Search - The Last Time They Met

I consider myself a pretty bright person - at least not stupid, but I did NOT understand the ending of the book. If what it was implying is true, then the rest of the book makes absolutely no sense to me AT ALL. So, do I believe 1 page or the previous 312 pages? ARGGGHHHH!

I also struggled with this book. The prose irritated me and her overuse of italics (I mean really, if someone says something, use quotes!).

Sigh... I dunno. I wanted to like this book, but I just didn't overall. Some of it was really good, but by and large, I found it irritating me. :( I think it had to do with the cross-over of the character of Thomas from Weight of Water... I didn't like him in that book and didn't like him here either.

Worth a read if you are smarter than me - and if someone reads this that understand the ending, enlighten me!

After I finished this book I had to go on-line and read reviews and comments on this book to make sure I understood the ending. I did. This book is very unconventional. It starts out with Linda and Thomas meeting at a writer’s convention when they are in their 50’s. The reader discovers Linda and Thomas have a passionate history. Very little of the history is revealed. What is revealed is the obvious attraction and deep love these two people feel for each other. The next section takes you back 26 years to the “last time they met” in Africa. Shreve spent some time in Africa and did some work there. You can tell the familiarity of the landscape and culture from the writing. It seems fate has brought Linda and Thomas together after almost 10 years apart. I did find it too much of coincidence that you would run into someone you once loved in highschool in the middle of Africa. Shreve did a good job making it believable. The final section of the book is really the beginning of the love story when Thomas and Linda are seniors in highschool. The rest of the mystery is revealed in this section; From Linda’s life with her aunt and how she ended up there to the tragic accident that initiated their first separation. And then, the surprise ending. I had to read it 3 times to make sure I understood it. I appreciate Shreve’s talent as a writer even more after reading this book, reinforcing her place on my favorite author list.

I've read a number of Anita Shreve's novels, and this one is quite different. That's not to say that it's not good... It definitely is a wonderful story and an interesting read, it's just different from her other books.

This one starts off slowly. I almost gave up after the first few chapters, but because I'm an Anita Shreve fan I stuck with it, and it got much better. I'm glad I stayed with it.

Give it a try. It's unconventional, but I think it's worthwhile!

Anita Shreve's books are always thought provoking and her style is not like any other. The Last Time They Met is one of her best works in my opinion. I will admit that I found the first part of the book a bit slow and sometimes confusing but I read on and I am so glad that I did. Once I got to the second section (the book is written in 3 sections) I couldn't put it down. The ending is a complete surprise. I didn't see it coming until it was there! This is one of those books that has you thinking back about what you have just read and wondering... "where were the signs"? Thomas, one of the key characters first appears in Shreve's earlier novel, The Weight of Water. Another one of my favorites. You don't have to have read The Weight of Water in order to read The Last Time They Met but I think it gives you a bit of
insight into the soul of Thomas.

This story of a man and woman who fall in love as teenagers but go on to marry others and who meet twice as adults, seemed like a story of people who just weren't quite brave enough to kick over the traces and do what it would take for them to be together. Then I got to the last page, and had the props kicked out from under me. Shreve loses points here bigtime for not playing fair with the reader.

This book had so many twists and the ending was unexpected