A Short History of Hairdressing (Storycuts)

A Short History of Hairdressing (Storycuts)

Summary

Gregory ponders as he sits in the barber's chair at various stages of his life. His youthful preoccupation with the adult world gives way to the brash chippiness of the university student, and on, finally, to a man whose children are the same age as the girl holding the scissors. A charming take on the slow development of self.

Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection The Lemon Table.

About the author

Julian Barnes

Julian Barnes is the author of thirteen novels, including The Sense of an Ending, which won the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and Sunday Times bestsellers The Noise of Time and The Only Story. He has also written three books of short stories, four collections of essays and three books of non-fiction, including the Sunday Times number one bestseller Levels of Life and Nothing To Be Frightened Of, which won the 2021 Yasnaya Polyana Prize in Russia. In 2017 he was awarded the Légion d'honneur.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more