The Man Booker Prize (nominee)Thestory of a man coming to terms with the mutable past, Julian Barnes'snew novel is laced with his trademark precision, dexterity and insight.It is the work of one of the world's most distinguished writers.TonyWebster and his clique first met Adrian Finn at school. Sex-hungry andbook-hungry, they navigated the girl drought of gawky adolescencetogether, trading in affectations, in-jokes, rumour and wit. MaybeAdrian was a little more serious than the others, certainly moreintelligent, but they swore to stay friends forever. Until Adrian's lifetook a turn into tragedy, and all of them, especially Tony, moved onand did their best to forget.Now Tony is in middle age. He's hada career and a marriage, a calm divorce. He gets along nicely, hethinks, with his one child, a daughter, and even with his ex-wife. He'scertainly never tried to hurt anybody. Memory, though, is imperfect. Itcan always throw up surprises, as a lawyer's letter is about to prove.The unexpected bequest conveyed by that letter leads Tony on a doggedsearch through a past suddenly turned murky. And how do you carry on,contentedly, when events conspire to upset all your vaunted truths?