The Grand Finale

The Grand Finale 

Well, we made it!!!! We have reached the end of our Read-Along and personally, we are OVERJOYED WITH THE ENDING!! Since this is the final post in this grouping, along with our thoughts, we have a few extra special tidbits to end our Read - Along with!.....Stay tuned!!

Grace's Thoughts

Well, well, well... here we are for the last time *sniff sniff* the Grand Finale is upon us!!!

That Uncle Benjamin is such a little gremlin! Suddenly he's the king pin of the situation, knowing what's best to do and all. He is really enjoying himself!

I love how Barney tears up to the house and demands "Where is my wife?!" 

Poor Valancy, she has really deluded herself into thinking Barney cares nothing for her. And Barney's frantic affirmations to the contrary are so endearing! 

Ahhh, we finally get the mysterious and ever intriguing backstory to Barney Snaith's backstory!

 Valancy and Barney's past's are very similar in that they are both quite sad and lacking a loving and affectionate parent/relative. Now we can start saying 'Poor Barney' as well as 'Poor Valancy'!

And then he called her "Darling" and STILL she won't believe him! *Side note- I LOVE the expression "Darling"!*

I love Barney's outburst. I can just picture this scene so well, his pent up frustration and all the emotions he's been feeling over the past day or two just come out and FINALLY she sees the truth! And Uncle Benjamin can tiptoe away happy as a clam and Mrs. Stirling can record the marriage!

And now Valancy and Barney are rich as rich can be and can travel all over the world together!

I think it's funny that Valancy didn't want to be teased that she was the one who proposed!

Who else loved Olive's letter?? It was just perfect!!! You can really see her character come out once she's not the center of everyone's attention and adoration. Her admonition to Cecil to not get fat was hilarious!!!

It's rather sad that this book ends with Valancy leaving her Blue Castle. Yes, she is going off traveling the world with the man he loves, but she took so long to find her Castle and she was so happy there. I think this is one of those books where there shouldn't be a sequel. It ends in a good spot and nearly all the loose ends are nicely tied up.

Quick question... how do you pronounce Valancy's name? We were discussion the book with some friends the other day and realized that we say Valancy as in a curtain valance, but our friend pronounced it Val-antcy as in "she was getting antsy waiting". So what about ya'll??

Katherine's Thoughts

Oh, my!  This last quarter of the book was the best of all!  I love how Barney just races to see Valancy the next morning after she leaves and declares once and for all that he.....he.......(sniff, sniff)....loves Valancy!  

And Uncle Benjamin - dear Uncle Benjamin who came through when we all needed him - jovially ushers dear Mr. Redfern into the parlor and relays to Valancy that 'her husband is here'!  Ah, sweet bliss!

And then hearing Barney's whole story - oh, don't you just love in the end of books where the mysteries and questions the characters have labored and pondered over are all answered so satisfactorily??  It's just so.......satisfying!!

What with the turn of events, we are now shameless enemies of the little sprite, Ethel Traverse, 

empathetic and happy friends of Barney and Valancy, 

and forgiving citizens of the Stirling Clan!..........Funny how that all works out?

I loved Olive's letter to her fiance!  It's so funny how she is "deciding" to go off and "misbehave" herself as Valancy did.  After all, it's becoming the "thing to do", isn't it??

(Does Barney's plan to take Valancy traveling to all the places he's been remind any of you of another ficticious couple?  It kind of reminds me of Roger Hamley & Molly Gibson from Wives and Daughters.  But it's so sweet that he has all these places to show Valancy!)

Well, I think my final analysis of this book is......drumroll, please......

I loved it!!  

I'm so glad we picked this book for the Read-Along, as I probrobly would have never probed it's insides if I hadn't been pushed to it!  Funny how that is - some of the best things in life you would have passed over if someone/something hadn't stayed your hand.

Ok, it's time for extra tidbits.....

Blue Castle Inspired Collages

~ The Beginning ~

~ Barney & Valancy's Island ~

~ Back at Deerwood ~

~ The End ~

The Blue Castle

Dream Cast

We couldn't decide on just one actor/actress for most of these, so there are multiple options for those characters!

Comment and tell us if you like our choices or who you would choose instead!!

~

Valancy Sterling

Alicia Vikander

Maya Hawke

Willa Fitzgerald

Lilly James

Barney Snaith

Mathew McNulty

Micheal Fassenbender

Stephen Cambell-Moore

Casey Afleck

Mrs. Frederick & Cousin Stickles

Rebecca Front and Phoebe Nicholls

Roaring Abel

Karl Johnson

Graham McTavish

Russell Crowe

Cissy Gay

Ellise Chapell

Uncle Benjamin

 Tom Hollander

Olive

Kate O'Flynn

Dr Trent

Andy Serkis

Dr. Redfern

Tom Hanks

What are your thoughts for a dream cast of this delightful book? Did you like our ideas? Do tell us all!!

~~~~~~

Well, the end has come! We have very much enjoyed this read along and I think... maybe... this winter we might do another! Any ideas for our next book?

Thank you all for all your lovely comments throughout this past month or so, we found such pleasure in each and every one of them!!!

So long for now,

Katherine and Grace