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I'm Thinking of Ending Things: A Novel Paperback – March 21, 2017

by Iain Reid (Author)
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 10,554 ratings
Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
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NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM DIRECTED BY CHARLIE KAUFMAN
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things is one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read. Iain Reid has crafted a tight, ferocious little book, with a persistent tenor of suspense that tightens and mounts toward its visionary, harrowing final pages” (Scott Heim, award-winning author of Mysterious Skin and We Disappear).

I’m thinking of ending things. Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It’s always there. Always.

Jake once said, “Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can’t fake a thought.”

And here’s what I’m thinking: I don’t want to be here.

In this “dark and compelling…unputdownable” (Booklist, starred review) literary thriller, debut novelist Iain Reid explores the depths of the human psyche, questioning consciousness, free will, the value of relationships, fear, and the limitations of solitude. Reminiscent of Jose Saramago’s early work, Michel Faber’s cult classic Under the Skin, and Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk about Kevin, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is an edgy, haunting debut. Tense, gripping, and atmospheric, this novel “packs a big psychological punch with a twisty story line and an ending that will leave readers breathless” (Library Journal, starred review).
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Gallery/Scout Press
  4. Publication date
    March 21, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.7 x 8.38 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1501126946
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1501126949
  8. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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Previous page
  1. “Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can’t fake a thought.”
    Highlighted by 2,486 Kindle readers
  2. “A memory is its own thing each time it’s recalled. It’s not absolute. Stories based on actual events often share more with fiction than fact. Both fictions and memories are recalled and retold. They’re both forms of stories. Stories are the way we learn. Stories are how we understand each other. But reality happens only once.”
    Highlighted by 2,225 Kindle readers
  3. Maybe that’s how we know when a relationship is real. When someone else previously unconnected to us knows us in a way we never thought or believed possible.
    Highlighted by 1,792 Kindle readers
  4. Getting to know someone is like putting a never-ending puzzle together. We fit the smallest pieces first and we get to know ourselves better in the process.
    Highlighted by 1,377 Kindle readers
  5. “Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can’t fake a thought.”
    Highlighted by 893 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"I'm Thinking of Ending Things is an ingeniously twisted nightmare road trip through the fragile psyches of two young lovers. My kind of fun!" -- Charlie Kaufman, Academy Award winning writer and executive producer of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

"In a novel this engaging, bizarre, and twisted, it shouldn't come as a surprise that its ending is even stranger than the narrative route that takes us there...but it does. Reid's novel is a road trip to the heart of creepyness." -- Sjón, author of The Blue Fox, From the Mouth of the Whale, and The Whispering Muse

"I'm Thinking of Ending Things is one of the best debut novels I've ever read. Iain Reid has crafted a tight, ferocious little book, with a persistent tenor of suspense that tightens and mounts toward its visionary, harrowing final pages." -- Scott Heim, author of Mysterious Skin and We Disappear

“Here are some near-certainties about I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Number One: You're going to read it fast. Over the course of an afternoon or an evening. The momentum is unstoppable—once you start, you won't be able to stop. And Two: once you race to the end and understand the significance of those final pages, you won't be able to stop thinking about it. This novel will find a spot in your heart and head and it will live there---for days,weeks, months, or (in my case) the rest of your life. Yes. It really is that good.” -- Nick Cutter, author of Cataract City and The Deep

"I’m Thinking of Ending Things begins with the unnamed narrator setting off with her boyfriend to visit his parents at their remote farm, and soon devolves into an unnerving exploration of identity, regret and longing. Delightfully frightening." ― The Globe and Mail

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things is an utterly compelling modern Gothic that stakes its claim in the inner precincts of horror. Reid builds tension the way Edgar Allen Poe builds brick walls in his basement.” -- Wayne Grady, author of Emancipation Day

“An addictive metaphysical investigation into the nature of identity, one which seduces and horrifies in equal measure. Reid masterfully explores the perversity of loneliness and somehow also creates a very entertaining thriller. I found myself yelling at the characters to put their feet on the pedal and drive.” -- Heather O'Neill, author of Lullabies for Little Criminals and Daydreams of Angels

“Smart, dangerous and spooky as hell. Iain Reid takes you on a harrowing road trip that keeps you riveted until the final destination.” -- Brian Francis, author of Fruit and Natural Order

