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| ==Career== | ==Career== | ||
| His first novel, ''Metroland'', is a short, semi-autobiographical story of Christopher, a young man from the London suburbs who travels to Paris as a student, finally returning to London. It deals with themes of idealism, sexual fidelity and has the three-part structure that is a common theme in Barnes' work. In 1983, his second novel Before She Met Me features a darker narrative, a story of revenge by a jealous historian who becomes obsessed by his second wife's past. Barnes's breakthrough novel ''Flaubert's Parrot'' broke with the traditional linear structure of his previous novels and featured a fragmentary biographical style story of an elderly doctor, Geoffrey Braithwaite, who focuses obsessively on the life of Gustave Flaubert. The novel was published to great acclaim, especially in France, and it established Barnes as one of the pre-eminent writers of his generation.{{Facts|date=November 2007}} | |||
| Staring at the Sun followed in 1986, another ambitious novel about a woman growing to maturity in post-war England who deals with issues of love, truth and mortality. In 1989 Barnes published ], which was also a non linear novel, which uses a variety of writing styles to call into question the perceived notions of human history and knowledge itself. | Staring at the Sun followed in 1986, another ambitious novel about a woman growing to maturity in post-war England who deals with issues of love, truth and mortality. In 1989 Barnes published ], which was also a non linear novel, which uses a variety of writing styles to call into question the perceived notions of human history and knowledge itself. | ||
| In 1991, he published Talking it Over, a contemporary love triangle, in which the three characters take turns to talk to the reader, reflecting over common events. | |||
| Barnes is a keen ], and his 1996 book, Cross Channel, is a collection of 10 stories charting Britain's relationship with France. He also returned to the topic of France in Something to Declare, a collection of essays on French subjects. | |||
| Other works include ], a satire on Britishness and the culture of tourism; and ], a detailed story based on the life of ]. His 1992 book, The Porcupine, deals with the trial of a fictional former Communist dictator, and was published simultaneously in English and Romanian (the Romanian title is Bodlivo svinche). | |||
| Barnes' new book, Nothing to be Frightened of, is due to be published by ] in March 2008. | |||
| ==Works (novels unless otherwise indicated)== | ==Works (novels unless otherwise indicated)== | ||
Revision as of 16:52, 7 December 2007
| Julian Patrick Barnes | |
|---|---|
| Barnes as Francophile and Francophone in Bernard Pivot's Double je (France 2, March 2005)Barnes as Francophile and Francophone in Bernard Pivot's Double je (France 2, March 2005) | |
| Born | (1946-01-19) 19 January 1946 (age 78) Leicester, United Kingdom |
| Pen name | Dan Kavanagh (crime fiction), Edward Pygge |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality |  United Kingdom |
| Genre | Fictional prose |
| Website | |
| Official Website of Julian Barnes | |
Julian Patrick Barnes (born January 19, 1946 in Leicester, England) is a contemporary English writer of postmodernism in literature. He has been shortlisted three times for the Man Booker Prize (Flaubert's Parrot (1984), England, England (1998), and Arthur & George (2005)). He has written crime fiction under the pseudonym Dan Kavanagh.
Personal life
Following an education at the City of London School and Merton College, Oxford, he worked as a lexicographer for the Oxford English Dictionary. Subsequently, he worked as a literary editor and film critic. He now writes full-time. His brother, Jonathan Barnes is a philosopher specializing in ancient philosophy.
He lives in London with his wife, the literary agent Pat Kavanagh.
Career
His first novel, Metroland, is a short, semi-autobiographical story of Christopher, a young man from the London suburbs who travels to Paris as a student, finally returning to London. It deals with themes of idealism, sexual fidelity and has the three-part structure that is a common theme in Barnes' work. In 1983, his second novel Before She Met Me features a darker narrative, a story of revenge by a jealous historian who becomes obsessed by his second wife's past. Barnes's breakthrough novel Flaubert's Parrot broke with the traditional linear structure of his previous novels and featured a fragmentary biographical style story of an elderly doctor, Geoffrey Braithwaite, who focuses obsessively on the life of Gustave Flaubert. The novel was published to great acclaim, especially in France, and it established Barnes as one of the pre-eminent writers of his generation.
Staring at the Sun followed in 1986, another ambitious novel about a woman growing to maturity in post-war England who deals with issues of love, truth and mortality. In 1989 Barnes published A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters, which was also a non linear novel, which uses a variety of writing styles to call into question the perceived notions of human history and knowledge itself.
In 1991, he published Talking it Over, a contemporary love triangle, in which the three characters take turns to talk to the reader, reflecting over common events.
Barnes is a keen Francophile, and his 1996 book, Cross Channel, is a collection of 10 stories charting Britain's relationship with France. He also returned to the topic of France in Something to Declare, a collection of essays on French subjects.
Other works include England, England, a satire on Britishness and the culture of tourism; and Arthur and George, a detailed story based on the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. His 1992 book, The Porcupine, deals with the trial of a fictional former Communist dictator, and was published simultaneously in English and Romanian (the Romanian title is Bodlivo svinche).
Barnes' new book, Nothing to be Frightened of, is due to be published by Jonathan Cape in March 2008.
Works (novels unless otherwise indicated)
- Metroland (1980)
- Before She Met Me (1982)
- Flaubert's Parrot (1984)
- Staring at the Sun (1986)
- A History of the World in 10½ Chapters (1989)
- Talking it Over (1991)
- The Porcupine (1992)
- Letters from London (Picador, London, 1995) — journalism from The New Yorker, ISBN 0-330-34116-2
- Cross Channel (1996) — stories
- England, England (1998)
- Love, Etc. (2000)
- Something to Declare (2002) — essays
- The Pedant in the Kitchen (2003) — journalism on cooking
- The Lemon Table (2004) — stories
- Arthur & George (2005)
Works as Dan Kavanagh
- Duffy (1980)
- Fiddle City (1981)
- Putting the Boot In (1985)
- Going to the Dogs (1987)
About Barnes
- Merritt Moseley, Understanding Julian Barnes, University of South Carolina Press (1997)
- Vanessa Guignery, The fiction of Julian Barnes: A reader's guide to essential criticism, Palgrave Macmillan (2006)
See also
- Edward Pygge, a pseudonym used by Barnes
- Eastwick, fictional location in Metroland
External links
- Official Website of Julian Barnes
- Official Website of Dan Kavanagh (pseudonym)
- British Council site
- Publisher's Website - includes facts about Barnes and Arthur & George
- Guardian Books "Author Page" - with profile and links to further articles.
- {{WiredForBooks|julianbarnes|1991 interview with Julian Barnes] by }}
- Template:Contemporary writers
- Julian Barnes at the Internet Book List
- Interview on BBC HARDtalk Extra programme - broadcast on 22nd September, 2006
- Audio interview from Writing Lab on open2.net