Nothing to Be Frightened Of

memoir by Barnes

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 19, 2026

Quick Summary

Nothing to Be Frightened Of is a 2008 memoir by British author Julian Barnes. The book offers a candid and critical examination of Barnes's relationships with his parents and older brother. It delves into themes of family, mortality, and the complexities of human connection, often with a jarring honesty. Barnes, who was diagnosed with an incurable blood cancer in 2020, has also explored themes of mortality and aging in his later works, including his final novel, Departure(s).12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Julian Barnes
Nonfiction works
Barnes’s memoir Nothing to Be Frightened Of (2008) is an honest, oftentimes jarringly critical look at his relationship with his parents and older brother. Levels of Life (2013)—which pays tribute to his wife, who died of a brain tumor in 2008—is a series of linked essays. In…
Read More
Barnes’s memoir Nothing to Be Frightened Of (2008) is an honest, oftentimes jarringly critical look at his relationship with his parents and older brother. Levels of Life (2013)—which pays tribute to his wife, who died of a brain tumor in 2008—is a series of linked essays. In…
Read More