Before She Met Me

Description

Graham Hendrick, an historian, has left his wife Barbara for the vivacious Ann, and is more than pleased with his new life. Until, that is, the day he discovers Ann's celluloid past as a mediocre film actress. Soon Graham is pouncing on old clues, examining her books for inscriptions from past lovers, frequenting cinemas and poring over the bad movies she appeared in. It's not that he blames Anne for having a past before they met, but history has always mattered to him...

Promotion info

'A remarkably original and subtle novel' Frank Kermode, New York Review of Books

Reviews

Frighteningly plausible... stunningly well done Guardian Funny, sad and faintly ominous...making jealousy tangible and dangerous Spectator An intelligent and addictive entertainment... Mr Barnes has succeeded in writing one of those books that keep us up until 2am reading just one chapter more... few will be able to resist its easy humour and almost insidious readability New York Times Book Review Compelling Daily Express Concise and witty about psychology, ideas and love, in all its many forms The Times

Author description

Julian Barnes is the author of ten novels, including Metroland, Flaubert's Parrot, A History of the World in 10 Chapters and Arthur & George; two books of short stories, Cross Channel and The Lemon Table; and also three collections of journalism, Letters from London, Something to Declare, and The Pedant in the Kitchen. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages. In France he is the only writer to have won both the Prix Medicis (for Flaubert's Parrot) and the Prix Femina (for Talking it Over). In 1993 he was awarded the Shakespeare Prize by the FVS Foundation of Hamburg. He lives in London.