Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers with SPOILERS

[Sentimentaleducation]

Anyone read this recently?

I loved it until the ending. Loved the drab post war setting, the tentative love story, downtrodden but sparky Jean. But the ending!

I understand random horrors occur, but why choose to end a novel in such a way? My edition had book group questions at the end, one of which said some readers had interpreted a positive ending. Having read and reread the ending (and the news article at the beginning), I cannot understand how any positive ending could be inferred other than the author doesn't tell us what actually happens but certainly points the reader in a particular direction. Anyone else?

I agree OP. It’s a while since I read it but I didn’t see the point of the ending at all. I mean, we know random tragedies happen, surely for a novelist the more interesting aspect would be to explore the impact on the characters who are left behind… in which case the author needed to put the crash earlier in the book. I enjoyed the book up to that point but the ending ruined it, I felt manipulated and cheated.

Also hated the ending. It spoilt the whole book for me.
I read it in a book group and a few people really loved it and assumed a positive ending. I could not understand their view at all.
I read somewhere that there was a possibility she was pregnant. Wobbly on a ladder, feeling a bit sick. That would be a positive ending but I can't see any real evidence of that either.

Exactly ice, the crash was narratively the wrong moment. It just let loose a whole load of other threads, all of them leaving Jean far worse off.

And upsilon interesting that some of your book group interpreted the ending optimistically. I did consider Jean could be pregnant, but it was only hinted at v slightly. Plus Howard sat at the rear of the train where the most casualties were - so no cause for positivity there. God knows what affect the crash would have on Margaret and her mental state.

I absolutely adored this.

Until the ending. It's the literary equivalent of "and then they all woke up and it was just a dream." A cop out to avoid writing an actual ending. It was deeply disappointing.

I remember finding it a bit unnecessary too. It felt like the crash had given the author the inspiration for the book in the first place so she couldn’t bring herself to drop the last trace of it from the finished book even though the story had developed away from it.

I loved this book too. Didn't mind the ending so much. Mainly I was annoyed with myself for forgetting what I'd read at the very start of the book!

Yes polly it felt like a cop out, instead of having a proper ending. I kept wondering the significance of the train crash from the beginning of the book, but never thought it would be used that way.

Completely agree, it felt shoehorned in. I’m amazed her editor didn’t give her that feedback.

I read it a few weeks ago. I recall reading a review somewhere that said to remember how the book starts. With that in mind, there was more a sense of impending doom as the day of the train crash grew closer.

I thought it was well written and really enjoyed it. Will be looking out for more by Clare Chambers.

Iirc correctly, another novel that uses a similar premise, of working up to a disaster, is Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne. I read that several years ago and found it unbearably sad throughout.

I remember the crash. It happened near the end of my first term at University. I have a letter my brother wrote to me saying two of his schoolfriends were helping in the rescue, but one had to go home 'due to a week stomach'.

Oh I loved the ending. It felt in tune with the rest of the book in a way that "they all lived happily ever after" wouldn't have. To me it made sense of the title - sometimes small pleasures and fleeting happiness is all we have.

I felt disturbed (for want of a better word) by the ending. I went back to try and find out if where Howard was sitting would mean he hadn’t survived and came to the conclusion that he hadn’t and that Jean was pregnant and I couldn’t imagine how all that would play out. I loved the book but I think the ending was a bit too unresolved.
I read Learning to Swim straight afterwards (which I think is an earlier/first novel) and really enjoyed it.

I decided it had a happy ending, as I couldn't bear the alternative. This has been a year for me when I have not wanted to hear tragic endings