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All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
I read the book in 2014, immediately after it’s release. I do remember loving the book, and was excited to see Netflix was making a one and done, four part series adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Many reviews bashed the show, bemoaning the fact that it “changed the ending”. I read lots of books, so my memory of the story was more in broad stroked - blind girl, WWII, German boy, Paris - I couldn’t even really remember how it ended. Because of this, I was truly able to thoroughly enjoy this beautiful and haunting tale. So much so that I binged it twice - once with my brother, and then again with my husband, taking in more subtle details each time.
It lead me to revisit the book, after hearing so many complaints. This time I listened to it on Audible (highly recommend!) in a matter of a few days while working around the house, the yard, and lying in bed at night. The book absolutely outshines the show, but without detracting from it -both are beautiful and deep.
SPOILERS!!!
My question concerns the book ending. Is the stone still possessed by Marie? Was it in the little Saint Melot house she left in the grotto? Did Werner’s nephew Max discover it when he told his Mother the house opens up? Does the ending with Marie talking to her great(?) grandson mean that she still has the stone, and will live forever? The line about her seeing the turn of the century (2,000), and “she lives still” mean that she does indeed possess The Sea of Flames?
I love a book that takes me away, envelopes me, and connects me to characters, places, and time, but this one has tied my brain in knots. Would love to hear what others think.