Assignment Paper No. 207 Contemporary Literature in English : "Postmodern Aspects in Julian Barnes’s The Only Story"

"Postmodern Aspects in Julian Barnes’s The Only Story"

Greetings, readers! This blog is part of my final semester assignment for Paper No. 207: Contemporary Literature in English. Here, I will delve into the theme of postmodernism in Julian Barnes’s novel The Only Story.

Table of Contents : 

• personal Information  

• Assignment Details 

• Abstract 

• Introduction 

• About Julian Barnes

• About The Novel

• What is Postmodernism ?

• Post Modern Elements in ' The only Story '

• Conclusion

• References

Personal Information : 

• Name: Jay Maruniya 

• Batch : M.A sem. 4(2023-2025)

• Enrollment number: 5108230027

• Roll No: 12  

Assignment details:

• Topic:  Postmodern Aspects in Julian Barnes’s The Only Story

• Paper and subject code: Paper 207: Contemporary Literature in English

• Submitted to: smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar 

Abstract

Julian Barnes’s The Only Story (2018) is a novel that intricately explores themes of love, memory, and personal truth through a postmodern lens. The narrative follows Paul Roberts as he reflects on his youthful romance with an older woman, Susan Macleod. The novel employs shifting perspectives—first, second, and third person—to emphasize the fluidity of memory and identity. Barnes utilizes postmodern techniques such as unreliable narration, intertextuality, fragmented storytelling, and moral relativism to challenge traditional notions of truth and history. Through Paul’s introspective journey, The Only Story presents love not as a definitive experience but as a shifting and deeply personal construct. This paper examines the novel’s engagement with postmodernist discourse, analyzing how its structural and thematic elements reflect the instability of memory and the subjective nature of reality.

Key Words: Postmodernism, unreliable narrator, intertextuality, moral relativism, fragmented narrative, metafiction, memory fiction, subjective truth, identity, love, memory, self-deception, existentialism, non-linear storytelling, skepticism, philosophical inquiry, literary experimentation, fluidity of perspective, narrative shifts, introspection.

Introduction

Julian Barnes’s The Only Story, his 13th novel, follows The Noise of Time (2016) and his Man Booker Prize-winning The Sense of an Ending (2011). While all three are relatively short, The Only Story aligns most closely with Samuel Johnson’s definition of a novel, quoted in the book’s epigraph: “A small tale, generally of love.” However, Barnes’s approach to storytelling, memory, and love transforms this seemingly simple tale into a profound narrative that resonates beyond matters of the heart.

Divided into three sections, the novel is set in the early 1960s in a London suburb. The story follows Paul, the narrator, who shifts between first, second, and third person perspectives throughout the novel. At 19, during his university break, he joins a tennis club, where he is partnered with Susan, a 48-year-old woman trapped in an unhappy marriage with Gordon—a man described as being perpetually discontented with life. Together, Susan and Gordon have two nearly grown daughters.

About Julian Barnes

Julian Patrick Barnes, born on January 19, 1946, in Leicester, England, is a renowned British author and literary critic known for his intellectually engaging and inventive novels. His works often explore themes of obsession, memory, and the past. Barnes studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, earning a B.A. in 1968. In the 1970s, he contributed reviews to the Times Literary Supplement while also writing thrillers under the pseudonym Dan Kavanagh.

Barnes made his literary debut under his own name with Metroland (1980), a coming-of-age novel. His 1982 work Before She Met Me follows a protagonist whose jealousy leads him to obsess over his wife's past. Flaubert’s Parrot (1984), a unique blend of biography, fiction, and literary criticism, further cemented his reputation. In The Lemon Table (2004), a collection of short stories, Barnes delves into themes of mortality, earning praise for its emotional depth. His historical novel Arthur & George (2005) examines the nature of memory and legacy through the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Barnes won the Booker Prize for The Sense of an Ending (2011), a novel that employs an unreliable narrator to examine memory and ageing. The Noise of Time (2016) fictionalizes episodes from the life of Russian composer Dmitry Shostakovich. The Only Story (2018) revisits the themes of love and memory, following a man’s reflections on his youthful affair with an older woman. His 2022 novel, Elizabeth Finch, explores the lasting influence of an intellectual mentor on the protagonist’s life.

In addition to novels, Barnes has written short stories, essays, and translations, including works by Alphonse Daudet and Volker Kriegel. His writing, characterized by deep philosophical inquiries into history, reality, truth, and love, has earned him widespread critical acclaim and numerous literary awards. Julian Barnes currently resides in London.

