My neighbor The Professor dropped in the other evening. He had a book he wanted to give me and which I was delighted to accept.
Levels of Life by Julian Barnes is a non-fiction offering from the Man Booker Prize-winning author. It is a small book, only 125 pages, and is divided into three sections: "The Sin of Height" about the daring balloonists of the 1800s; "On the Level" about a balloonist's love affair with Sarah Bernhardt; and "The Loss of Depth" about his grief upon the death of his wife, Pat Kavanagh, in 2008. In each section, Mr. Barnes reflects on putting together "two things that have not been put together before."
I am always happy to receive a recommendation from The Professor. We have lovely conversations in which he quotes lines from his favorite books. (He has many.)
I hope you enjoy it Belle, I know I did. I would also highly recommend "The Sense of an Ending" another short but so well written (150 pages) and "Flaubert's Parrot".
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Tullik! I do believe at one time I started reading 'Flaubert's Parrot' but for some reason I abandoned it. I will put it back on my list and add "The Sense of an Ending" as well. Mr. Barnes does have a very readable style.
DeleteHow nice to have someone so knowledgeable to discuss books with. I've not read anything by Julian Barnes, but now I'm intrigued.
ReplyDeleteThe Professor talks, I listen. He has thousands of books in his house - on shelves, on chairs, in bags, on the kitchen table. And he is still buying and reading. An amazing fellow.
DeleteThe only Julian Barnes book I've read is The Sense of an Ending...but I really liked it. Levels of Life sounds really interesting. I definitely want to read this one. Thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteHi, Lark. This is my first book by Mr. Barnes. His writing on his grief after his wife died is astounding. The Professor, whose wife died three years ago, said it captured every feeling and the comments by friends that he experienced.
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