smalley:

scarlet21:

JP said that she made the ending as she did because it was the only way for the family to see how damaged they were and that Anna was the 'glue' if you like, and that by her dying they finally realise what she really meant to them, but hey it's too late now, should have thought of that before!  A harsh punishment for any parent.  I don't think it woould have worked as well if Anna had lived, though I didn't want her to die, and I did cry at that point!

The family has gone to court for the child to be legally emancipated from the parents and the parents still don't see how damaged they are? It takes a death to do that? Is anyone that obtuse?

My ideal ending would've had Anna live, her sister die, and the parents realise that, oh yeah, we do have that second daughter too. And now she's no longer just a guinea pig/donor, perhaps we should get to know her.

 

I'm only going by what Jodi said on her website, but I think the father did see the damage but didn't know which way to turn or who to help.  Also it was Kate who wanted Anna to go to court, Anna was quite happy to give Kate her kidney, which is another reason she had to die because despite having emancipation, she would have chosen to donate it and then the point of the story would have been lost, and it also makes you think..does Kate feel guilty for saying she wanted to die and didn't want Anna's kidney, but then in the end because of her pushing Anna to go to court, Anna dies and she gets the kidney anyway.  I thin it'd be interesting to have the story from Kate's point as well.

It's interesting. On her website she says she wanted to have a happy ending but couldn't do it. She presumably wanted both girls to live. To me, the ending she gave the book seemed like the next best happy ending she could think of. The daughter the parents love more is alive, the one they clearly love less is dead.

It'll be interesting to find out how the film changes the ending.

scarlet21:

smalley:

scarlet21:

JP said that she made the ending as she did because it was the only way for the family to see how damaged they were and that Anna was the 'glue' if you like, and that by her dying they finally realise what she really meant to them, but hey it's too late now, should have thought of that before!  A harsh punishment for any parent.  I don't think it woould have worked as well if Anna had lived, though I didn't want her to die, and I did cry at that point!

The family has gone to court for the child to be legally emancipated from the parents and the parents still don't see how damaged they are? It takes a death to do that? Is anyone that obtuse?

My ideal ending would've had Anna live, her sister die, and the parents realise that, oh yeah, we do have that second daughter too. And now she's no longer just a guinea pig/donor, perhaps we should get to know her.

 

I'm only going by what Jodi said on her website, but I think the father did see the damage but didn't know which way to turn or who to help.  Also it was Kate who wanted Anna to go to court, Anna was quite happy to give Kate her kidney, which is another reason she had to die because despite having emancipation, she would have chosen to donate it and then the point of the story would have been lost, and it also makes you think..does Kate feel guilty for saying she wanted to die and didn't want Anna's kidney, but then in the end because of her pushing Anna to go to court, Anna dies and she gets the kidney anyway.  I thin it'd be interesting to have the story from Kate's point as well.

Sorry to but in, but I think if Anna had emancipation she wouldn't have donated her kidney toKate, although she wanted to, because Kate didn't want her to donate her kidney and she was listening to what Kate wanted.

But ultimately, the story proves that Kate DID want it, yes, she was fed up of treatments but there is a part in the book where Kate admits she wants to live but hates being ill all the time.  When Anna died, she could have still refused the kidney, no doctor was going to strap her down and do a transplant against her will, but she took it. 

There are also part in the book before the chapters, where the narrator of them says something along the lines of the first time she tried to kill her sister....that's Kate speaking, of course she didn't mean it but it does show how she felt about Anna always being the one to save her.  Perhaps she felt that Anna got attention for saving her and that the attention should have been hers for being ill, even though as the readers we can see that it was always all about Kate, never about Jesse and rarely about Anna unless she could help.

Personally, as I read it, although I felt very sorry for Kate being so ill, I did feel more sorry for Anna and Jesse, although I suppose it wasn't Kate's fault they were neglected but the mother's.

scarlet21:

But ultimately, the story proves that Kate DID want it, yes, she was fed up of treatments but there is a part in the book where Kate admits she wants to live but hates being ill all the time.  When Anna died, she could have still refused the kidney, no doctor was going to strap her down and do a transplant against her will, but she took it. 

There are also part in the book before the chapters, where the narrator of them says something along the lines of the first time she tried to kill her sister....that's Kate speaking, of course she didn't mean it but it does show how she felt about Anna always being the one to save her.  Perhaps she felt that Anna got attention for saving her and that the attention should have been hers for being ill, even though as the readers we can see that it was always all about Kate, never about Jesse and rarely about Anna unless she could help.

Personally, as I read it, although I felt very sorry for Kate being so ill, I did feel more sorry for Anna and Jesse, although I suppose it wasn't Kate's fault they were neglected but the mother's.

When Anna died, of course she'd try a transplant, she'd be crazy not to, and it would be a physical connection to her sister throughout her life.

The bit about the narrator talking about trying to kill her sister, that's Anna talking about trying to kill Kate. And I do think she means it. It's pure child's logic: 'I get hurt because of her. I get rid of her, I won't get hurt any more', with possibly a bit of 'My mum doesn't love me because she's always busy with her. Get rid of her and mum will love me' on the side for good measure. It even says "the first time I tried to kill my sister...". First? More than once suggests determined even though they've been told off and now know it is wrong.

You know, the amount of discussion this book has inspired is a testament to Jodi Picoult. She certainly knows how to get people talking.

firepoppy:

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Sorry to but in, but I think if Anna had emancipation she wouldn't have donated her kidney toKate, although she wanted to, because Kate didn't want her to donate her kidney and she was listening to what Kate wanted.

