Barnes' long-standing interest in France and its people has seeped into many of his earlier books, including Flaubert's Parrot and Talking it Over. In this, his first collection of shorter fiction, he turns his acute eye and intelligence on anglo-franco cross-channel animosity, often with hilarious results. The stories cover a great breadth of territory - from the late 19th century to the near future of 2015 - and Barnes' narrative skips between acute observations and sly comic portraiture. Cross Channel is a vital part of the Barnes cannon, and a book that you will think about and chuckle over long after you've read its last page. | Cross Channel by JULIAN BARNES, Paperback | Indigo Chapters