Denise

Denise asked:

Anyone finished who wants to discuss the ending? I am still not sure how I feel about it, am ruminating.

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4 years ago
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Kathryn Drew It's deliberately ambiguous-- there are clues to suggest both choices, though it seemed the removal of the wedding ring was meant to be telling...unless she always did that before swimming? I couldn't remember. Ultimately I didn't care either way. By the end I was completely bored with Elle and her dilemma. "Oh dear, I must choose between two men who love me and find me ravishingly beautiful!" Please.

Beth I hated the ending and don’t understand all the buzz for this book. I was so bored at the beginning that I almost didn’t continue. I thought the writing was really pretentious and unnecessarily wordy. It was hard to understand Elle’s choices throughout the book.

Kimi At first I was a confused by the ending. I read something in this thread that the author says she made the ending very clear. So I went back to read the last two pages to see if I overlooked something. Here is what I found.

If you have the hardcover book on pg. 385, right under the bold text of 6:30am: Elle and Peter wake up. Peter is still very tired. A few sentences down you will see that Elle says "Why don't you come with me? The pond will be warm after the rain" I hold my breath, wait. Come with me. End this."

Peter knew she was going to go for a swim but as usual, he never wanted to go with Elle. I know in many ways he was an amazing husband but the swims... that meant so much to Elle. Meeting her where she really was in her life. It's like her soul was screaming in this moment. "Just say yes to me, just say yes, end this all. Love me." But he would not go with her.

I believe this is what the author is talking about. It is very clear to me that she made her choice right in this moment. She chose Jonas. Jonas knew her soul.

Regan I think it’s very likely she committed suicde by drowning. Drowning is a constant theme and she was never able to forgive herself. She pressed the ring into her lifeline thereby ending it.

Kim (binge reading to avoid reality and the fall of US democracy)

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Debra Dahlgren Rowand I'm all in for a discussion on this book. I loved it with all of it's ups, downs, ambiguity, pacing, etc. Love that this was a debut title and the writing style was interesting to me. Life is messy and Heller illustrated that perfectly. I have yet to be disappointed by a Reese's Book Club pick. Such an interesting book.

Gail Cohen Spoiler Alert -
I just finished and was disappointed in the ending. I thought she’d decided to stay with her husband but then she left her wedding ring. So does that mean she chose Jonas. I would have liked a clearer ending.

EJ Vaughan I think the ending completely ruined it…and I was so bored at the beginning I almost gave up on it a few times. I persevered, only to regret it! I feel like I want my time back I spent reading it. Honestly, I felt like the author slapped me in the face with that UNending after a boring beginning. I need to time to ruminate…I would never recommend this book to anyone.

Yukari Watanabe This is my understanding: Elle flipped the coin (remember what her Mother said about difficult choice?), then the coin told her to stay with her husband. Then she wished it was another choice. So, she removed the wedding ring ("I squeeze it tight against my life line one final time before leaving it behind me on the top step") and swam towards Jonas.

I personally didn't care either way, though.

Deena I think the author gives us a clue when Elle and Gina rejoin the bbq after being in the bathroom together and Elle says to herself “She will never know how close she came to losing him.” (Page 367 of Kindle version) That seems to indicate Elle has decided to stay in her marriage.Then on page 389: I have made my choice: to give up this love that pulses, aches—for a different kind of love. A patient love. A love love.”

Moira Webster-Larranaga

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rei I think Elle chose Jonas. Towards the end when she asked Peter to join her for a swim she says “Come with me. End this”. It’s as if she’s wanting Peter to make her choice for her, almost as if she knows if it were up to her her choice would be Jonas, but is afraid to lose Peter and ruin her family. But when he decided not to go she made the decision herself and that’s to swim towards Jonas. I thought maybe she committed suicide as well, but I doubt she’d leave her children without their mother.

