Question 2 of 6 #nyrbbookclub
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vivastory I do think that William G has also experienced a change but it will take longer to develop & is outside of the bounds of the narrative. I loved to see the hints that he was changing as a person at the very end when he visited Neaera. 2y
readordierachel I agree @vivastory that he is developing more slowly. He did seem to be somewhat less melancholy by the end. I hesitate to say hopeful. Perhaps a little more resigned, but not in a sad way. He's not as explicitly self-reflective as Neaera, so it can't be as neatly measured. 2y
DrexEdit See, now you're making me rethink my answer to the previous question. So Neaera ended up opening up to the possibility of an intimate relationship for herself, I think William did change enough to re-engage with everyday people and social relationships. 2y
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vivastory @DrexEdit @readordierachel I think that William did mature in the sense that he ended a relationship that wasn't making him happy, but I think he is having difficulty in defining what will. I think he is looking for a sort of long-term guarantee, whereas Neaera has accepted that there is no such thing as the guarantees he is looking for & has instead decided to accept what she has in the moment. 2y
DrexEdit @vivastory 👍 2y
arubabookwoman Yes William has changed. In his last entry he says nothing is different or better, but "I didn't mind being alive at the moment." He may have been changed more by Miss Neap's suicide than by the release of the turtles. 2y
vivastory @arubabookwoman Good point about Ms. Neap's suicide & I think that is a good illustration of we are all minor characters in other people's stories. He was caught up in his own personal issues that he didn't notice that of his neighbors. 2y
quietjenn I agree with @arubabookwoman - I think that the experience with the turtles did work on William, but it was really Miss Neap's suicide - and his interactions with his landlady/fellow lodges both in discovering it and being together afterwards - that really marks it. I think they both learned to “only connect“ but what connection looks like is different. 2y
Liz_M @arubabookwoman I think the lines before the two you quote is the difference “And I could imagine good times why I don't know.“ It is his reaction to the connection he made to his neighbors in remembering Ms Neap. 2y
BarbaraBB I too think that Ms Neap‘s suicide in the end has the biggest impact on William - and how it connected him to his neighbors. He suddenly remembered being connected I think - something he didn‘t really do with Neaera. 2y
readordierachel @arubabookwoman Yes, great observation. He seemed to be floundering still after the turtles, and coming together with his neighbors after Miss Neap produced more of a change 2y
readordierachel @BarbaraBB I agree. Even though their stories intertwined and they had a common goal and some interactions, they didn't "connect" that much as you say. I'd have thought they would be bonded after the experience, but they weren't 2y
BarbaraBB I loved that they didn‘t really bond. It makes the story so realistic. They are both finding their way towards an happy ending but no cliché‘s here! 2y
Leftcoastzen I think they both opened up from the experience. I remember William confronting Mr.Sandor about the cooker!Despite the fight they end up finding out a bit about each other.Remember at the beginning, Williams dad was a suicide, though they said it was an accident.Miss Neaps suicide makes him think a bit about boarding house neighbors being an accidental family in a way. 2y
vivastory @Leftcoastzen I completely forgot about Williams' father. That is definitely an important detail in the context of what happens later w/ Ms. Neaps!! 2y
batsy I agree about Ms. Neap's suicide being a turning point for William and there was that subtle change—he seemed more willing to take on whatever life has in store for him by the time we got to the end, or maybe that was my hopeful reading! But I think the experience with the turtles and the moments with Naera sort of laid the groundwork for that subtle shift in him too, if that makes sense. 2y
GatheringBooks I think I like the fact that this aspect of the story has been left for the reader to envision/imagine; which is a testament to the author‘s craftsmanship and restraint in the storytelling. More could have been said or extrapolated, but no, it is left hanging - just like most of life is, in truth. But agreed with everyone‘s thoughts about the pivotal point of Miss Neap‘s suicide, that elevated the narrative for me into something more profound. 2y
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