than a novel. It's a loving tribute to philosophy, a careful evaluation of history, an invitation to think for ourselves. It's a moment to reflect and to gently explore our own theories and assumptions. It is truly a balm for our times.
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
ISBN: 9781787333932
Number of pages: 192
Weight: 303 g
Dimensions: 223 x 142 x 20 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'[Barnes] is always clever, often original and unusually funny... Elizabeth Finch...offers plenty to chew on...with barely a sentence in it that doesn't have some nutritional value.' - John Self, The Times
'A singular tale.' - Stephanie Cross, Daily Mail
'Everything Barnes writes changes everything... Barnes's latest novel, must be read at least twice for the full force of its voltage to be felt... A cryptic crossword of a novel, Elizabeth Finch is a tricksier and even brainier version of Flaubert's Parrot.' - Frances Wilson, Oldie
'The book's central and most enthralling section... deals with a figure EF esteemed as a kindred spirit: Julian the Apostate... A bravura exercise in nimbly handled erudition... [Elizabeth Finch] also celebrates the cast of mind Barnes most prizes. A connoisseur and master of irony himself, he fills this book with instances of its exhilarating power.' - Peter Kemp, Sunday Times
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Barnes’s latest novel narrated by Neil, a twice-married, one time actor , now drifter remembers the influence of his extraordinary teacher Elizabeth Finch. Barnes created an interesting character in Finch , an... More
“Barnes at his best”
In Elizabeth Finch the character, Barnes has created a teacher who encourages you to think and question what you hold to be true.
In Elizabeth Finch the book, Barnes has once again managed to create a wonderfully...
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“Disappointing”
To be honest I normally love Julian Barnes however this book I suspect you will either love or hate. It is split into three parts and the first and the last are good and the sort of read I like from the author however... More
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