Until I Find You, a few things.

I'm going to go read Until I Find You. I think I can knock it out in two more sittings.

But first, I would like to blog a little bit about my feelings on some things in the book. Particularly Alice and Leslie and how their actions affected Jack and Emma.

First, I would just like to say that Alice was a terrible mother. Yes. Was. Spoiler: she dies. I understand (though I do not agree) with her infatuation and inability to let go of William. But what she did, the things she said, the reality she fabricated for Jack, in no way can I sympathize with that. I myself am not a parent, obviously. But, I believe I understand that concept that your love for your child, and looking out for their well being is supposed to come before anything else. That wasn't the case with Alice. Leslie is guilty of being a less than desirable mother as well. The pair of them kind of deserved each other. Usually, at least with Irving, characters aren't extremely black and white. And even in this book their are a lot of characters with shades of gray. I'd like to believe that Alice and Leslie were "good mothers in their way". But, I don't really believe that. I won't give all my reasons here as to why I don't think these women have redeeming qualities in regards to their parenting abilities. But I will just say that they don't. I think the reason Emma and Jack became...whatever they became was their need for something more than what their respective mothers gave them. Jack, not being nurtured in the normal sense, especially after Alice and Leslie became official, needed a motherly figure in his life. Emma, not getting the affection she desired from her mother and wanting more for Jack, took him in. And while their relationship certainly isn't strictly of a familial sort, the bond they create is real and something they both need. The sexual side of this relationship as far as I can tell...is the result of their being oversexed at such young ages by witnessing their parents' lives.  However, whatever caused it, I don't think any of it is bad. Emma and Jack, in my opinion, are each others rocks.

Just a brief over view on what I feel towards these characters, whose influence on each other is far reaching. Madeline: I know you aren't anywhere near as far as I am, but what do you think of what I've said/what are your views?