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Title

Nothing To Be Frightened Of

Julian Barnes

Review

Julian Barnes has much of the depth of W. Somerset Maugham's The Summing Up combined with occasional flashes of Oscar Wilde's wicked sense of humor. His memoir, Nothing To Be Frightened Of, is an unhurried observation on the whole arc of life, the process of creation and fame and the inevitable fading into obscurity. He examines his life with unsentimental clarity and memorable quotes, like this one on why his brother seemed always optimistic and he, pessimistic: "He was breast-fed and I, bottle-fed; wherein I discern the bifurcation of our character." And another, speaking of the kinder, gentler post-Vatican II Catholicism: "even hell has been downgraded over the years in both probability and infernality."

It's not an easy book to read, and the quotable nuggets are sometimes hard-mined, but I recommend the experience of living with Julian for a few days. He brings company with him when he visits: Flaubert, Stendahl, Zola, Montaigne, Ravel, and others, examining how each faced the same dilemmas of their declining years - what he calls "pit-gazing." He steadfastly resists the urge to resolve their stories to a major chord before dying. As he says, "Doctors, priests, and novelists conspire to present human life as a story progressing towards a meaningful conclusion." He will not give false hope, but does affirm that life is worth living for itself alone ("I have never wanted the taste of a shotgun in my mouth") and for the sheer curiosity of what-comes-next. ~ Abbey Warner

Review Date

Reviewed October 2009