Book Discussion: The Sense of an Ending

Questions:

What are your thoughts on the book? Did you enjoy it?

Do you think it would have worked better as a full length novel rather than a novella?

How does the book depict youth?

• This was another of our fears: that Life wouldn’t turn out to be like Literature.  Look at our parents—were they the stuff of Literature?  At best, they might aspire to the condition of onlookers and bystanders, part of the social backdrop against which real, true, important things could happen.  Like what? The things Literature was all about: love, sex, morality, friendship, happiness, suffering, betrayal, adultery, good and evil, heroes and villains, guilt and innocence, ambition, power, justice, revolution, war, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, the individual against society, success and failure, murder, suicide, death, God.  (p. 16)

The concept of memory comes up often in the book. How reliable is ones memory? What might influence your memories of the past?

• The less time there remains in your life, the less you want to waste it.  That’s logical, isn’t it?  Though how you use the saved-up hours . . . well, that’s another thing you probably wouldn’t have predicted in youth.  For instance, I spend a lot of time clearing things up—and I’m not even a messy person.  But it’s one of the modest satisfactions of age.  I aim for tidiness; I recycle; I clean and decorate my flat to keep up its value.  I’ve made my will; and my dealings with my daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren and ex-wife are, if less than perfect, at least settled.  Or so I’ve persuaded myself.  I’ve achieved a state of peaceableness, even peacefulness.  Because I get on with things.  I don’t like mess, and I don’t like leaving a mess.  I’ve opted for cremation, if you want to know.  (p. 75)

Veronica accuses Tony of being cowardly, while Tony considers himself peaceable. Whose assessment is more accurate?

How did you interpret Veronica's actions when they meet again as older adults?

Why does Mrs. Ford make her bequest to Tony, after so many years?

Do you think it was fair of Veronica to show Tony that letter he wrote almost 40 years ago. Do the actions of our youth hold merit forever?

Why did Adrian commit suicide? 

What is the significance of the title?