Another reason why she chose Jonas, I think the whole book what happened with Conrad prevented Elle from ever pursuing Jonas. Almost as if being together, there will always be a constant reminder of what “they did” the day Conrad drowned. I think Elle has been a prisoner in her own feeling of guilt about what she did, and her love for Jonas despite loving and marrying Peter. But in the end she says of the sunrise “it hovers, suspended for a moment, before breaking free of it’s tethers- the break of dawn”, I think is her way of finally being free of her guilt and feelings and allowing herself to finally choose to love Jonas.

Robin I’m surprised by how many people think this is a love story. It’s more of an anti-love story. It’s a story of how divorce, abuse, and selfishness have caused generational unhappiness and people desperate for love without knowing what that really looks like. The question is does Elle finally break the cycle that has plagued her family for generations, or is it so deeply ingrained that the story is already written for her?

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Jennifer I didn't find it to be that ambiguous. The author lead us to believe she was going to stay with her husband but then at the end she's walking toward the pond where Jonas is after taking her wedding ring off. She chose Jonas. And I literally yelled, "Nooooooo!"
So mad at her. Peter was so charming and her kids.....damn that woman.

Montessahall Montessahall I think Elle had the same relationship attachment issues as both of her parents.

Doris Robertson Taking off the wedding ring and using the word ‘final’ led me to believe that she is picking Jonas. If that is the case, then she has become her father. Her happiness was more important than anyone else’s. I also did not like current day Jonas.

Marilyn Brine Gilmour This was a story that I realized I'd fallen into at some point without knowing it. I don't think it matters how you interpret the last few pages. That's the mystery of a story so well written. We become Elle. I hope people will be able to see beyond the details that they may consider profane to the whole.

Lisa Epperly Now after reading the spoilers i am even more confused. My take is that she chose Jonas.

Robert Blumenthal I think the author left it very ambiguous and was expressing the notion that Elle would never be able to feel comfortable choosing either Peter and her children or Jonas. She had her definitely choosing the safe option of Peter and her kids, and then she shows great ambivalence when she went for a swim. I don't think anything was definite and that she could never be completely satisfied with either choice.

Georgettenecessities Gmailcom I think she chooses Jonas. Regardless of her horrible childhood, I despise her treatment of Jonas in adult life, using him and tossing him aside. I despise Jonas for allowing her to manipulate him and for being readily available for when she wants an affirmation of his unwavering devotion (unlike she recieved from her parents). Peter's ending role is to take loving care of the children while Elle seeks her new future,This, indicated to me, when he choose to sleep in and take Jack on a promised outing, rather than swim with her. I wanted
to throw the book across the room after the last sentence.
I'll not seek out another read by this author, little to much detail (esp. mice activity...ugghhh) and the endless number of characters had me confused. This was not a book to read casually...unless you have a great memory for who was who in each segment of the story.

A_mah

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Rosemarie Elle’s entire relationship with Peter is built on lies, and she acts on her decision to “choose” him by telling another lie. Such a marriage is doomed. She doesn’t have the strength to come clean and start over with Peter as she should if she were to genuinely choose him. That would have been the adult, healthy choice. I was hoping for her to do this, but she didn’t, and ultimately that felt more honest to me. Because really, what do we expect from someone this damaged?

Susan By the end of this book, I couldn't care which man she chose. I was so bored. How many ways can you describe a pond? A beach? A night sky? I think I have seen them all now. I found myself skipping lengthy descriptive paragraphs to get to dialogue (but then worried I missed something and went back and read them anyway). There were so many throw away characters (like the Uncle in South America - was I supposed to care about him?). I have read a lot of books this year but this one took forever to finish and I will never get that time back.

Kathryn There was an ending to this drivel? Where?

Shari I took it as she still chose Peter but after reading some of these comments, it did make me think..
Maybe she just wanted to take that last swim as if she was doing it before she got married & say goodbye to her past?

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Holly

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KT I ADORE this book. But I am shocked but (what I think) Elle chooses. Isn’t the glimmer of Jonas romantic but unrealistic? Peter is solid and only held back by her own omissions.

Dana Lane I stopped reading in the middle of the book. Glad I did after reading all your comments. I just couldn't get into it.

Lynn

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Carrie Tyler-Johnson

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Mary Starus I want to know what happens, but don't want to read the book...I don't like the writing...

