In his widely acclaimed new collection of stories, Julian Barnes addresses what is perhaps the most poignant aspect of the human condition: growing old.

The characters in The Lemon Table are facing the ends of their lives–some with bitter regret, others with resignation, and others still with defiant rage. Their circumstances are just as varied as their responses. In 19th-century Sweden, three brief conversations provide the basis for a lifetime of longing. In today’s England, a retired army major heads into the city for his regimental dinner–and his annual appointment with a professional lady named Babs. Somewhere nearby, a devoted wife calms (or perhaps torments) her ailing husband by reading him recipes.

In stories brimming with life and our desire to hang on to it one way or another, Barnes proves himself by turns wise, funny, clever, and profound–a writer of astonishing powers of empathy and invention.

硃利安•巴恩斯（1946— ）,英國當代著名作傢。父母皆為法語教師，哥哥在牛津大學教授哲學，妻子帕特•凱伐納是著名的文學經紀人。巴恩斯畢業於牛津大學，曾參與《牛津英語辭典》的編纂工作，做過多年的文學編輯和評論傢。

“聰明”是巴恩斯作品的一貫標識。八十年代他以突破性之作《福樓拜的鸚鵡》入圍布剋奬決選，躋身英國文壇一流作傢之列。此後，獲各大文學奬項無數，三進布剋奬決選，並於2011年憑藉《終結的感覺》贏得大奬，同年獲大衛•柯恩英國文學終身成就奬。

巴恩斯也深得法國讀者的好感，他是唯一一位同時獲得法國梅第奇奬和費米娜奬的作傢，並先後榮獲法國文化部頒發的文學藝術騎士、軍官、司令勛章，堪稱在法國最受歡迎的英國作傢之一。