About the Novel

Julian Barnes’s The Only Story opens with a profound question:

"Would you rather love more and suffer more, or love less and suffer less?"

Narrated by Paul Roberts, the novel explores his intense yet troubled relationship with Susan. Published on February 1, 2018, it falls under memory fiction, as Paul reflects on his past, acknowledging the unreliability of memory.

Initially, Paul and Susan’s love seems passionate, but their happiness fades as Susan’s alcoholism strains their relationship. Despite Paul’s efforts to help, he ultimately decides to leave. The final section shifts perspectives, imagining an alternate path for Paul and detailing his life post-Susan, who is now in a hospital.

Barnes masterfully examines themes of first love, self-deception, and lost ideals, painting a poignant portrait of love’s complexities. Critics praised the novel as a “sombre yet well-crafted character study.”

What is Postmodernism?

Postmodernism challenges grand narratives, particularly history, and questions the existence of universal truth. It embraces fragmented storytelling, absurdity, and a sense of meaninglessness, reflecting the chaos of the post-war era. However, with the rise of metamodernism—characterized by authenticity and sincerity—postmodernist themes and techniques are often seen as losing relevance.

Julian Barnes’s The Only Story (2018) explores love, time, and memory, engaging with postmodern ideas. His works challenge the notion that postmodernism is fading, as they continue to question history, memory, and truth while incorporating postmodern narrative techniques. Rather than being replaced by metamodernism, postmodernism still coexists alongside modernist influences in Barnes’s storytelling.

Postmodern Elements in ‘The Only Story’

Julian Barnes’ novel The Only Story (2018) reflects several key features of postmodern literature. These include its focus on history, use of irony, rejection of absolute truths, sense of paranoia, and deep exploration of knowledge and memory. The novel takes place in 1960s suburban England and follows the life of Paul Roberts, a nineteen-year-old university student. During his summer break, Paul returns to his parents' home, where they encourage him to join a local tennis club. At the club, he meets Susan Macleod, a forty-eight-year-old married woman. Despite their significant age difference, they fall in love and begin a secret relationship. Later, Paul and Susan move in together in London and live as a couple for nearly a decade. However, their relationship becomes troubled as Susan struggles with alcoholism. Over time, Paul learns that love is not as simple or idealistic as he once believed.

The novel is structured into three chapters, each titled simply One, Two, Three, and each section changes the way the story is told. In the first chapter, Paul tells his story in the first-person perspective, which makes it feel personal and direct. He recalls his early experiences with love, filled with excitement and youthful passion. In the second chapter, the narration shifts to the second person, which creates a sense of distance and detachment. For example, Paul says:

"You decide that, since you are a student..."

This change suggests that he is no longer fully identifying with his past self. The third chapter is written in the third-person perspective, making the narration feel even more distant and objective. However, in the last few paragraphs of the novel, the narration briefly returns to the first person. This shifting perspective highlights how Paul tries to separate himself from painful memories. In his youth, he tells his story in an intimate way, but as his experiences become more painful, he distances himself from them. This change in narration reflects how memory can shift over time, and how people try to cope with emotional trauma.

Paul, as a character, represents the typical protagonist found in Julian Barnes’ novels. He is an introspective, melancholic Englishman who spends more time thinking about life than actively shaping it. Rather than making bold decisions, he often reflects on past events, trying to understand their meaning. However, by the time he reaches any conclusions, the moment has already passed, and he is left with regrets.

A key theme in the novel revolves around a thought-provoking question that Paul asks at the beginning:

"Would you rather love more and suffer more, or love less and suffer less?"

This question sets the tone for the entire novel. It suggests that love and suffering are deeply connected, and one cannot exist without the other. However, this is not a straightforward choice because love is not something people can control. If love were something people could manage easily, it would lose its true essence.

Throughout the novel, Paul reflects on different aspects of love. He often thinks about the idea of first love and how it shapes a person’s entire life. He states:

"First love fixes a life forever: this much I have discovered over the years. It may not outrank subsequent loves, but they will always be affected by its existence... Though sometimes, first love cauterizes the heart, and all any searcher will find thereafter is scar tissue."

