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Accepting the award, Barnes thanked his publishers "for their wisdom and the sponsors for their cheque".
Barnes, 65, was the bookmaker's favourite ahead of Carol Birch, with "Jamrach's Menagerie", and A.D. Miller's thriller "Snowdrops".
"The Sense of an Ending" is the story of a seemingly ordinary man who revisits his past in later life and discovers that his memories are flawed.
The build-up to this year's prize was overshadowed by the launch of a rival award in protest at the apparent populist nature of the six-book shortlist and the make-up of the five-member judging panel.
The panel was chaired by the former head of Britain's domestic intelligence agency MI5, Stella Rimington, who before presenting the award said she made no apologies for including "readable" novels in this year's shortlist.
Revealing the winner, Rimington said the slim book stood up to re-reading several times and praised Barnes's style.
"We thought it was a beautifully written book, we thought it was a book that spoke to humankind in the 21st century," she told the audience.
Jon Howells from Waterstone's, one of Britain's biggest booksellers, said the judges had made the right decision.
"Julian Barnes is a worthy winner -- this is not, right writer, wrong book syndrome, 'The Sense of an Ending' is a brilliant novel, one that turns in the reader's head long after finishing," he said.
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Barnes, 65, was the bookmaker's favourite ahead of Carol Birch, with "Jamrach's Menagerie", and A.D. Miller's thriller "Snowdrops".
"The Sense of an Ending" is the story of a seemingly ordinary man who revisits his past in later life and discovers that his memories are flawed.
The build-up to this year's prize was overshadowed by the launch of a rival award in protest at the apparent populist nature of the six-book shortlist and the make-up of the five-member judging panel.
The panel was chaired by the former head of Britain's domestic intelligence agency MI5, Stella Rimington, who before presenting the award said she made no apologies for including "readable" novels in this year's shortlist.
Revealing the winner, Rimington said the slim book stood up to re-reading several times and praised Barnes's style.
"We thought it was a beautifully written book, we thought it was a book that spoke to humankind in the 21st century," she told the audience.
Jon Howells from Waterstone's, one of Britain's biggest booksellers, said the judges had made the right decision.
"Julian Barnes is a worthy winner -- this is not, right writer, wrong book syndrome, 'The Sense of an Ending' is a brilliant novel, one that turns in the reader's head long after finishing," he said.
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