Then I mixed up what Nena and you said or something like that. Anyway, to answer to your questions:
Like I allready wrote, I can't imagine that their relationship goes on if Cal told (or wrote) her, what he has done. I guess it was your first entry here Marie, were you have written, that you think that Marella loves not Cal because of himself, but rather the feeling he gives to her (being loved, feeling younger etc). So when Cal is in prison now, he even can't give her this feeling, apart of the general problem that he was involved in the assassination of her husband. He doesn't love him because he is so smart, pretty or something like that. So why should Marcella still love him? I can't find a good argument for a relationship between Cal and Marcella after telling her, what had happened.

To the question, if Marcella would stay in Ireland I want to come back to what Nena posted before. I agree with Nena that Marcella would feel responsible for her parents-in-law. She doesn't feel strong enough to leave them behind her and there's another question: Where should she go? Go away of this time, or actually out of Ireland? It doesn't seem so realistic, because her daughter is still so young that in my opinion she doesn't want to stress her too much.
Therefore I argument for staying in Ireland, first of all. When the trouble calms down, her parents-in-low can stay alone and when her daughter is older, she maybe decides that it is the right moment to go away and leave the past behind her.

Ah okay, now I know what you and Marie & Milena wanted to say. Thanks ;)
By the way, is there any question which we left without reply?

Yes I understand what you mean and I would support your statement. The only thing which confused me was, how you got to the point that Marcella wants to leave this town because of Cal but she can't because of feeling responsible for the two persons who are living with her. I mean that I couldn't follow you why you started to debate, if Marcella wants to let her old life behind her because of Cal.
Anyway. Talking about her reaction, it makes sense that you mention that she wouldn't react rational. You can say that she totally changes her mind - before he told her, that he supported the IRA to kill her husband, she was so deeply into that feeling of beeing loved that she acts not rational but rather she would act very calm. After that she can't act rational, she over reacts and the only person where she can let out all her frustration is Cal. In my opinion, there would be this change from a deeply in-love Marcella to a Marcella who is very furious.

So what you say is, that you actually don't like Cal, if the end of the novel would be a different one? Ok, I didn't expected that ;) But I now got your point. All the trouble and Cal hasn't finally something he takes with him, nothing positive what could change him. That's a little bit frustrating! To tell the truth, it makes me feel even more sorry for Cal!

Zitat von Nena im Beitrag #7

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[...] Everyone who commits a crime goes to jail, but I think to learn what you've done wrong in respect of treating other people you need an emotional push, not an imprisonment. I don't say I would wish him emotional pain, but I think it could have helped him grow. And to see, that after the small change he already had, he's getting even closer to being a strong person [...]

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I would also say that the end of the novel would be better if Cal had changed to a stronger person, so I can just agree with you Nena! But to get him to this point I think it's not necessary to give him this emotional push, maybe it allready would work if he just get's the time to reflect and think about what he has done - in jail? It's a posibility to become stronger. And if Marcella would give him a second chance, maybe he would change his mind for her (but I think that belongs to another topic). Would you like him more, if you know that he would change into a "better" person at the end of the novel?

So, if I sum up what all of you said, most of you have the opinion, that Marcella wouldn't or couldn't forgive Cal for what he has done? Wow, that suprises me, I thought at first that I would be the only one who can't imagine that Marcellas and Cals relationship would go one in a good way. Therefore I just can agree with what you wrote and I think that, I guess it was Nenas argument, the argument that Marcella makes him responsible for her situation is very interesting and I have to say that I hadn't thought about it yet.
What I want to say to your argument, that she kind of hates Cal, because for her it's now even harder to leave this town because she can't let them alone, is, that I don't understand what it has to do with Cal. Sure, if Cal wouldn't have driven Crilly, her husband would be alive and for her it would be easier to left him. But Marcella just could break up the contact to Cal and everything would be ok, or did I miss unterstood what you wrote?

