Book Club Meeting January

The book selection this month was the 2011 Man Booker prize winner,  "The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes. Because there were so few of us, we decided to meet at La Caseta, dining out together for a change. The margaritas and food were good (grilled tacos, cilantro chicken) at La Caseta, but the noise level was so high that it was hard to hear each other across the large booth we'd reserved. If we meet there again, we'll opt for the patio where it's a little quieter. We were all surprised that they had almost a full house at La Caseta on a Wednesday night. Good for them!
I loved this book. It's about memories and how they change when you look back.  I couldn't summarize better than this:

“A page turner, and when you finish you will return immediately to the beginning . . . Who are you? How can you be sure? What if you’re not who you think you are? What if you never were? . . . At 163 pages, The Sense of an Ending is the longest book I have ever read, so prepare yourself for rereading. You won’t regret it.” —The San Francisco Chronicle 

When you finish this book, you ask yourself "Did I miss something? What". Personally I've realized how much editing of my own memories I've done as I sift through family history and pictures. The brain corrects, deletes, embroiders relentlessly.

Julian Barnes not only weaves an amazing tale but he writes so well that you never want to write another line yourself. All I want to do is curl up with the entire Barnes oeuvre. "Flaubert's Parrot" here I come.