Thinking Activity : The Only Story
Hello ,
I am Bhumika Mahida , here I'm going to write a blog on the novel ' The Only Story ' . In this blog I have to give the answers of some questions and points as a task from the blog 👉 The Only Story Which is assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir from Department of English M K Bhavnagar University. So let's begin with the introduction of the author of the Novel.
Introduction :
Julian Barnes
Julian Barnes, in full Julian Patrick Barnes, pseudonyms Edward Pygge and Dan Kavanagh, (born January 19, 1946, Leicester, England), British critic and author of inventive and intellectual novels about obsessed characters curious about the past. click here ( to read more about the author) .
The Only Story
For this novel we don't fine any readymade matirial to understand the very sense of the novel and there are such a reviews by some authors or readers make it clear that it is worth reading or not .
Here is one review by a reviewer.
This is Julian Barnes's latest offering, an author I absolutely adore. It is a profound and moving love story, and the complexities, intense suffering and heartbreak that accompanies it. It has Paul looking back on his only story, the love of his life, and his shifting perspectives as time passes. Barnes can be relied on for his well crafted beautiful prose and imagery, underscored by a musicality that beguiles and delights. The novel is split into three parts, and relates the story of 19 year old Paul, a Sussex University student who in 1963 meets and falls in love with 48 year old married Susan, who has children older than him and carries heavy emotional baggage from her personal history. What follows in a detailed examination of the repercussions on the people in their lives of their love affair amidst the middle class suburban attitudes, social norms and expectations of the period that the lovers are subject to.
Barnes uses the classic device of moving from first person narrative, to the second person and finally the third person to highlight the increasing distance that Paul injects into his love story, moving from the intense passion at the beginning to a more dispassionate approach. He is aware that his memories are unreliable and his thinking tainted by self delusion. What Barnes gives is his insights into the human condition, a subtle reflection and observations on the nature of love and the trajectory it follows for Paul, infused with an air of melancholia set in a specific time and place. Whilst there are echoes of Barnes previous novels, I found this a brilliant and thought provoking read that I recommend highly. Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.
( It from one of the reviews on The Only Story )
Review by -Paromojit
1.Memory Novel - Structurally as well as Thematically
'The Only Story' is a memory novel. Because it is based on the memory of Paul Roberts. Paul as a narrator told his story but even he is not sure about his story. We know the whole story of this novel which is based on the memory of Paul Roberts.
In the novel we can find four aspects for the theme of memory :
History is collective memory; memory is personal history
Trauma in memory
Memory and morality
Memory prioritizes
We know the whole story of the novel by the memory of Paul. Sometimes it will be hard to remember all the things . So it is called the Trauma of Memory . When we read any historical concept it will be a collective memory of events, and memory is personal history. The whole story is based on Paul's Memory of his love story So ' Memory' will be the major theme for this novel.
2.Postmodern Novel - theme of existentialism
The Only Story is a postmodern novel. It thinks about the situation that is happening now and may happen in future also.
In the novel we can find some objects which reflect the existential aspects .
Most of us have only one story to tell. I don’t mean that only one thing happens to us in our lives: there are countless events, which we turn into countless stories. But there’s only one that matters, only one finally worth telling, this is mine (Barnes,2018, p. 13).
So proves that Paul considered himself as a truth - teller. Barnes' novels are devoid of any forced optimism. The properties of postmodern words may be justified by novels that reflect reality or fiction. In today's postmodern era fiction, true 'reality' is not portrayed. This is like a statement of fact, similar to how a crystal reflects our image's truth. In several of Barnes's stories, the primary characters reflect genuine images as a fictitious image rather than revealing their true attributes. As a result, several of Barnes's characters affect the image and thinking of Barnes.
Love is the emotional structure of one's society, and it is formed on sex indirectly. Love produces the polished form of culture and sex. Love, like sex, is riddled with ambiguity, existing in both natural and non-natural forms, implying that it exists beyond the abstract level and is difficult to explain. Love is an inexorable source of anxiety, though possibly a deeper dread for being soaked through, the fear of failing. The concept of eternal love is buried within the body, rather than being external as an ironic word suggests. Researchers and philosophers have observed that the postmodern sensual movement is dismantling the links that bind eroticism to sex on one hand and love on the other. Love selection is also founded on sex determination, which is the process of assigning healthy individuals to attributes such as selectiveness and faithfulness. If this planning is done free, the cross-cultural world will shift dramatically. The pleasures of sex with sensual meaning are encouraged in postmodern culture.
Barnes' novels are anchored by love and human imagination, and this in itself puts him on the margins of postmodernism.
3. Theme of Love ( Passion + Suffering)
In the Only Story the passion turned into suffering.The story of the youth of 19 years Paul's passionate attraction towards Susan MacLeod, 48 years old married woman with two daughters.This is nothing but a story of passion turning into suffering.
Paul is giving his own defence that it was his mistake to fall in love with a middle aged woman.But can we think of all these things when we are in love?well we can't because if we think then we are not in love.That is how he was carried towards suffering, drifting like a wooden log.
"Remember, as you read this small book, generally and specifically about love, remember that suffering is, after all, the Latin root for passion": Ellen Prentiss Campbell on Julian Barnes's new novel.
This is his story of a life-changing, life-defining passionate love affair, from innocence to experience, from youth to age, from infatuation to weariness. It is the story of suffering for both Paul as well as Susan, along with all other family members.
