Small World, part four

1. How do you feel about the end to Persse's story? Was there a resolution? Did he make the right decisions?

Wow. This character's ending was nearly infuriating. While most of the other characters make some sort of movement or transition at the end of their stories (such as Zapp and Kingfisher), Persse seems to not learn anything; in fact, it seems as though he takes a step backwards. After spending all of his time and money on his quest in following Angelica (and listening to others when they tell him to continue in a display of his own naivety), he finally finds out that she never wanted him after all. Angelica, the woman he told himself he deeply loved, is even cruel in her "gentle" way of letting him down: knowing that he has been chasing her across the world, she allows him to run longer instead of ever sending him (so perhaps his university) a message telling him to stop; she has already involved herself with another man and is engaged; and she sends her twin, of all people, to break the news. Angelica has burnt Persse bad; and yet at the end, he decides to hopelessly chase yet another woman. (She even states outright to him his ridiculous views of love: "Persse, I'm trying to tell you that you're not really in love with Angelica...you were in love with a dream" 326; even this does not seems to affect him.) Persse essentially has the immature romanticism of a teenager, but with the passport and budget of an adult: he believes each chase to be after the woman he truly adores and needs; and he relies on Cheryl as his "back-up plan" after having lost Angelica. He has proved that he's learned nothing at the ending; apparently his disillusionments about Angelica would never repeat themselves with another woman. Furthermore, he is now pursuing a woman he knows even less; he has barely spoken to Cheryl at all, and seems to convince himself of his liking for her. I think Persse should just act as he really feels: he should admit to loving being a lost foreigner, get a Visa, and pitch a show to the Travel channel. I had so much hope in Persse, but Lodge once again proves himself a superior writer in his choice to display the character as, unfortunately, a real person would act.