Book Synopsis:
She will change the way you see the world . . .
‘I’ll remember Elizabeth Finch when most other characters I’ve met this year have faded’ The Times
Elizabeth Finch was a teacher, a thinker, an inspiration. Neil is just one of many who fell under her spell during his time in her class. Tasked with unpacking her notebooks after her death, Neil encounters once again Elizabeth’s astonishing ideas on the past and on how to make sense of the present.
But Elizabeth was much more than a scholar. Her secrets are waiting to be revealed . . . and will change Neil’s view of the world forever.
My Review:
Elizabeth Finch is a thought provoking, intellectual read with some intriguing characters .
Firstly I thought Elizabeth was a great main character and one I enjoyed getting to know more about throughout the book. She was a very intelligent, strong lady who wasn’t afraid to argue her point in intellectual discussions. We learn about her mainly through Neil, the mature student tasked with clearing her things after her death, and through her notebooks as Neil goes through them. She’s a lady I’d love to have had as a teacher as I think she would have been fascinating to listen to.
The author has included some interesting philosophical and historical subjects in this book which we mainly learn about through Elizabeth’s notes. I did find these interesting, particularly learning more about Julian the Apostate who I’d not heard of before and how history could have been different if people had listened to him. Some of this section was a bit difficult to read at times though and I think some of the ideas went over my head a bit but I don’t think I’m this author’s target reader to be honest.
This was a book of two halves for me. I loved Elizabeth and enjoyed learning more about her but I did struggle with the middle and end bits as I found it difficult to keep up with all the ideas being discussed. I do wish there had been a bit more about Elizabeth and Neil but then I think it would be a completely different book and perhaps not one this author would have written. If you are a fan of Julian or like intellectual, thought provoking reads then you’ll love this book.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Vintage for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Julian Barnes is the author of thirteen novels, including The Sense of an Ending, which won the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and Sunday Times bestsellers The Noise of Time and The Only Story. He has also written three books of short stories, four collections of essays and three books of non-fiction, including the Sunday Times number one bestseller Levels of Life and Nothing To Be Frightened Of, which won the 2021 Yasnaya Polyana Prize in Russia. In 2017 he was awarded the LĂ©gion d’honneur.
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