Book review: Talking it Over - Julian Barnes

After a long long time did I finally come across a really satisfying book. Plus this was my first Julian Barnes and "Talking it Over" has definitely put him in my fave authors' list.

The blurb at the back of the book says:

"Introducing Stuart, Gillian, and Oliver. Each takes their turn to speak straight out to camera - and give their side of a contemporary love triangle. What begins as a comedy of misunderstanding slowly darkens and deepens into a compelling exploration of the quagmires of the heart."

The three main characters each have a go at telling how things evolved - their side of the story, their justifications, why they did what they did et cetera. The author brilliantly changes the narration from one to the other - the style of speech, the choice of words, the quirks they have, to flesh out the characters. The reader remains no mere observer, it is as if each of the players wants to win the reader over to his side. And you do tend to start feeling a bit biased towards one or the other.

But more than the story or even the technique of narration is the author's use of words. He chooses words which are just right. He plays with the words, luxuriating in surprising the reader with a turn of phrase or coinage.

The humour is very British which alone would have made the book worth a read. But this is not just a book of humour for there are great insights into the human heart: " .... as you go on living with someone, you slowly lose the power to make them happy, while your capacity to hurt them remains undiminished "

A very satisfying read indeed.