Well, I want to share my opinion about the character Cal too. It's nearly the same you allready said, but what I want to add is, that for me Cal isn't a character you would wish this end (I think that's the best question for the topic "Cal and the end of the novel", because it includes also, what we think about Cal).
When I read this book I didn't get so easily into this character. He's not that typical guy you (want) to read about, because he's so different in his way of thinking and acting like we would do. I don't want to repeat what you allready wrote, but for me he wasn't that repulsive (~abstossend) like all of you said. For me it made the character kind of interesting, because, like I said, he is so different. He's not that hero, who fights for his freedom or who assists the poor guys and brings catholic and protestant people together. That's nice to read, but honestly, it's not so realistic and because you read everytime about a hero who has a special talent, it get's a little bit annoying and boring. But Cal is the complete opposite. He doesn't want to stay in the middle of attention, he can't even get up and say out loud what he realy things. And that's what I like about Cal. Of course, you maybe can think while reading the book "I would do this in a complete different way", and yes, actually you would, but the most people wouldn't react like you, reading this book. Cal is a perfect example for a guy who lives in this conflict and he shows fantastic, why the persons don't make their situation more comfortable - because he hasn't the courage to do it. It takes everytime courage to do something against a situation, even if the situation is bad for you. But most people act like Cal.
So for me, it's positive that Cal is like he is, acts and thinks like he does. For that you must not like him, I actually wouldn't hang out with him if he would be a real person. But I have to say that at the end of the novel I commiserate with Cal. Maybe he would have told her, what he had done, but for that it's too late. I guess Milena said that, maybe he needed this punsh to wake up.

To come to an end - I can't identify with Cal, but on the other hand I don't hate or detest him. It was more interesting than thrilling, and the end ... I would wish him a better one, but maybe that would be too easy. At last he gets the quittance for what he had (not) done, like we in german say ;)

I guess the question is, what is a love story or rather when can you say, that this is a love story. So we must think a little bit theoretical.
In nearly every book you will find a "love story". Two or more persons, who develop feelings for each other, equal if they are male or female. Because of that you can't say that every book is a love story. Like you allready said, the main plot should be about this love story. And we have to say, that "Cal" isn't just only about his love for Marcella.
I don't want to repeat what you allready said, because that wouldn't support this discussion, but to bring our topic to a new direction I would like to mention, what we should change, so that we can say that "Cal" is a love story.
For me, in the second part of the book, the signs for a love story are stronger than in the part before. The plot calms down and Cals conflict between him and the IRA gets in the backround of the novel. If you would cut the book in the middle, I would honestly say that you can call it a love story. The typical aspects (he is an unusual guy, not the smartest or prettiest one, who loves a women, older than him and who lives in good circumstances, he has a secret, the family would be against that love and so on...) are given, the general plot settings are perfect to create a love story. The only thing is, that the author has a different goal with his novel. That's why I would like to say, like you before, that Cal isn't a love story, but it has the potential to be one ;)

I had to think long about this question, because my first reaction was "No, Cal can't be a drama!", but the more I think about it, I believe that you actually can count this novel also a drama. A drama should be constructed, like Timm allready mentioned, with an climax at the middle of that plot. This point is reached when Cal gets deeper and deeper into trouble, the action rises more and more, for example when his house was bourned down or when he mets this group of people at the street which wanted to fight with him. For me it's obvious that the tension rises from the beginnig to the middle of the novel. The question I have is, if the tension falls after that. For me it is at the same level like before, because it gets more and more interesting, how the constellation between Cal and Marcella develops. And also when he nearly gets caught by the army and they nearly find his gun because they thought he would be in this house because he plans an attack at the family of Marcella, I guess the tension doesn't fall, quite the contrary, I was really excited about that book.
So I want to argument for a semi-drama, if you can say that. The structure reminds me of a drama, but I wouldn't call it like that.

My opinion is, that it is hard to imagine how she would react, if Cal tells her what he has done. For Marcella, like you both allready said, it was terrible to see, how Robert was shot down in her own house. Even if you don't like or love this person any more, would you wish him to be shot down? I don't think that Marcella thought like that. Why should she stay at his side, if she hates him? I guess she just can't live him any more, but it was ok for her. It's hard to love a person for many years and maybe she knew that. Anyway, what I want to say, is, that in my opinion, she wouldn't be ok with the deed of Cal. For her it's like a tightrope walk (I guess it's the english word for "Gratwanderung") between hate and love for Cal. She will need a lot of time to think about. Besides that, she maybe gets ripped out of this feeling of being in love, when you don't care about the rest of the world. When she gets back into the real life, she maybe realises that she and Cal wouldn't have any future. I mean, she's older than him, has already a daughter and her family wouldn't be ok with the fact that she loves or is in a partnership with the guy who supported the IRA or killed her husband. How should it go one with her social life? She could go away from that town of course, away from the troubles with her family and begin a new life with Cal. But first, he is in prison, and she has no one who will support her at this time when she stays at the side of Cal.
To get to a final statement: I don't believe that her love for Cal is so intense that she wants to stay through all the problems she would get if she stays at Cals side. Maybe she would forgive him, but she just can't live together with a person who supported them to kill her husband.