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The Lake House
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Question #5: Twists and Turns
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Apr 21, 2016 02:16PM
As in Kate Morton’s other novels, The Lake House features family secrets, suspense, plot twists and unexpected revelations. Which ones surprised you, were predictable or foreseeable, and which ones added to your enjoyment of the story?
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I was surprised when the gardener's lover was revealed.
I read that Kate Morton did not know how the book was going to end until she had completed writing 2 thirds of it, and that really amazed me as in retrospect everything led to the conclusion. I still loved this book because the journey it took me on is more important than the ending.
I did feel like Kate had a deadline to meet with this book and that's why the ending was a little far-fetched.
Having said that, if I were reading Kate Morton for the first time, I may not have guessed the ending. I am very familiar with her writing style and plot recipe now, having read all her books.
Shirley wrote: "It has been a little while since I read this book, so I can't precisely remember all the details, however I do remember being disappointed in the ending. For the first time I was able to predict th..."I was also surprised by the revealing of the gardener's lover.
I agree with Shirley on most of her points... I think I read these books too early and then forget the little things! I was also surprised by Eleanor's affair, considering how much she loved Anthony and their love story was so cute. I can say I did not predict the ending with Theo, but I wasn't all that surprised/excited about it. It WAS my first Kate Morton book so maybe that is why!
I think I was also waiting for something bigger to happen with the artist/family friend and why he killed himself. That character seemed almost unnecessary in hindsight.
Dana wrote: "I agree with Shirley on most of her points... I think I read these books too early and then forget the little things! I was also surprised by Eleanor's affair, considering how much she loved Anth..."
Dana, I wonder if Mr. Llewellyn (sp?) was just a red herring to throw us off track... In the end, I was very surprised that Constance actually killed him, and why did it take so long to find his body by the stream when he evidently died the night Theo disappeared. Wouldn't searchers have found him as they were looking so thoroughly for Theo?? In any case, I did not predict that Constance would actually kill the poor guy! Pretty ruthless and deranged of her.
Like you also, I did not predict the ending with Theo/Bertie. In fact, when Alice first met him and went off with him to the solstice fair, I actually thought she was smitten with him. Ha ha. Another red herring for us, I guess.
I agree, it probably was! Because it made him seem suspicious for sure. I forgot she killed him too! You would think they would have if they were searching correctly?? I thought that about the pair too! I was thinking that finally Alice would have love in her life... good thing they figured it out beforehand (hehe). Even though the ending was a surprise, I never thought Theo had died. I think the topic of child death is a tough one, so I didn't think she would go there.
Dana wrote: "I agree, it probably was! Because it made him seem suspicious for sure. I forgot she killed him too! You would think they would have if they were searching correctly?? I thought that about the pa..."
Yes, good thing they figured it out beforehand!! Too funny. I believe Clemmie also felt that Theo was still alive. Although, for a while there, I thought that maybe she had something to do with his disappearance and that she was the girl in the prologue, burying something in the woods.
Lots of constant twists and turns in this book!
I was also shocked that Eleanor would be the mastermind behind such a plot as to whisk away her own son. Yes, he would be safe but he would also soon be out of babyhood and less likely to trigger a catatonic rage in Anthony. I just don't get this. Imagine the grief all of the siblings felt -- and the guilt -- they had to live with all of that their whole lives!!! Good heavens! What was Eleanor thinking?! As a mother, I would have found another way to deal with this situation. I would have found another way to protect my baby and save the family.
I thought so too! Seemed a little far-fetched. I am not a mother but even I doubt one could purposely send away a child they loved so much. Clearly she did it to "protect" Anthony from becoming a murderer... but you are already cheating on the guy, why not just leave him and take ALL of the children? Maybe he will get the help he needs and they can re-unite, who knows! That way, only Anthony would be upset instead of the rest of the family like you mentioned!
Dana wrote: "I thought so too! Seemed a little far-fetched. I am not a mother but even I doubt one could purposely send away a child they loved so much. Clearly she did it to "protect" Anthony from becoming a m..."I think Eleanor genuinely still loved Anthony and did not want to leave him or separate him from the girls. I think she considered this option. But why would she not consider taking a little trip for 6 months to Europe (just mother and child) and allow little Theo to age up a bit more?...
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I also thought that Alice was smitten with Bertie. At some point, it became evident that Alice would be reunited with her brother, but I didn't foresee that it was going to be Bertie. I can only say - what are the chances?!! There was so much about the end of this book that I couldn't believe. Everything was tied up too neatly for my tastes. Coincidence after coincidence - just not believable in my opinion, even though the characters at one point say there is no such thing as a coincidence.
Susan wrote: "I agree with so much that has been said here already. It came as a surprise to me that Eleanor masterminded Theo's disappearance. It doesn't seem plausible that she could have kept this a secret af..."I have to agree too, Susan. Morton's tendency to overdescribe, to wander off the story path, to ornate description: the book was a slog for quite a few pages, despite its twists and turns.
Then, for some reason, I started to see it as a complex jigsaw that the author was trying to finish and it became rather fun so, by the end, I was delighted that she had pulled all the pieces together. I was wondering who else she could've paired off; even Bertie and Sadie were a pair, sort of. It reminded me of stories I used to devour where everything ended up happily ever after!
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I felt exactly the same way, Maureen. Morton over-describes more than any author I've read in a long time. I have to wonder where her editor was, but maybe it's hard to argue with financial success. I confess to skimming about a third of the book until it got interesting near the end, when, as you describe, I finally tried to put the puzzle together.
Maureen wrote: "Susan wrote: "I agree with so much that has been said here already. It came as a surprise to me that Eleanor masterminded Theo's disappearance. It doesn't seem plausible that she could have kept th..."So well said, Maureen. This story did become rather fun in the end ... I totally agree. Perfect for those who love descriptive works with a mystery element, and which are ultimately gentle reads!
