or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
61 used & new from £0.01
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Something to Declare
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Something to Declare (Paperback)

by Julian Barnes (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
Price: £8.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 1 left in stock--order soon.

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, November 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
20 new from £1.29 36 used from £0.01 5 collectible from £9.99
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 8 used & new from £4.24
Paperback (Reprint) 19 used & new from £1.94

Frequently Bought Together

Something to Declare + Letters from London 1990-1995 + Nothing to be Frightened of
Price For All Three: £21.96

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Pedant in the Kitchen

The Pedant in the Kitchen

by Julian Barnes
4.6 out of 5 stars (5)  £5.27
Letters from London 1990-1995

Letters from London 1990-1995

by Julian Barnes
4.8 out of 5 stars (4)  £7.19
Cross Channel

Cross Channel

by Julian Barnes
4.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £7.19
Nothing to be Frightened of

Nothing to be Frightened of

by Julian Barnes
3.7 out of 5 stars (13)  £5.78
The Lemon Table

The Lemon Table

by Julian Barnes
4.0 out of 5 stars (4)  £11.49
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 318 pages
  • Publisher: Picador (11 Jan 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 033048916X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0330489164
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 13.2 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 431,525 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #34 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > B > Barnes, Julian

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   Something To Declare Sale opens new browser window
SHOP.COM  -  Save on Something To Declare Safe, Secure & Reliable 
   Declare opens new browser window
Ask.com  -  Search for Declare Find Declare 
  
 

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

According to his publisher, Something to Declare reflects Julian Barnes’ "long and passionate relationship with France". This is slightly disingenuous. More than half the book actually reflects his long and passionate relationship with the work of France’s greatest 19th-century novelist, Gustave Flaubert. Barnes, as any reader of Flaubert's Parrot knows, admires the author of Madame Bovary more than any other writer and he has, over the years, reviewed a number of books on his hero. These reviews make up the second half of Something to Declare. Not everybody has Barnes’ professional, indeed scholarly, interest in Flaubert. The prose is as witty and intelligent as always but many readers may find their attention flagging occasionally. Some may even want to echo Kingsley Amis’ comment, quoted in Barnes’ preface--"I wish he’d shut up about Flaubert."

However, the essays in the first half of the book go some way towards fulfilling the publisher’s promise that Barnes "ranges widely" through French life and culture. Memories of his time as an assistant at a school in Brittany link neatly with an admiring assessment of three archetypal French singers--Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens and Boris Vian. An account of Edith Wharton and Henry James making a stately tour of France in 1907 is juxtaposed with an essay on the Tour de France and its importance to the French public. Truffaut is lauded and the ineffable Jean-Luc Godard is enjoyably trashed. Though Barnes is characteristically cool and ironic in these essays, "a passionate relationship with France" does emerge from Something to Declare--and with Flaubert, of course. --Nick Rennison



Review

'Julian Barnes seems to have done more for Anglo-French relations than anyone since Edward VII' Daily Telegraph; 'The French revere Julian Barnes - and we. I think, quite wrongly, just admire him' Joanna Trollope
See all Product Description

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Something to Declare
56% buy the item featured on this page:
Something to Declare 3.8 out of 5 stars (4)
£8.99
Nothing to be Frightened of
21% buy
Nothing to be Frightened of 3.7 out of 5 stars (13)
£5.78
Talking It Over (Picador paperback Books)
8% buy
Talking It Over (Picador paperback Books) 4.5 out of 5 stars (11)
£4.99
Metroland
8% buy
Metroland 4.0 out of 5 stars (3)
£4.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Not What I Expected but Brilliant, 28 Jan 2003
By taking a rest - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Something to Declare: Essays on France (Hardcover)
Firstly, I did not gather all this book had to offer, as I do not have the knowledge that Mr. Barnes requires regarding French popular music of decades ago, including Georges Brassens, Boris Vian and Jacques Brel, and other topics that can only be fully appreciated if you have previous knowledge of them. Another example is his detailed discussion of French Cinema, again, hard to appreciate fully without prior and extensive knowledge. As a testament to his writing skill and style, these barriers did not keep me from reading every bit of this book. Unfortunately I had to read many parts as a novice, but his talent as a writer makes that effort an easy one to make.

There are many essays that will appeal to a wide audience, Edith Wharton, the Tour de France, Henry James, and his discourses on the writers George Sand, Victor Hugo, Stephane Mallarme, and Ivan Turgenev. No book such as this by Mr. Barnes would even be contemplated without a large portion being devoted to Gustave Flaubert, his friends, his actions, and the world he lived in and created. Flaubert is the basis for Mr. Barnes to explore the role of biography, the selective use of historical fact, personal papers, and the revisionist methods that can be employed when even identical source material is used to document the same individual. When Mr. Barnes makes an appearance in the book it is a picture of him standing by the final resting place of his much loved topic, the final resting place of Flaubert.

The topics I mention are not even close to an exhaustive list of the material that is covered. I have read virtually all of the books and essays that Mr. Barnes has published, and this book is decidedly unique. The book falls short of 300 pages only because the author chose to keep it dense. A slightly more verbose pen could easily have doubled the size of the book. You will likely spend more time on these 279 pages than you generally do, whether with Mr. Barnes or another author.

A very different book from a brilliant mind and very talented observer and writer, just be prepared for a very new experience from him this time around. He has not taken his readers on a trip like this before.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic but for Flaubert, 1 April 2003
By A Customer
Julian Barnes is, in my view, one of the best modern writers. This collection of essays on topics relating to France and the French is as good as always. He manages to be both erudite and amusing - every time I read his stories he makes me fascinated by what he writes about, even the asides are interesting. I would have to agree with Sir Kingsley Amis's comment quoted on the back cover, though, I wish he would shut up about Flaubert too. I enjoy Flaubert's books. I am interested in Flaubert as a writer. But Julian Barnes has, in his fascination for Flaubert, delved too deeply for the average reader who does not share quite such a deep passion for him. Almost half the book is devoted to aspects of Flaubert. None of the essays on Flaubert are as entertaining and engrossing as the earlier essays, even though they have their interesting sections. Even so, I would highly recommend the book to anyone who likes France, likes Julian Barnes' writing, or has an easily-awakened curiosity.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful collection from a quality author!, 1 Feb 2002
By A Customer
Julian Barnes's latest collection of essays explores the unique world of French sensibilities, food, culture, art, and literature. The introduction is superbly funny and, at times, touching, as Barnes attempts to explain his reasons for becoming a Francophile. Several essays on Flaubert are included, including a masterful piece of literary criticism into the "Small Minor Character" of Justin in Flaubert's *Madame Bovary*. Other authors and artists are discussed, as well, and Barnes reveals his keen insight into the artistic creation process.
The essays originated from articles and reviews written over a nearly twenty year period, but having compared several of these early writings to this new book I've discovered often drastic reworkings. Taking the time to develop the earlier pieces helps make this collection its own entity.

Highly recommended!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Random ramblings without a point.
I was attracted by the subject of the book but found it lacking in content.

To me, the book is a series of random ramblings without a point. Read more

Published on 26 Jan 2002 by Mark Louis Uhrich

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject


















i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.