Quote by: Julian Barnes

In the letter he left for the coroner he had explained his reasoning (for suicide): that life is a gift bestowed without anyone asking for it; that the thinking person has a philosophical duty to examine both the nature of life and the conditions it comes with; and that if this person decides to renounce the gift no one asks for, it is the moral and human duty to act on the consequences of that decision. ... Alex showed me a clipping from the . 'Tragic Death of "Promising" Young Man.' ... The verdict of the coroner's inquest had been that Adrian Flinn (22) had killed himself 'while the balance of his mind was disturbed.' ... The law, and society, and religion all said it was impossible to be sane, healthy, and kill yourself. Perhaps those authorities feared that the suicide's reasoning might impugn the nature and value of life as organised by the state which paid the coroner?


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Author Bio


  • NameJulian Barnes
  • DescriptionEnglish writer
  • AliasesBarnes, Julian; J. Barnes; J Barnes
  • BornJanuary 19, 1946
  • CountryUnited Kingdom
  • ProfessionWriter; Translator; Novelist; Essayist
  • WorksThe Sense Of An Ending
  • AwardsAustrian State Prize For European Literature; Man Booker Prize; Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize