Re: What do you think about Louise's relationship with Larry?

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

I think they must had been really in love for Louise to get so angry at the thought of him cheating. If she didn't care, then she wouldn't be so worked up. Something must had happened between them in the past for her to lose all trust for him. Their past was never mentioned in the book, unfortunately.

I agree that their past would have given us some perspective. She may have loved him, but it was not enough I guess. Even, at his death, she could not let go of her petty jealousy.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

To me, I would say that the fears before hearing that Larry was talking to the lawyer to sort some issues were well-founded. However, after being told about this, Louise still doubted Larry. I think that somehow her feelings for Larry were not true.

Either that, or her feelings were overcome by her petty jealousy.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

Louise thought Larry was cheating on her. She had already started hating him for it. So, she was distancing herself from him. I think her feelings betrayal were still there even when she found out who Larry was seeing. It would be hard to go from hating back to love in that short of time. I think for her to believe he was cheating was heart-wrenching for her.

What you say is true. However, I still think that after Larry's death, and everybody's assertion that he was loyal, Louise should have let go of her insecurity. In fact, a little bit of remorse was also expected.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

I think Louise went through a lot of upheaval during her time with Larry that it rendered her kind of indifferent to the whole situation. Rather than questioning what she truly felt for him, it is apt to say that she was already gearing for a new beginning.

That was pretty evident from the beginning. However, I still think that all those years with Larry warranted at least a bit of remorse.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

If she didn't care, then she wouldn't be so worked up.

This! When others are saying she didn't love him or care, all I can think is, "she cared!" Someone who doesn't care just moves on and does what they need to do get out of the marriage.

She did care, but that was trumped by her petty insecurity. I mean even after Larry's death, she held on to her misplaced insecurity. As it was mentioned here, I think we would have got more perspective if we could get to know more about their past.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

I imagine it is very hard to go from hating someone, thinking that they are cheating on you and feeling that betrayal, wishing them dead, and thinking of cheating yourself, back to a loving wife in a matter of hours or days. It’s like when a child disappears in a store and is then found. The parents have a mixture of anger for the child running away in the first place, guilt for having lost the child, and sheer relief that the child is okay. Those feelings take awhile to sort out. Louise was already moving on in her mind, then the accident happened. This threw everything into a tailspin. I think Louise loved Larry, but was so angry and confused by all of her emotions that she couldn’t react. She also seems like the type that wouldn’t react in front of people. She would wait until she was alone and cry her eyes out. Like many women who lose their husbands, she was putting her feelings to the side and doing what had to be done in the moment.

I think that is a great comparison that you drew here. However, Lousise still blamed him when she was alone even after everyone's reassurance about his innocence. This did not sit very well with me.

[Kibet Hillary]

To me, I would say that the fears before hearing that Larry was talking to the lawyer to sort some issues were well-founded. However, after being told about this, Louise still doubted Larry. I think that somehow her feelings for Larry were not true.

Either that, or her feelings were overcome by her petty jealousy.

I guess the level of jealousy goes hand-in-hand or is almost proportional to the amount of love that she had for Larry. I am almost certain that if she did not care about him, she would not have been jealousy although one characteristic of love is trust.

[Kibet Hillary]

Louise thought Larry was cheating on her. She had already started hating him for it. So, she was distancing herself from him. I think her feelings betrayal were still there even when she found out who Larry was seeing. It would be hard to go from hating back to love in that short of time. I think for her to believe he was cheating was heart-wrenching for her.

What you say is true. However, I still think that after Larry's death, and everybody's assertion that he was loyal, Louise should have let go of her insecurity. In fact, a little bit of remorse was also expected.

This is equally true. Personally, I support it given that after staying with someone for that long an emotional bond always develops not unless love wasn't there in the first place. What is confusing is whether Louise was staying strong for the moment or whether she felt no remorse at all for her own reasons.

[Kibet Hillary]

Or might we be blaming Louise yet Larry did not reveal why he was in contact with Suzette? The situation becomes worse when it someone else who reveals the kind of relationship that Larry and Suzette are having other than Larry himself.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

Right off the bat Louise seemed unhappy. One of those people who are in a perpetual rut which bring all those around them down.

Her relationship with Larry seemed superficial. Maybe at one time her feelings had more substance, but over time things must have changed. Maybe it was because she thought he was cheating?

Even when she knew the truth all she seemed to care about was money. For a woman who just lost the love of her life, she sure got over it quickly!

Exactly my point. Sure she needed to be strong for all those dependent on her, but she could have felt a smidge of remorse when alone at least.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

Louise loved Larry, it's only that she expressed it differently. You notice when Larry got an accident, she somewhat freaked out. She even regretted wishing Larry a tragedy, which unfortunately happened.

But that was a natural reaction everyone, I guess. It just felt a bit odd when she kept on doubting Larry even after his death.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

Her relationship with Larry seemed superficial. Maybe at one time her feelings had more substance, but over time things must have changed.

I agree. One of those marriages in which the vows are more binding than the feelings. I think she was already looking for a way out.

That might be it. But, I still expected some remorse o her part, considering she was in love with him at some point.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

Her relationship with Larry seemed superficial. Maybe at one time her feelings had more substance, but over time things must have changed.

I agree. One of those marriages in which the vows are more binding than the feelings. I think she was already looking for a way out.

Agree!
Yes, obviously her feelings had changed along the way and she was grasping at straws to try and find a negative.

Agreed. But, as a human at least she should have felt more than she did after his death.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

I think that she cared and even loved him, but was also a realist and antagonist. The stress of their dying business might have played a part in their arguments and the thought of being cheated on made her thirsty for revenge. I can certainly see why so many readers think that their marriage was at an end, the reader didn't get much time to see why they got married in the first place, there's no recap of their first meeting and affection shown in the present. What we are given are two tightly wound up adults who have turned into themselves instead of each other during tough times.

I think this is a pretty apt description of their relationship. Their history together might have given us some perspective.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

I think she did love him, but her feelings may have died a long time ago due to her distrustful thinking for her husband. She even thought of cheating and ditching Larry. That speaks volumes about her faithfulness and commitment to him. These thoughts were definitely out of hatred for him. After his death, she did miss him and felt guilt. However, she was occupied with her responsibilities for the most part and felt relief when she found out about the insurance.

Still, when she was alone she should have felt more remorse than she did.