First Post

Just as a quick first impression, I really enjoy Sense of an Ending. I think it’s a refreshing change in pace from Dostoevsky. Perhaps I think this because it easier for me to relate to young prep school boys trying to analysis the world around them, then a brilliant social inept man, who spends thirty pages using free association to talk about this inner thoughts.  The narration is, in my opinion, funny. In some cases it’s more like a sadistic kind of humor, then a lighthearted humored, which I more use to in books these days. 

            Firstly, I really enjoy the characters and the way the narrator portrays his memories. As if they are a little bit shaky, like he doesn’t exactly remember all of the details, but that they were clear enough that they made a sort of impression on his life now. I like the way the boys interact with each other. It just reminds me what really smart prep school kids would do with their free time before cell phones, when things were simpler and more face-to-face. I like the way that Adrian is the completely the opposite of his friend. Adrian in a sense is very unlike many teenage boys his age. Adrian did not go out of his way to make friends or to look cool in front of the ones who acquired.  He did not try to change himself to fit in. In fact he encouraged his friends to listen and understand his opinion.  I enjoy reading the interaction between the kids and the teachers. I think it funny how much smarter Adrian is in comparison to everyone else. He is a lot more thoughtful, which in a sense makes him seemed a bit rude and close off, but its just his way of expressing his ideas and feelings.  The most interesting bit I thought was when the kids were discussing the classmate who died. It was funny that even though its social frowned upon to speak ill of the dead, (these being teenage boy), remember all the bad things about him, and only cared about how he died. I also thought it was funny, and very a propos for the boys to be wondering what kind of girl their dead classmate was sleeping with.