Did Alice live or die?

[Jaye]

live! she started to come out of the coma when she heard john's dad's voice

[Doreen]

Agree

[Carol]

I'd like to think she lived, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Dorothy]

I thought the ending was crystal clear. She hears the voice and feels herself rising inexorably to the surface - i.e. she wakes up.

[Marianne]

Dorothy wrote: "I thought the ending was crystal clear. She hears the voice and feels herself rising inexorably to the surface - i.e. she wakes up."

I'm with you, I think she lives

[Deborah]

I think she dies. Remember the foam coming out of her mouth which was the very last line. When she realises it isn't John that is speaking to her and is his dad I think that is when she lets go. She has nothing left holding her to her body.

[[deleted user]]

Agree with Deborah , her grief was/is so intense , she wouldn`t try to get back to a life that would be unbearable for her .

[Polina]

Was I the only one who thought that the father-in-law had strangled Alice?

[Adriana]

Polina wrote: "Was I the only one who thought that the father-in-law had strangled Alice?"

Oh, I didn't get that impression at all! I felt like he was trying to reach out to her as the only other person who understood the grief of trying to carry on without John.

[Mara]

Interesting interpretations! It's been quite a while since I read the book, but I thought Alice lived. Alice was never accepted by John's father when John was alive, so I took his presence by her hospital bedside to signify his forgiveness and desire to build a relationship with his daughter-in-law.

[Deborah]

I just thought that when John's dad came to see her and gave her his forgiveness, that was like her business done. She could let go and had no loose ties or anything. That was the only thing that was still hanging over her.

[Mary]

Three ways to end the book:
1. She dies
2. She lives
3. Her life is ended when Daniel pulls the plug.

Maggie, oh Maggie, why do you do this to your readers? I HATE ambiguous endings!! Any hints from you or do you leave it up to the reader? The comments above don't help but I'm leaning towards her dying. She says "I'm not sure if this is what I want, and I'm panicking now". We know from the pages that have gone before that all she wants to do is die. Now she's not sure but it's happening. "I'm gasping now, my lungs tight and airless." If her lungs are tight and airless, then the ventilator has been shut off or she is dying right at that moment. When she realizes it is Daniel's voice she is hearing and "it feels like my heart is breaking all over again" then she doesn't want to live and go through the grief all over again. So she gives in to dying.

[Mary]

Me again. Just read in another reader-blog that O'Farrell herself says that Alice lives. Does that make anyone feel better or worse?

[PETA]

Better!!!

[Joan]

I’m a bit late finding this book but have just finished it and it made me so sad because I thought she died . But then just found an interview with the author who said she lived , that Alice was too feisty to die and she had thought it quite obvious that Alice had lived ! I’m glad that was cleared up 😀

[Polina]

I am thrilled to read this! Thank you so much for sharing it, Joan!

[Dorothy]

I am glad to hear there are others who wonder about this ending! I feel like she died too—but want to read what O’Farrell herself says!

[Polina]

👍

[Alison]

I think she lives and survives as humans do, to live a different life, most probably with a new love.

[Sasha]

Why did the author not provide a clear, satisfying ending with some resolution, maybe reunions? The story led us up to the point where the question is no longer: what did Alice see? But: whether she will wake up or die. And then there is not an obvious answer. Was the author pressed to finish it quickly? The last few chapters were not great, seemed to lack effort and serious editing. And the ending was disappointing, to put it mildly.

[Polina]

Sasha, I think that was the point: to make us question and speculate and discuss the possibilities.

[Wendy]

I think it would be very much in keeping with Alice’s character that she lived. For me, she had a wonderful combination of being anxious but also curious and sometimes rebellious, so it made sense to me that she felt herself rising, breaking through water she hadn’t realized was there, and that John’s father, the puzzle piece that was never able to settle into place when John was alive would be the catalyst for that.

[Magill]

Deborah wrote: "I think she dies. Remember the foam coming out of her mouth which was the very last line. When she realises it isn't John that is speaking to her and is his dad I think that is when she lets go. Sh..."
Yes, I agree that she dies, in the end "she is gasping, her lungs tight and airless." You can't live without air in your lungs.
I can't imagine her living without John.

[Mrs K E O'Mahoney]

Sasha wrote: "Why did the author not provide a clear, satisfying ending with some resolution, maybe reunions? The story led us up to the point where the question is no longer: what did Alice see? But: whether sh..." I disagree, I think elements of books that allow for your own interpretation are interesting and provoke discussion.