SPOILER ALERT: Has anyone read "Fire" by John Boyne?

[RaisingMissDaisy]

I am posting this again but this time with SPOILER ALERT added, as, once I ask the question, it will be a spoiler

Just seen this. Posted on your other thread. I read it last week. What are you pondering?

thank you. it's about Rufus. On page 130, at the leaving do for Louise, she says she watched him being buried. Then on page 158 she says he is still alive? Am I missing something?

I don't see any reference to being buried. She has a flashback to seeing Rufus on the gurney. She presumes when he first comes in he will die from his injuries.

What I can see on page 130 is:
An image flashes into my mind.
Rufus on the gurney as it was wheeled into A&E, the purple bruises.... (cut the last bit as it could be triggering).

yes, and after that bit: "The sight of Rufus' coffin in the distance a couple of weeks later, when I stood in the graveyard, hidden from view, watching as he was buried"

Is the couple of weeks later regerred to in the text after the sighting / referral.of him.being alive on p 158? (Clutching straws as read it about 2 months ago and try to cram lots of bedtime reading in!)

Immediately after? My next sentence is 'I admire how willing you are to talk about this' - said to Rebecca.

yes, immediately after. and then your next sentence is at the top of page 131 - trying to enclose photo

ah, they are reviewing the photo

no, i can see it now (the photo of the page)

Definitely not in my copy. Have you got a first edition or an ARC?

Just added my page. Should come up once approved.

I got it from the library - just had to google what ARC means. This is the copyright page

anyway, I think the answer is: he is meant to be alive and that sentence that confused me shouldn't have been there :-)

Is there a number under FSC logo? I have a 3. I think you have a first edition and this slipped through editing.

that "I" underneath the box? I guess that explains it

I am going to close this thread with: looking forward to "Air" coming out in May (or at least that is what the book I am looking at says!) and now that I realise the "Elements" books are all connected, I think I may reread "Water" too!

I reread Water and Earth before reading Fire, was worth it as there were more connections that I'd remembered.

The audible version also mentions her seeing the coffin at his burial. I was also confused by this.
I have read other John Boyne novels and they always have a difficult subject matter but really struggled with this one.