Julian Barnes

I thought, oh, so that's how they tell you.

And also I felt interested in all the medical side of it.

I love talking to doctors and consultants and nurses.

They stick their needles into your arm and take off pints of blood.

It's very interesting.

But, of course, it does get, like many things, it does get a bit tedious on the 34th time of taking a pint of blood out of you.

No, it's definitely not going to do that.

No, I didn't feel fearful and I didn't feel angry either.

I'm not quite sure why.

I think I found it interesting, you see, with human beings but also perhaps a novelist's interest.

You know, what's the shape and form of this?

Who's going to do anything about it?

What are they going to do with anything?

Am I a goner or not?

And so on.

I mean, I've got to know hospitals in the last few years quite well, and I don't feel fear going into them.

I think, oh, I wonder how noisy this MRI scan is going to be, and so on.

I suppose it's one way of putting off the fear, but it's also genuine interest, yes.

Oh, just because I'm a sort of sick Brit, I suppose.

Sorry.