[gmw]

From the synopsis of the movie in Wikipedia (that I read after finishing the book) it seems to me the movie might be "inspired by" rather than following the book. Of course you can't get Bill Nighy in to play Mr Brundish and then only see him so briefly - to leave out the many other departures.

Bookworm_Girl, you note the impact of the last sentence - as did the introduction in my edition of the book. But how did you interpret it? The main thing that struck me about it was that Florence still didn't understand what had happened to her. Wanting or not wanting a bookshop had almost nothing to do with what happened. It was an act of capriciousness on the part of Violet Gamart, and I fully expect that the arts centre will never happen (Violet has made her point and will quickly lose interest in anything more). So if there is a tragedy in the end of this book, it is that Florence has learned nothing from her experience.

I'd also add, Bookworm_Girl, that I think my disappointment had much the same source as yours: I was expecting something completely different. But so far reflection has not made me like this book any more. Maybe it's a mood thing, I've not been able to settle into reading anything much in the last few weeks.


Bookpossum, that text from the crest of the teapot ("Not to succeed in one thing is to fail in all") was one of a number of lines that had me do a sort of double-take. Another, from early in the book, was "But courage and endurance are useless if they are never tested." What is the reader to make of such mottoes when they seem so contrary to reasonable expectation? They are disturbing.