Julian Barnes's Uptight, Straight-Laced England

When Evelyn Waugh sent the manuscript of "Brideshead Revisited" to his friend and fellow novelist Nancy Mitford, her response was enthusiastic, except for wishing that his protagonist was less dim and had a little more glamour. But, of course, Waugh was making a conscious artistic decision, and Julian Barnes has made a similar choice in his brief novel, which Tuesday was awarded England's Man Booker Prize.