This passage suggests that a person’s first experience of love leaves a lasting impact, even if they move on to other relationships. In Paul’s case, his love for Susan affects the rest of his life. After their relationship ends, he never fully settles down. He moves from one place to another, engaging in different relationships but never staying in one place for too long. He questions whether his constant movement is an act of courage—an acceptance of his personal limitations—or an act of cowardice, avoiding emotional commitment.

This idea reflects the postmodern theme of moral relativism. In postmodern literature, there are no absolute truths, only perspectives. Paul constantly searches for the true meaning of love, but he never finds a single, universal definition. Instead, his understanding of love changes over time. To capture different ideas about love, he keeps a notebook filled with quotes and philosophical reflections. One of the quotes he notes is from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem In Memoriam:

"It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

By including references to other literary works, Barnes uses intertextuality, a common technique in postmodern literature. Paul revisits his notebook over the years, crossing out ideas that no longer align with his beliefs. This act represents the postmodern belief that truth is not fixed; instead, it changes depending on one’s experiences and emotions. Paul ultimately realizes:

"Perhaps love could never be captured in a definition; it could only ever be captured in a story."

This statement reflects the heart of the novel. Barnes does not attempt to define love in a single way. Instead, he presents Paul and Susan’s unique love story and allows the reader to interpret its meaning.

Another important postmodern element in The Only Story is the use of an unreliable narrator. Paul tells the story entirely from memory, but he admits that his recollections might not be accurate. Early in the novel, he states:

"You understand, I hope, that I’m telling you everything as I remember it? I never kept a diary, and most of the participants in my story—my story! my life!—are either dead or far dispersed. So I’m not necessarily putting it down in the order that it happened."

This passage shows that Paul is aware of the limitations of memory. He acknowledges that others might remember events differently, but the version he presents is his truth. This aligns with the postmodern idea that truth is subjective and shaped by personal perspective. Additionally, the novel does not follow a strict chronological order, which is another common feature of postmodern storytelling. Instead, events are narrated in a fragmented way, reflecting the way memory actually works.

Julian Barnes frequently explores themes of knowledge, truth, and memory in his works. The Only Story is no exception. The novel raises questions about how people remember their past, how love shapes a person’s identity, and whether truth is ever truly attainable. Rather than providing clear answers, Barnes invites readers to reflect on these themes through Paul’s experiences. This resistance to offering definitive conclusions is a key characteristic of postmodern literature.

Finally, the novel contains motifs and themes that appear in many of Barnes’ other works. His protagonists are often men who look back on their lives with a sense of regret, trying to make sense of their past choices. The novel’s exploration of memory and truth further emphasizes its postmodern nature. While postmodernism is a broad and complex literary movement, The Only Story demonstrates many of its key elements. These include intertextuality, unreliable narration, moral relativism, and fragmented storytelling. Together, these features contribute to the novel’s depth and philosophical exploration of love, memory, and human experience.

Conclusion : 

In conclusion, Julian Barnes's novel The Only Story strongly reflects postmodernist elements. One of the key aspects of postmodernism present in the novel is moral relativism, which is evident in Paul's reflections on love. Barnes challenges the idea of absolute truths, particularly in grand narratives, by portraying love as a deeply personal and ever-changing experience. Additionally, the novel explores the unreliability of memory, a common postmodern theme, through its non-linear structure and the use of an unreliable narrator. These postmodern techniques play a significant role in shaping the protagonist’s perspective, making them essential to the novel’s overall exploration of love, memory, and truth.

References :

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Julian Barnes". Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Jan. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julian-Barnes. Accessed 22 February 2025.

Czobit, Michael. “Review: Julian Barnes’s the Only Story Delivers Exceptionally Written Heartache.” The Globe and Mail, 4 May 2018, www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/reviews/article-review-julian-barness-the-only-story-delivers-exceptionally-written/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Röttgers, Anna. “‘The Postmodern Moment Has Passed’?!: Postmodernism in Julian Barnes’ The Noise of Time and The Only Story .” DSpace, June 2019, theses.ubn.ru.nl/bitstreams/37fbcb5b-30ca-4635-90a3-83e3018b0e5d/download. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Nawaz, Arshad, et al. “(PDF) Postmodern Absurdist Critique of Julian Barnes’s the Only Story.” ResearchGate, June 2021, www.researchgate.net/publication/357212384_Postmodern_Absurdist_Critique_of_Julian_Barnes’s_The_Only_Story. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Luthra, Sonia. “Dissolution of Self of Paul and Susan in The Only Story of Julian Barnes.” Ijcrt, Sept. 2023, www.ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2309539.pdf. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

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