Rowan Mcmanus If you re-read the beginning of the book, that is the actual ending.

Mimi I can’t help feel Elle would have made a huge mistake. Reality could never compare to all the yearning.

Tia

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Janet

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Kel crap - spoilers! hit send before clicking the button and now i can only edit. spoiler alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i am sick of ambiguous endings but i hope she went to jonas. i found it romantic and yes, heartbreaking. peter and the kids were great. she never should have gotten married. we all make choices and in the end, when u have a chance to maybe start over....well sometimes you should take it. the fact that she took off her ring and he was on the other side of the lake made me think she wasn't going to say i'm breaking up with both of you. i also considered that she might kill herself as it was referenced before. anyway, i feel the way you do denise, not sure!

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Sally Peter ate all the pistachio ice cream .

Lara Dillon OK - so all you people made me go back and read the ending and the beginning over and over again!! Uggghh. OK so I thought for sure she stayed with Peter. And to be honest - there is no other choice. She has a wonderful loving family, a husband who adores her, still has a great sex life after three kids, a mother that adores her husband and he adores her back. its all just ridiculous really but I think after reading the end and the beginning, that she chose Jonas!!! Two lines at the beginning. She says: I could look at him and listen to him for eternity - it is all i ever want" (that quote is very truncated BTW - wont type it all). Last sentece of opening schene " After describing thier romp outside the house she says " "I love him, I hate myself, I love myself, I hate him. THis is the end of a very long story". She could remove the wedding ring everytime she swims, but she never mintions it. The thing that throws me is "i squeeze it tight against my life line one final time before leaving it behind me on the top step" SHe is heading down to take her sime and Jonas is there as she says, " across the pond a figure stands, waiting, hoping, I can just make out his blue shirt". ANd then all that about the sun breaking free of its tethers. Her breaking free finally and going for what she always wanted, always knew should be - Jonas. I AM DISAPOINTED> BUt seriously i have to laugh - I mean seriously she is just gonna swim off into the sunrise with Jonas. Just announce she is leaving her husband. Its kind of dumb. This isnt so neat and tidy. Maybe she just means shse is staying at the paper palace forever and everyone else can just figure out what they are gonna do around her. Like someone else said, make the men choose for her

Kelleyn I feel the same way. I don't know if I should hate the character or have compassion on her! She was raped but did that give her the right to let the boy die. Also, did this give her a pass for cheating on her husband? I don't necessarily agree. Bad things like this happen all the time, but it doesn't give us a pass to then in return have bad behavior.

Leslie Rollins Honestly, against most folks here, I think Elle stays in her marriage. The figure across the pond could be her memory of the boy Jonas was. She's just picked up the iridescent feather; he's on her mind. Yes, she takes off her ring—that threw me. But we don't know that she hasn't been doing that all along. I think the key line here is "heading down the path to take my swim." Not "leave my life." Take my swim. After all she and her sister went through in this story, I don't think she'd inflict that on her kids.

Erin

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NAtasha Am i too late? i l loved this book but I have to assume the writer isn't a parent is there was no coverage of the important life event of her having kids (but there was boring bits about random characters) and i also found the character very mean to her father. who really only wanted to find love. It also drove me nuts that she made the decision to cheat on her husband for example when she left him at the gallery and we were somehow meant to think that it was ok due to the back story. She didn't at any moment seem to consider anyone else - i really liked her and she reminded me of a younger me but that person is basically far too selfish and self centred!

Peggy

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Joanne O'Toole I enjoyed this book, but have to agree the wordy descriptions of the environment grew tiresome and if you're not from this place or never been it makes it harder to picture. despite this I held on for the gritty and gripping themes of the book and was definitely hooked until the very end.

RE the ending: I think pressing her ring against her life line was symbolic of her choice to finally 'live' an authentic life and swim towards Jonas. I think the suggestion in these comments about potential suicide is interesting given the multiple episodes of drowning and death in general, but I don't see her being that unstable and also she wouldn't leave her children. I'm a bit clearer on the ending having read these comments and having weighed up the many conclusions! So, thanks!

