How did the book end?
I keep reading about a surprise ending in the book and am really curious to know what happens.
Can someone who's read it please spoil me and tell me what happens?
Thanks in advance.
The book is different in a lot of ways from the movie. The missing tapes are actually from a weekend in a cabin that Eddie spent with some famous blues/r and b guys (It's been awhile since I read it).
As I recall, it's still Doc that's after the tapes and he does try to dupe people into believing Eddie's alive and the final confrontation actually takes place in Florida or some southern area. Doc is more deranged and, as I recall, there is a shoot out between Frank and Doc (or gun play). Doc as I recall ends up dead and the book ends with Frank ready to fly home to Joanne. It's been awhile since I read it and I'll double check it when I have time.
Eddie is definitely dead in the book.
Thank you so much, heymrbluesman. Wow, it is really different from the movie.
One thing about the movie always bugged me. After everything Doc did to Frank and Joanne, I couldn't believe they were so cool with him and even gave him the tapes. It was like, "Oh, yeah, you trashed our places and (in Joanne's case) about caused her to have a nervous breakdown, but go ahead and take the tapes. Go get 'em, Doc!" They handled it a lot better than I would, LOL. I would have been ticked.
You're welcome. I re-read and was just a tad off. It was Doc and there was a shoot out between him and Word Man. Word Man doesn't know until the end that it's Doc, though. Doc is alive, but, he's killed people (they were also after the tapes) so he knows if an ambulance is called, he'll end up in prison for life or executed. He asks Word Man to leave him and he does. Word Man goes home and his last sight of Doc is basically Doc allowing himself to bleed to death (it was a shot to his leg).
He makes it back to JoAnne and the book ends with them ready to go upstairs at her house and finally consummate the passion that has existed all these years. As to the tapes, well, someday you should read the book. It was a quick read. I actually ordered mine from the Kenyon College Bookstore. The copy came signed by PF Kluge (he teaches there).
I do agree about the ending of the movie. A little unrealistic, but, then, Frank has gone through such an emotional journey, I think he realized Doc's motives weren't evil but, I guess, desperate.