The_Crystal_Bookworm’s answer to “What happened to the Sea of Flames stone at the end of the book? Was it still in the sea?” > Likes and Comments
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That was my conclusion ... and the fact that Werner didn't keep the Sea of Flames, to me, didn't even play into his death. Even though the myth was mentioned throughout, I don't feel as though this was a book of fantasy but simply a story of people living in a very difficult time in history.
I agree. Marie-Laure put the stone in the house, and put it in the sea (in the grotto). She gave Werner the key. When she got the house back, the key was in it. She even imagined that he waited until she was gone, then went to retrieve the house. (Ch 175)
Yes, That is absolutley what happened and this tiny chapter describes the jewel languishing in the grotto or ocean. I love that it hasbeen returned to nature and no one possesses it. Its' like the big blue diamond from the movie Titanic.
Absolutely, at the end of the book the diamond was still in the grotto where Marie-Laure placed it. "Lump of carbon no larger than a chestnut. Mantled with algae, bedecked with barnacles. Crawled over by snails. It stirs among the pebbles." It "stirs" with the ocean's tide, I assume, since Marie-Laure asked Werner, "[...] is it in the ocean? It must be in the ocean." Since it was returned to the goddess, she lifted the curse and life proceeded normally. While I was very disappointed that Werner and Marie-Laure did not meet up and live happily ever after, in retrospect, I understand that to be an inappropriate ending for a novel set amidst the horrors of World War II. The happy ending for Werner, in my opinion, was after his short life of "small betrayals", as he called them, he was finally true to what he believed was right. He had tremendous respect for his sister's standards, morals and beliefs, yet did not have the strength to follow them himself until the end of the book. Marie-Laure says, "But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don't you do the same?" Werner replies, "Not in years. But today. Today maybe I did." Even so, I think he would have been haunted by Frederick and the little red-haired girl had he lived. I don't think he could have ever been happy. Which fits with the oft repeated phrase, "What you could have been." If it had not been for the war.
"Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever."
wait, but if the diamond stayed in the ocean, how did Werner get it out of the little house?? he couldn't possibly have known it was in there.
I listened to the book on tape, and the impression I got was Marie-Laure left the diamond in the house and she was surprised that the Werner had picked up the house. here was a passage that discussed how strong a person had to be to throw away something so beautiful. So the question was - did the house still contain the diamond or did Werner throw it in the sea. She opens the house to find not the diamond, but the key. Then this chapter comes and definitely explains that Werner left the diamond in the ocean but keeps the house - showing his strength. This short chapter hints at the blip of time the diamond is with humans on land, but then it is in the sea among the algae.
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Linda
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Oct 01, 2014 10:32AM
That was my conclusion ... and the fact that Werner didn't keep the Sea of Flames, to me, didn't even play into his death. Even though the myth was mentioned throughout, I don't feel as though this was a book of fantasy but simply a story of people living in a very difficult time in history.
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I agree. Marie-Laure put the stone in the house, and put it in the sea (in the grotto). She gave Werner the key. When she got the house back, the key was in it. She even imagined that he waited until she was gone, then went to retrieve the house. (Ch 175)
Yes, That is absolutley what happened and this tiny chapter describes the jewel languishing in the grotto or ocean. I love that it hasbeen returned to nature and no one possesses it. Its' like the big blue diamond from the movie Titanic.
Absolutely, at the end of the book the diamond was still in the grotto where Marie-Laure placed it. "Lump of carbon no larger than a chestnut. Mantled with algae, bedecked with barnacles. Crawled over by snails. It stirs among the pebbles." It "stirs" with the ocean's tide, I assume, since Marie-Laure asked Werner, "[...] is it in the ocean? It must be in the ocean." Since it was returned to the goddess, she lifted the curse and life proceeded normally. While I was very disappointed that Werner and Marie-Laure did not meet up and live happily ever after, in retrospect, I understand that to be an inappropriate ending for a novel set amidst the horrors of World War II. The happy ending for Werner, in my opinion, was after his short life of "small betrayals", as he called them, he was finally true to what he believed was right. He had tremendous respect for his sister's standards, morals and beliefs, yet did not have the strength to follow them himself until the end of the book. Marie-Laure says, "But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don't you do the same?" Werner replies, "Not in years. But today. Today maybe I did." Even so, I think he would have been haunted by Frederick and the little red-haired girl had he lived. I don't think he could have ever been happy. Which fits with the oft repeated phrase, "What you could have been." If it had not been for the war.
"Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever."
wait, but if the diamond stayed in the ocean, how did Werner get it out of the little house?? he couldn't possibly have known it was in there.
I listened to the book on tape, and the impression I got was Marie-Laure left the diamond in the house and she was surprised that the Werner had picked up the house. here was a passage that discussed how strong a person had to be to throw away something so beautiful. So the question was - did the house still contain the diamond or did Werner throw it in the sea. She opens the house to find not the diamond, but the key. Then this chapter comes and definitely explains that Werner left the diamond in the ocean but keeps the house - showing his strength. This short chapter hints at the blip of time the diamond is with humans on land, but then it is in the sea among the algae.
