Talking It Over by Julian Barnes (Book Review)

[@bizaaron]

What struck me most was your reflection on Jillian's struggle to define her identity within the confines of the relationships. It made me wonder if the characters might have been too young or inexperienced for marriage, given the complexities that unfolded.

[@LifeLessonsFromBooks]

Hello!! Long time no hear. I hope you’re well! Yeah this may have been a factor? 🤔 Who knows. I guess that’s the value of good writing that means that readers can come up with their own meanings of the situation.

[@thelefthandedreader6632]

This book sounds fascinating! I just read my first Julian Barnes a couple of months ago. Now, he’s an author I’ll be looking out for when i go to library sales, for sure!

[@LifeLessonsFromBooks]

I’m writing this on the train just been back from Melbourne city to visit the State Library bookstore. I found a lovely paper diary/journal themed on Family, with an introduction by Julian Barnes….naturally I bought it. He’s such a great writer. I love his books!

[@thelefthandedreader6632]

@@LifeLessonsFromBooks , the State Library bookstore sounds SO wonderful! OMG, how perfect to find that journal and now after finishing a Barnes book. I hope you show us what the outside of the journal looks like. It sounds beautiful!

[@joycelatham6974]

I’m sold. It sounds great. I’ll see if I can find it. Thanks! Joyce 🇨🇦

[@LifeLessonsFromBooks]

Fab! Let me know what you think. You may have a completely different take on it and it would be interesting to learn this. I love reading books that allow us to have different ways of looking at the situation the author presents to us. 😊

[@DefaultName-nt7tk]

It sounds like a fantastic read. Did you fall madly in love with this book 🤣🤣🤣? Now I have to follow your steps and check out those 3 characters 😊. Thanks for the great review❤

[@LifeLessonsFromBooks]

In all honesty, I like any book by Julian Barnes….🤣

[@dr.ahmedel-hoseiny6311]

Thanks for your intr. But from which critical point could this novel be approached? Which is the bet critical point (Feminism, structuralism, Marxism, Psychoanalytic criticism, cultural criticism, etc.)? I need this to do a research on this novel. Thanks

[@LifeLessonsFromBooks]

Hi there. Thanks for your question. It’s pretty difficult for me as I’m not aware of these but I also believe that it’s how you may interpret their actions and link it to your arguments. It’s a first person point of view so you could technically, link it to anything (how do we really know what’s in their heads and why they react that way, their internal motivations etc). My recommendation? Read the book and keep your mind open. It’s the exploring of “why” afterwards which would probably give you your answer.

[@dr.ahmedel-hoseiny6311]

@@LifeLessonsFromBooks Thanks a lot.

[@reaganwiles_art]

That take on women talking to other women about cheating is interesting. I think anyone who acts out of instinct in an irrational way tends not to talk about their experience because they don't themselves understand enough about it to even speak about it. The denial might be so thick that it is actually delusion, There's an actual disconnect there perhaps because of the upbringing where the person says I could not possibly have done such a thing therefore it didn't happen, and I could not have done such a thing because I was taught I should not do such a thing, that a person like me would not do such a thing semicolon because admitting it would mean a complete upheaval of that personality. Okay now I have to be someone completely different. I'm going to take this tangent a little further and say I see this and people around me who support the party which does not support them and yet they are staunch Defenders of the very people who create an economic situation which devalues them. The defense is irrational, but they won't see it because then they would have to admit that they have been wrong all along and they might have to change

[@LifeLessonsFromBooks]

I’d agree with that above because I believe it’s a form of self protection - and we all do it in some form or another especially in front of others. I also believe that to every story, there are different perspectives and by judging is really not giving the space to the other to share their reasons. I love the writing of Julian Barnes who can create these situations which we can reflect on. Thank you for listening and watching and sharing your thoughts. Always appreciated!

[@reaganwiles_art]

@@LifeLessonsFromBooks I have to say that I do not think that judging is taking away anyone else's space to share their observations. Since observations are thoughts and take up no space, an infinitude of observations and likewise judgements can exist simultaneously. I'm not sure what judgements you were referring to. Notwithstanding, my apologies to you if you were chagrined by something in my comment, and my apologies again if I have gone completely off your point.

[@LifeLessonsFromBooks]

No not at all! I wasn’t at all worried about your points. If anything, they made me ponder. I appreciate you sharing them here. Who can say what we can or can’t judge? If anything, if there’s one thing I’m learning is that the older I become, the more questions I have which in turn makes me realise, the less I know. It’s quite frustrating to say the least. 🤣

[@joycelatham6974]

Found it on kobo. 😊👍