
England is replicated in a theme park on the Isle of Wight in Julian Barnes’ satirical postmodern novel, which the author describes as ‘a semi-farce’.
As every child knows, you can fit the whole of England on the Isle of Wight. The grotesque, visionary tycoon Sir Jack Pitman takes the saying literally and does exactly that. On the premise that most tourists are interested only in the top attractions and are as satisfied with a replica as with the real thing, he constructs on the island ‘The Project’, a vast heritage centre containing everything ‘English’, from Buck House to Stonehenge, from Manchester United to the White Cliffs of Dover.
About the Author
Julian Barnes is the author of 13 novels, including The Sense of an Ending, which won the 2011 Booker Prize.