Neil idolizes her, especially her solitary commitment to rigorous study, and her tremendous poise. She never married, and her private life is off limits. 'She would transform our paltry thoughtlets into something of fuller interest.' Immune to academic fads, EF is the author of two smart but seldom-read books. Neil, an underemployed actor, is there to better himself, but he quickly realizes he's primarily interested in the instructor, an exceptionally composed woman who lectures 'without notes, books or nerves.' EF, as he calls her, teaches a class that covers organized religion and the Roman Empire, specifically the Emperor Julian's doomed fourth-century attempt to thwart Christianity's rise.Īs Neil tells it, she's 'rigorous in her own thought' but 'never dismissive' of students' input. 'Elizabeth Finch,' which opens in an adult-education classroom in turn-of-the-21st-century London, is narrated by the title character's most dedicated pupil. 'Flaubert's Parrot,' 'England, England,' 'The Sense of an Ending' - in these and other novels Barnes' characters, by turns eccentric, bereft and extremely bright, are relatable players in vivid stories about artistic ingenuity, ideological conflict and the commodification of history.

Barnes' 25 th book is part of a long-running effort to portray the life of the mind. Longtime fans won't be surprised to learn that the English author's 'Elizabeth Finch' is erudite yet accessible. Julian Barnes' characteristically cerebral new novel focuses on a chaste but ardent relationship between an adult student and his charismatic teacher, a bond that nourishes a perceptive rumination on the solitary rewards of scholarly work.

Elisabeth finch julian barnes