Despite my misgivings about the ending of the book, I wanted to make out clear that I really enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the heck out of it, in fact. I even enjoyed the ending (although not really how Belt behaved) … I just wish it wasn’t the end.
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Infinite Zombies 
I don’t think anyone would have taken it any different, Paul. This was a great experience for me, thank you for your posts.
I will say this: I was surprised that Levin seemed to defend Belt’s actions at the end of the novel. I agree that attraction is a necessary part of a relationship, and him trying to fabricate this attraction with Lotta was never going to work, but Lisette felt distinctly different than Lotta.
What I thought was strange about that defense of Belt was how conditioned it was on the question of will Belt be attracted to Lisette or not. It hadn’t even occurred to me that the ending might be Belt and Lisette getting together as a couple—they hadn’t seen each other since they were, what, 13? They have no idea who the other is anymore! What I was disappointed in Belt for was that he couldn’t seem to conceive of being friendly with her.
Thanks so much for joining in on this one, Paul. I’m glad you liked the book, if not Belt’s behavior at the end.
I really just didn’t know what to make of the ending. I didn’t take it as negatively as you and Jeff did, but I found it puzzling. I felt less like Belt was a monster than like it was just a strange reversal, though as Jeff suggests above, it really is kind of preposterous to think they’d run into one another’s arms and be happy, even if that is how happy endings tend to work. I felt as if Belt actually was casually friendly with her, but clearly he didn’t want to continue a friendship with her. And I’m on the fence about whether it was kinder to show up and be anonymously pleasant to her before standing her up or whether it would’ve been kinder to just be direct. I suppose it’s hard either way.