dove127 OP t1_j9vh84w wrote on February 24, 2023 at 9:14 PM

Reply to comment by Sisyphean_Love in The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - why is nobody talking about this part? by dove127

I think this is a good take! I liked Vianne’s storyline and understood everything she did until the pregnancy. I couldn’t understand how she spent the whole book praising Antoine and then lied to him (and her son) and acted like the only thing that could repair their marriage was a baby that wasn’t his.

I would have preferred almost any storyline - Vianne not getting pregnant, Vianne miscarrying since she lost 3 babies that way already, Vianne telling Antoine and him supporting her, Antoine not coming home and Vianne raising the baby alone, or even Vianne trying to miscarry (I know this sounds terrible but I think it’s what I, or Isabelle, would have done in the situation 😭). I’m guessing abortion wasn’t an option, but what about adoption or giving the baby to the Mother at the church? I just hated that she had no negative thoughts about the pregnancy at all besides, “I’ve prayed for this but not now” once.

I expected Isabelle to die too. I just thought it was such a lame ending for such a strong woman. It felt like everything she did didn’t matter, only that Gaetan still thought she was pretty and he loved her.

Sisyphean_Love t1_j9xg8dn wrote on February 25, 2023 at 6:48 AM

I feel like the baby was a kind of replacement for Ari. I think it was implied Antoine knew and it was kind of like why add more stress on top of the situation. Vianne even says how she and Sophie didn’t mention that time of their lives again because it was too painful. I also felt Vianne was kind of a jerk to her son. She really seemed to think lowly of him. It was a book which had a lot of sad moments and events. Strangely I didn’t really like the relationship with Isabelle and Gaetan. It felt forced and during the moment they really bonded, it got skipped in favor of just having them stumble upon Viannes home