P.S I would have chosen Peter! He sounds like great craic.

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Cory I finished is in 2 reads, was hoping for a different outcome, and feel she made the 'proper' choice :(

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Charlotte I think the sad truth is that Elle will never truly make up her mind. She'll probably stay with Peter without full-heartedly choosing him. A number of factors are at play for this stagnancy, but the main reason being she doesn't want to end up like her mother.

Elle grew up seeing how her grand/mother were unhappy more than anything else after leaving their partner. It didn't do much good for the happiness of the women and it left traumatizing scars on the children.

Elle is paralyzed by the thought of taking a huge leap like leaving Peter and this stability for Jonas.
It's how affairs essentially work: you're under the illusion of an amazing possibility, but you'll never know if it will actually work unless you take the jump. This uncertainty is what keeps Elle from going for it, because she can't be sure about the consequences.

She probably heard this story about old lovers who grew apart, got married with other partners, lived a full life, and then meet again when they're old and widowed - hoping it will be like that for her too (without the guilt of choosing for Jonas now).

Judith She stays with her family, there's no other way to see it...except for the wedding ring, made no sense, right? That was a cheap trick Heller threw in at the very last second just to create buzz about the book, get people talking about it. It worked, but shame on her.

Donna

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Kim Leggett My first thought? She commits suicide. Then I read all these comments and I’m not sure. It did make me think but I don’t think I can recommend it.

Alana Wow, very relieved abandoned it midway. I was bored (and did the author really need to introduce so many characters who were the offspring or related to her mother's boyfriends - they bogged it down - did they count in the end??) ... If I had persisted AND was an ambiguous outcome I would have been cross!!

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Lisa

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H The ending was too ambiguous. I was disappointed that there was no message, no moral, no point of this book. It was fun to read, but I feel that infidelity is a cheap theme, unless it is an excuse for an intense and beautiful love story. I thought Elle's love of Jonas was sweet but very underwhelming.
I felt that the characters were very one dimensional and predictable. No compelling characters in the book; Elle was a spoiled person who didn't take love seriously.

Anne I hated the ending, threw the book across the room. Something I have never done. I felt cheated for the time I invested in this book.

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Moira Leavitt I think the author took the cowards way out...You can read whatever you wish into the final few pages. Author dodges how Elle would deal with the potential loss/damage to her children. I never really liked Elle either. She had multiple chances to do the right thing and always took the wrong path. She was a pithy, selfish woman. I get she had a bad upbringing but enough nurturing to understand how to better life for her own children. Not a likable character. And when Jonas holds Elles hands down, we lose respect for his character. Peter's resistance to swim chips away at his grandness. In the end, too much disfunction to justify the selfishness.

Lesly

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Ulfah

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Jane

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Leserling Belana My sister gave this to me as a present, otherwise I would have stopped reading it after a few pages. Like so many others, I have no idea about the ending, but then I couldn't care less. Still, it is well written, but not my cup of tea at all.

Ronnie Moore Did not finish reading the book. I found the premise of going back and forth in time confusing.

Susan Berg I liked the book, I’m glad I read it, learned a few things about Cape Cod, and found the family dysfunction easy to believe. But, and this is big, it is not fair for a writer to leave her readers unsatisfied with an ambiguous ending unless a sequel is in the making. Would anyone want to read more then 1 book about this family, probably not, hence a sequel is unlikely. In my opinion the only way this story should end is with her picking her kids. And her kids will be miserable if she did not stay with their dad.

Carla

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Adrian Sure , whats your take . Mine is she went off to continue the affair.

Susan Smuckler Endings of books can be ambiguous....not a problem for me...makes for a good discussion. I think Elle chooses Jonas but their union won't be happy as Conrad's death wil forever haunt them.

Aaron

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Dee I liked the book but the ending was very unsatisfying. Unfortunately, for me this was the part of the book I was looking forward to and then was let down.

Carol Leach What happened to Conrad

Janet

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Dianne Vassalotti

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The Paper Palace

by Miranda Cowley Heller

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