3.5

My brain has been racing trying to figure out what exactly I thought about this book. Here's what I know: the main character is developed really well and the present day and flashbacks are seamlessly integrated. It's funny, but in a good chuckle kind of way. And finally, the ending is brilliant and heartwarming. The conclusion is a reveal of sorts, and it made me happy.

Here's what I don't know and I can't quite decide on yet: was the journey (both the reader's journey and Arthur Less' global trip) worth the awe I felt in the end? There were some gem scenes. I remember certain things fondly, like Arthur's terrible German, Javier at the party in Paris, and the retreat house in India. There's some incredibly meta points to this book, too, that I almost took it for autobiographical. I mean, Arthur Less is a writer whose latest manuscript Swift is about a man's journey. There's a whole section about awards and a scene about the Pulitzer Prize! Which This Book Won!

But here's another thing about That Ending: it made me want to go back to the beginning and read it all over again.

I wonder if after my book club meeting next week I may be swayed to feel differently? Perhaps a friend will point out a nuance I hadn't realized and will deepen my affection, or maybe there will be a resounding 'meh' and I'll feel a need to defend it or join the chorus. Changing my mind, it's been known to happen!