The Night Watch: The end/beginning

How did you feel about the end of the story (which was also the beginning for our characters)? Was it satisfying? Illuminating? Disappointing?

As I said in another thread, it was my least favourite part and for me, largely disappointing.

I felt relieved to finally know what happened with Duncan, and I thought the scene where Helen and Kay first met was delightful. It was mostly satisfying, but maybe I wanted ... a bit of something more. I always wondered how Reggie and Viv met, but the reality of it was a little underwhelming, he sounds like kind of an oaf right from the start - I expected to find him a little more exciting or appealing when they first met. But maybe that's just me.

I agree with #3....I though Reggie would have some very appealing qualities for Viv to stay with him all those years, but they weren't evident in their first meeting or in how he abandoned her after the abortion.

I couldn't stand it that she stayed with him after the way he treated her. It was incomprehensible and unfathomable. ugh!

I was once on a tour of China. There were two men in our group who were terrible...rude, complained about everything, etc. Their wives were lovely people. I kept reminding myself that those men must have good qualities because those women loved them.

Reggie must have had something going for him to keep
Viv all those years....I only wish we'd been given a glimpse into what it was.

>6 LynnB: It's been a long time since I read it, but doesn't Reggie have access to black market goods? That was pretty much the equivalent of being rich during the war (which I suspect is why the Chinese wives put up with their husbands)

he has canned meat..

For the record, the rude guys and their nice wives were British.