We had an email from Norman Sissman the other day with a brilliant idea — and the kick-off for it. In Norman’s own words:
I was struck, recently, by the realization that over the course of 19 years of Kendal resident publications there has never been a book review. I am surprised by this, considering the high level of literary sophistication and intellectual curiosity that characterize our group! So, of course, I am motivated to end this tradition.
The subject of this book is a concern that most of us seniors have had although not always a welcome one. The author: Julian Barnes, a well-regarded British novelist. The title: “Nothing to Be Frightened Of.” It is a 250 page non-fiction search by Barnes of literature and history from which he attempts to find some relief from his dread of dying! It is erudite and witty; it surveys the creeds of most religions and examines a large number of biographies, from Voltaire to Churchill, from Stendahl to Edith Wharton, from Stravinsky to Shostakovich, often comparing their plans for death and what their final days were like. Barnes also inserts vignettes of his family, from the deaths of his emotionally remote parents to the cantankerous comments of his brother, an academic philosopher.
Barnes never succeeds in his search for consolation, but along the way, his work provides many merry macabre musings.
Title: Nothing to be Frightened Of
Author: Julian Barnes
Thanks, Norman, for a great idea! How about it, folks? Are you reading something interesting, provocative, fun, thought-provoking or any combination thereof? Reviews should be limited to 150 words. Send them to kohresweb@gmail.com.