Butt in all you want. The more the merrier.

I thought this too. Kate was the stronger character of the two, and Anna would cede to her wishes. Once Anna was emancipated, Kate wouldn't accept a transplant even if Anna offered: after all, Kate had had the force of character to get Anna to go to court.

smalley:

scarlet21:

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The bit about the narrator talking about trying to kill her sister, that's Anna talking about trying to kill Kate. And I do think she means it. It's pure child's logic: 'I get hurt because of her. I get rid of her, I won't get hurt any more', with possibly a bit of 'My mum doesn't love me because she's always busy with her. Get rid of her and mum will love me' on the side for good measure. It even says "the first time I tried to kill my sister...". First? More than once suggests determined even though they've been told off and now know it is wrong.

You know, the amount of discussion this book has inspired is a testament to Jodi Picoult. She certainly knows how to get people talking.

 

She certainly does.  So much so I have had to go get my book to quote the piece about one killing the other. Here it is...

"In my first memory, I am three years old and I am trying to kill my sister........In the end, though,I did not kill my sister.  She did it all on her own.  Or at least this is what I tell myself."

 

Anna died.  Kate didn't. She feels guilty because if she hadn't persuaded Anna to go to court, Anna wouldn't have been in that car.

Here's another quote.

"Only one thing's constant.  'Ten years from now, 'I say, 'I'd like to be Kate's sister.'

 

Sure Anna has conflicting feelings, she admits in the book that she doesn't know who she is in relation to herself, she wants a life, but she does not want Kate to die, if she did she would have let her take the pills and not stopped her.  By giving Kate the kidney, Anna would have got both wishes, she'd still have her sister and she'd get her own life apart from Kate because Kate would have been better.

And read the bit between Kate and Anna in the bathroom, Kate tells Anna she can stop the trial, Anna says she knows, they speak volumes without saying a word and Kate tells Anna she is the best friend she's got.  She's not saying this to change Anna's mind, she's saying it because she knows Anna is doing it despite what she really wants to do.

Both girls are in conflict with themselves, Kate wants to live but she's fed up of being treated and it hurts her to see Anna hurt, she can't see a way out of it except death.  Anna wants Kate to live because they are everything to each other, but she also wants her own seperate life.  Both of them know KAte's way is the only way out but neither really wants Kate to die, they just want everthing to stop.

 

It is written very ambiguously, I admit, and that's what makes for a good discussion, in fact it is one of the points in JP's book club discussions.

Campbell knows Anna doesn't want Kate to die too, page 283, Campbell asks why Anna is going to court...."I came to your office because just for once, I wanted it to be about me instead of Kate."

But this selfish confession saws out of her sideways;it just doesn't fit.  This lawsuit has never been about Anna wanting her sister to die, but simply that she wants a chance to live.

"You're lying."

Anna crosses her arms. "Well, you lied first."

 Campbell knows her well. 

I must admit, I read it the same as you the first time, but I have read it three times now and it's not what it first appears.  I guess we can debate this forever, which means it's a very good read!  LOL.

I think Kate would have been foolish to not take Anna's kidbney once Anna was dead but I don't think Kate would have wanted it whilst Anna was alive as she didn't want Anna to sufffer anymore and she also wanted to die as she was sick of being ill all of the time.

I must say when I read it I thought it was Anna saying she tried to kill Kate but it does seem to be Kate who tried to kill Anna.

OMG She DIES in the end!

My god what a horrible book! I loved it up until that part!! I think i would be glad for a nicer ending to the film after all, cos otherwise I would only end of crying my eyes out!

I will leave another message when I am in a better mood but have literally just finished this and I am mad about the ending now lol

smalley:

scarlet21:

 

JP said that she made the ending as she did because it was the only way for the family to see how damaged they were and that Anna was the 'glue' if you like, and that by her dying they finally realise what she really meant to them, but hey it's too late now, should have thought of that before!  A harsh punishment for any parent.  I don't think it woould have worked as well if Anna had lived, though I didn't want her to die, and I did cry at that point!

 

The family has gone to court for the child to be legally emancipated from the parents and the parents still don't see how damaged they are? It takes a death to do that? Is anyone that obtuse?

My ideal ending would've had Anna live, her sister die, and the parents realise that, oh yeah, we do have that second daughter too. And now she's no longer just a guinea pig/donor, perhaps we should get to know her.

I agree with that, I thought this is what would happen but obviously not, and am still really mad about the ending

Am still peeved off with this book today lol I thought I would be in a better mood about it today, and I have to say I did LOVE the book up until the end. The ending ruined the rest of it for me, and so after my mother in law has read this it will definately be going onto my swap list due to being so disappointed with it overall

I can't believe you didn't like the ending. did you want a happy ending? Wasn't it just so unexpected. I think she's fab and can't wait to go to the Glasgow event.

Wasn't so much that I wanted a happy ending but I would have preferred the sister who was actually dying to have died in the end. Just thought it was stupid, all the way through ur gearing urself up for Kate to die and Anna to finally be allowed to have a life, and then she gets killed. Am still annoyed thinking about it lol

I was hoping for a happy ending too but I like this ending as it's so unexpected. You really don't see it coming. Nowadays when you go to the cinema you almost always know that everything will work out right in the end and the leading lady with get with the leading man becuase that's how all films work out in Hollywood. Having an unexpected, sad ending now and then keeps you guessing more about other endings too, instead of taking it for granted that it will work out ok.