4th Reading Response "Stone Carvers"

The final quarter of the novel truly does fulfill its potential by bringing all the characters together to form a tightly knit story. Considering the author spent almost the entire novel (first 3 quarters) laying down character foundation it’s nice to see that the author produced results and didn’t let the novel slip away.

We are finally able to see Klara overcome the grief that once surrounded her with thoughts of Eamon with the help of Tilman returning. Deciding to go work on the Vimy ridge memorial currently underway in France Klara demonstrates her ability to carve. Although the author has told us that she was an incredible carver, it is truly put into perspective when William Allward makes the comment that, “You suffer from an excess or originality.”(P.346) For this reason he only allows Klara to carve the face of her young lover. (Eamon) This is an immense point of recognition as Allward is so obsessed with this memorial that he spent five years just searching for the right stone. Receiving a comment like this for Klara was so important because, being a spinster she had felt that she needed no ones help or opinion. However, now that she was relieving this grief we see her character develop past points never thought possible. 

As I had mentioned in the previous response as to whether all these side characters developed during Tilman's journey the author did indeed bring them back into the story. Giorgio being the one to fall in love with Klara. Re-igniting in her a sense of desire and to the story her entire character. Slowly the author was intending to let her slip away from the reader so that when brought back to life she stood out and returned to the bright character we once remembered.

Although a smaller theme in the grand scheme of the novel, Klara and Tilman develop an understanding for each other and the life that they once lived. Being a recurring theme throughout the novel it was nice to have some closure that they finally understand each other and recognize the feats each has overcome. Although the novel developed into a love story as Klara finds new love and desire inside herself, it still managed to give close to all the characters you as the reader had become attached to. In the end the novel did a very good job of character development and used this as a way to interconnect everything in the novel. Good book.