I'm still sorting out my feelings, but this is a good thing
No major spoilers, I promise.
I've loved every moment of this series, and now I'm left with the melancholy feeling I tend to get after I finish a series, knowing that there's no more, that I'm saying goodbye to this world and these characters. I call it the book hangover. I'm not emotionally ready to read another book yet, you understand.
The thing about this that was so amazing and horrible was how believable it was, even when things seemed extreme. Geder, by this point in the series, can be easily compared to Hitler. But he's also that "nice" guy who resents, despises, and obsesses over the woman who rejected him. I'm betting most women have had experience with guys like that, and probably plenty of men have seen it, too. I can easily compare Geder with Elliot Rodger, and that comparison is frightening, and makes me want to go play with my dog and look at kitten pictures until I've cheered up a little. The character does atrocious things, but as Cithrin says, he should not be called a monster. He is a human. He's complicated, and he's real. When we label people who commit atrocious acts as monsters, we fail to see the dangerous side of a person who has a nice side. The characters are complicated, which is what makes them so real.
In the end, I can't quite sort out how I feel about Geder. I will say that I am very, very pleased with the way his story concluded, and I think most of you will be, if you've hung in this far. I was satisfied with the ending of the story in general, although I cried a little bit, and was left with that previously mentioned book hangover.
Listen to my voice. Okay, read my words. You'll love this series. It's worth it.
