Synopsis
In the course of what is, superficially, an ordinary life, whose dates span the 1920s to the year 2021, Jean Serjeant, a woman of exceptional curiosity, muses on diverse questions, great and small
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Reviews
What starts off as a quiet novel about a young girl growing up in rural England during World War II turns out to be the story of a full and diverse life. An unusual and likeable heroine, Jean marries conventionally but 20 years later leaves her husband just before the birth of their son, not in a fit of pique but simply because she realizes she should. In middle age, she is befriended by her son's girlfriend, whose attempts to seduce her are in vain; Jean has always preferred "the sleeping part." Finally, at the age of 100, she remembers a young fighter pilot's description of flying up into the sun. Jean has managed to find answers to most of the questions she has considered during her long life, but why the pilot is fascinated by staring at the sun has eluded her until now. This is a gentle novel by the author of the acclaimed Flaubert's Parrot ( LJ 4/1/85). Recommended.Mary K. Prokop, CEL Regional Lib., Savannah, Ga.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for Staring at the Sun
Stock Image
Staring at the Sun
Seller: Your Online Bookstore, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
hardcover. Condition: Fair. Seller Inventory # 0394558219-4-34335492
Stock Image
Staring at the Sun
Seller: Wonder Book, Frederick, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Seller Inventory # B14K-00372
Stock Image
Staring at the Sun
Published by
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1987
ISBN 10: 0394558219
ISBN 13: 9780394558219
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. 1st American ed. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 501458-6
Stock Image
Staring at the Sun
Published by
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1987
ISBN 10: 0394558219
ISBN 13: 9780394558219
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. 1st American ed. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 12415373-75
Stock Image
Staring at the Sun
Seller: Redux Books, Grand Rapids, MI, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Hardcover with dust jacket. Pages are clean and unmarked. Covers show very minor shelving wear. Binding is tight, hinges strong. Dust jacket shows light edge wear.; 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! Ships same or next business day! Seller Inventory # 132409050033
Stock Image
Staring at the Sun
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0394558219I4N00
Stock Image
Staring at the Sun
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0394558219I3N10
Stock Image
Staring at the Sun
Seller: HPB-Ruby, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_452412445
Stock Image
Staring At The Sun
Published by
Alfred a Knopf Incorporated, 1987
ISBN 10: 0394558219
ISBN 13: 9780394558219
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Library House Internet Sales, Grand Rapids, OH, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Fair. Jean Serjeant, the heroine of Julian Barnes's wonderfully provocative novel, seems ordinary, but has an extraordinary disdain for wisdom. And as Barnes--author of The Porcupine and Talking It Over--follows her from her childhood in the 1920s to her flight into the sun in the year 2021, he confronts readers with the fruits of her relentless curiosity: pilgrimages to China and the Grand Canyon; a catalog of 1940s sexual euphemisms; and a glimpse of technology in the twenty-first century (when The Absolute Truth can be universally accessed). Solid binding. Moderate edgewear on the boards. Please note the image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item. Book. Seller Inventory # 123638169
Stock Image
Staring at the Sun
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR006297358
Buy Used
US$ 4.54
Shipping:
US$ 7.40
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Quantity: 1 available