“I blushed. You haven't seen a bald man in his sixties blush? Oh, it happens, just as it does to a hairy, spotty fifteen-year-old. And because it's rarer, it sends the blusher tumbling back to that time when life felt like nothing more than one long sequence of embarrassments.”

English essayist, novelist and short story writer

Julian Barnes is an English essayist, novelist, and short story writer. He is known for work that moves across fiction and essays, with a style that has made him a notable presence in contemporary English literature. His writing spans novels, short stories, and nonfiction essays, showing a range that has kept him widely read. On this site he is represented by 140 quotes, reflecting the reach of his work and the enduring interest in his prose.