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I find it interesting that although Irene is the POV character, the original title, Nig, seems to focus the story on Clare. I don't know what to make of that, but presumably it means something.
Going back to the ending--I keep trying to find the ambiguity, but I just can't. Irene pushing Clare is the only interpretation that makes sense, both in the way Irene's actions and reactions are written in the last scenes, and in terms of the structure of the book. From the moment Clare enters Irene's world at the restaurant, Irene wants to eliminate her. First it's by trying to ignore her, then it's by considering how to sabotage her marriage to Jack, and then it's by pushing her away--literally. It's a progression and an escalation with only one possible outcome. Seeing it as accident or suicide instead of murder takes away the power of the scene, and of the story itself.
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