Why did Isobelle die? I missed that, somehow.

It struck me as a bit callous to tell Stephen in a public place. Jeanne seemed too consumed by her own grief to care about Stephen's. A seed of doubt sown for their future together?

Of course, marrying Jeanne meant that Stephen would marry Isobelle, once removed. Hmmm. More seeds of doubt.

Reminds me a bit of the ending of Tess of the d'Urbervilles, where (at Tess's request) Angel Clare marries her younger sister after Tess's death. One only hopes he made a better job of it second time around.

Factually because the explosion that scarred her harmed her vital organs lungs etc. Aesthetically I guess to to try to turn a romantic love story into a tragic love story. Punters seem to prefer them: bit like our instinct for Minor keys rather than Major keys.

z

Oh, I know why she died for storytelling purposes, I just didn't get what had killed her. To be honest, I think I must have dropped off or gone to the loo or made tea or something a lot throughout the second part!

I really enjoyed this, although I did feel that the denouement was very rushed - it was next to impossible to understand why Isabelle would have returned to the old abusive relationship simply because of some throwaway comment of Stephen's about not being ready for children. In the book, I gather, much more time was spent on how the relationship developed and also the reasons for it ending - to do with social pressures, class expectations, the limitations placed on women - but in this adaptation I thought it was the one thing that really could have done with more attention...

Agree about Clemence Poesy, Jem!

Did she go back to her husband? Oh, I really did go to sleep . . .