Barneys Version

The novel Barney’s Version by Mordecai Richler is an exquisite illustration of an author’s attention to detail in regard to the first person narrative. The story of Barney Panofsky, Mordecai Richler's mercurial comic creation, sets an astringent standard of political incorrectness in present-day Canada. The dominant voice of the novel is Barney's, taken from the manuscript he left behind following his commitment to a nursing home. He tends to forget or confuse dates, …showed first 75 words of 229 total…

…showed last 75 words of 229 total…from Alzheimer's disease. The importance of Richler’s decision to have Barney tell his own story is self evident throughout the novel because the reader gains an understanding of everything that goes on in Barney’s mind. Although he sometimes admittedly shapes his memoirs so that he appears in the best light possible, he is, like anyone else, only trying to remember his past in a way that makes him comfortable with who he is.