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Metroland
is Julian Barnes's first novel. It took between 7-8 years to write
and draws heavily on his personal experiences growing up in the
suburbs of London. Written in three parts, the first section focuses
on the friendship of Christopher and Toni and their childhood
disgust for the bourgeoisie. The second section finds Christopher
in Paris during les événements of 1968,
where he misses out on the events because he is too busy having
sex. The last section outlines Christopher's life back in the
London suburbs, his marriage, his child, and his stable job. When
Toni returns to question Christopher's loss of their early childhood
philosophy, Christopher is faced with the dilemma of turning his
back on his wife and child or acknowledging that he has become
what he once despised. Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award for
a first novel. |
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English Editions (View Translations)
Metroland. London: Jonathan Cape , 1980.
Pp. 176.
Metroland. New York: St. Martin's Press,
1980. Pp. 176.
Metroland. London: The Book Club, 1980.
Pp. 176.
Metroland. London: Robin Clark, 1981.
Pp. 176.
Metroland. New York: McGraw-Hill Book
Company, 1987. Pp. 176.
Metroland. London: Picador, 1990. Pp.
176.
Metroland. New York: Vintage International,
1992. Pp. 176.
Reviews
Guignery, Vanessa. "Excentricité et interlinguisme
dans Metroland et Talking It Over de Julian Barnes."
Etudes Britanniques Contemporaines, 15, (1998).
Church, Michael. "Untitled." Times (London),
27 March 1980: 11. Naughton, John. "Smirking." Listener,
27 March 1980: 419.
Bailey, Paul. "Settling for Suburbia." Times
Literary Supplement (28 March 1980): 345.
Levin, Bernard. "Metroland: Thanks for the Memories."
Sunday Times (London), 6 April 1980: 42.
Blishen, Edward. "Growing Up." Times Educational
Supplement, 2 May 1980: 22.