Would you rather love the more, and suffer the more; or love the less, and suffer the less? That is, I think, finally, the only real question. You may point out correctly that it isn't a real question. Because we don't have a choice. If we had the choice, then there would be a question. But we don't, so there isn't. Who can control how much they love? If you can control it, then it isn't love. I don't know what you call it, but it isn't love.
He remembered, at school, being guided by masters through books and plays in which there was often a Conflict between Love and Duty. In those old stories, innocent but passionate love would run up against the duty owed to family, church, king, state. Some protagonists won, some lost, some did both at the same time; usually, tragedy ensued. No doubt in religious, patriarchal, hierarchical societies, such conflicts continued and still gave themes to writers. But in the Village? No church-going for his family. Not much of a hierarchical social structure, unless you counted the tennis and golf club committees, with their power to expel. Not much patriarchy, either not with his mother around. As for family duty: he had felt no obligation to placate his parents. Indeed, nowadays the onus had shifted, and it was the parents' job to accept whatever 'life choices' their child might make. Like running off to a Greek island with Pedro the hairdresser, or bringing home that gymslip-mother-to-be. Yet this liberation from the old dogmas brought its own complexities. The sense of obligation became internalised. Love was a Duty in and of itself. You had a Duty to Love, the more so now that it was your central belief system. And Love brought many Duties with it. So, even when apparently weightless, Love could weigh heavily, and bind heavily, and its Duties could cause disasters as great as in the old days.
4.Critique of Crosswords :
In this Novel two people are playing crosswords, one is mr. Gordon Macleaod and another is Joan.In ‘The Only Story’ Julian Barnes has captures the nuances of social life lived in the 20th century England. The crosswords was something so significant aspect of this traditional British activity that several characters of this novel are found meaningfully engaged with it.
It is said that Crossword puzzles have several benefits like:
They can strengthen social bonds. Completing a crossword puzzle on your own is impressive, but you should never feel bad if you need to ask for help. …
They improve your vocabulary. ...
They increase your knowledge base. ...
They can relieve stress. ...
They boost your mood.
Apart from Joan, it is Gordon Macleod who is found doing crosswords in the novel. On two occasions, he is found solving the crosswords with Paul Roberts. The answers to the puzzle are ‘Taunton’ – a name of a town – meaning continue mocking at – and - ‘TREFOIL, REF – arbiter – in the middle of TOIL – work.’ If we read these words in context of the relations between Paul and Gordon we may find it symbolically significant. Taunton – making mockery of something/somebody and Trefoil – a popular warning symbol signifies triangular relation among Paul – Susan – Gordon. Both these words in the crossword puzzle seem to signify a taunt on Paul’s middling in between Susan and Gondon’s not-so-happy married life.
Like crossword , we can say that today's crossword is 'WORDLE' , lots of people play this game and also it's a very interesting game.
Here is the link
https://www.wordleunlimited.com/?wardle=aXNsYW5k
Of the game 'WORDLE'.
5.Paul - the unreliable narrator
Paul is the unreliable narrator of this novel.Beacuse whatever he is telling to readers is based on his personal memory.hHe says that he never kept a diary.So how can we rely on one's own memory.It is very problematic.Paul is not sure about his life experiences. He himself is counter arguing the things in this novel.
6.Susan - madwoman in the attic
Click here 👉 to read the full story of 'Mad Women in the Attic' . The title of the book is derived from Jane Eyre‘s Bertha Mason, who is locked away by her husband Mr Rochester in the attic of Thornfield Hall. She is an ominous character, full of uncontrollable passion, violence, sensuality, and madness, almost bestial in her behaviour.
Here the character of Susan is comparable with that character of Bertha from ' Madwoman in the Attic'. Bertha was suffered by her husband and here Susan is suffering from some kind of this thing. She becomes an alcoholic. She speaks lies to Paul. Somewhere she is stuck with responsibility. She was beaten by her own husband. She had extramarital affair with Paul, she somewhere wants love, some kind of warmness but she was constantly become a victim of hatred, sexual pleasure and was beaten so many times. Susan also become a victim of child abuse when she went to his uncle Hemph’s house. When finally she went with Paul there she felt lonely and that time she became alcoholic like anything. In the end, Paul also abandons her and her daughter Clara takes care of her. Susan’s character is fascinating because there is another character who counterpointed Susan's character.
7.Joan - one who understood existential enigma
Joan is sister of Gerald.After death of Gerald Joan suffered a lot because in her family Gerald was very near to Joan that also has does kind of damage to Joan.Joan can save herself from the damage.We may question that was it there nothing wrong happened with Joan as Susan is suffering from her life.Joan was living with yeppers/dog first and the she has another dog called Sibyl.Sybil is a mythical character (an old lady in a prison or jar).
Joan is the tennis player and partner with Paul.Joan has many affairs with the rich man.When Gerald was died Joan was devastated towards life.And when one devastated from life they don't go for human beings but rather find the pet animals.Joann Was doing the same in this novel.Sibyl as her ultimate company.
8.Whom do you think is responsible for the tragedy in the story? Explain with reasons.
From my viewpoint this tragedy happened because of Susan , because Susan is the the character who creates her own problems and she is the responsible for her condition . When the love story begins at that time Paul is 19 years old while Susan is 48 years old. If she has chosen a right path for her then the tragedy might not happen. So , Susan is responsible for the tragedy in the novel.
Thank you…
Words
2,298
Characters
10,990
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