“Reid's tightly crafted tale toys with the nature of identity and comes by its terror honestly, building a wall of intricately layered psychological torment so impenetrable it's impossible to escape.” ― Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"[Iain Reid] fuses suspense with philosophy, psychology,and horror in his unsettling first novel...Capped with an ending that will shock and chill, this twisty tale invites multiple readings.” ― Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“The construct of this book is brilliant and unusual and should appeal to fans of psychological thrillers, as well as to some horror fans. A dark and compelling debut novel, it is a most uncomfortable read but utterly unputdownable.” ― Booklist, Starred Review

"This slim first novel packs a big psychological punch with a twisty story line and an ending that will leave readers breathless." ― Library Journal, Starred Review

"One of the most anticipated literary thrillers of the season." ― Library Journal

“Iain Reid has written a creepy but enthralling new novel… It’s a psychological thriller that keeps readers guessing.” ― NPR's Weekend Edition

“Reid’s gradually building spookiness and plainspoken intellectualism make I’m Thinking of Ending Things a smart and unexpectedly fun book.” ― New York Journal of Books

“This is the boldest and most original literary thriller to appear in some time.” ― The Chicago Tribune

“Your dread and unease will mount with every passing page.” ― Entertainment Weekly

"This is a deliciously frightening novel, Reid has a light, idiosyncratic touch but never lets his vice-like grip of suspense slacken for a second. Once finished, you will be hard pressed not to start the whole terrifying journey all over again." ― The Independent

“Absolutely chilling. I was constantly checking over my shoulder, closing doors, pulling blinds shut. Reid's fast-paced language is evocative, spine-tingling, and razor-sharp...[This] debut is worth reading for his deft ability to create tension and atmosphere; I can recall very few times in recent memory I’ve been so physically unnerved by a novel.” ― Bustle

"...unrelentingly tense, expertly riding the line between paranoid and horrifying." ― Jezebel

"[An] energizing, bizarre and thoughtfully twisted tale will leave you stunned as you close the book." ― PureWow

About the Author

Iain Reid is the author of four previous books, including his New York Times bestselling debut novel I’m Thinking of Ending Things, which has been translated into more than twenty languages. Oscar winner Charlie Kaufman wrote and directed the film adaptation for Netflix. His second novel, Foe, is being adapted for film, starring Saoirse Ronan, with Reid cowriting the screenplay. His latest novel is We Spread. Reid lives in Ontario, Canada. Follow him on Twitter @Reid_Iain.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gallery/Scout Press; Reprint edition (March 21, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1501126946
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1501126949
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 10,554 ratings

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Iain Reid

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Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
10,554 global ratings
Quite thrilling!
5 Stars
Quite thrilling!
This book was awesome! Definitely a psychological thriller, had me guessing the entire time. I even *accidently* read a spoiler before reading the book and it was still exciting. Iain Reid is a brilliant author.
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Top reviews from the United States

Karissa
5.0 out of 5 stars MUST READ
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2024
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I really enjoyed the book. It became addictive! I’m bad to become uninterested in books but this one grabbed my attention and kept it! It’s going to be hard to find another like this one.
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Bob Lewis
4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing little thriller
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2020
Verified Purchase
I bought this book because I was told it would be scary. The back of the book promises: "You will be scared. But you won't know why." Well, I wasn't. This isn't really a horror story so much as it is a psychological thriller. But overall, I did enjoy it, though not consistently the whole way through.

The story's a little slow to get started, focusing intently on a conversation between two characters as they drive to a farmhouse for dinner. This conversation covers a lot of philosophical ground, ranging from the genuinely interesting to the "pretentious undergraduate," but always seems to fit within the established framework between the characters. The reader eventually begins to wonder why we're reading these thoughts, though, and where this thing is going. Just as those feelings begin to percolate, the novel takes a turn to the strange. Not a large turn and not even a sudden one, but a slight and gradual shift in which the reader begins to detect that things feel "off" for some inarticulable reason.

It's in that ground that the novel spends the majority of its time. The armchair philosophizing never quite goes away, but it does yield some ground to this growing sense of something "just not quite right" about the events being depicted. This place--if not quite the uncanny valley, then at least within the same neighborhood--is fertile ground for a novelist, and Reid exploits it well. I've always had a certain affinity for a book that keeps me reading if for no other reason than to figure out just what in the world is actually happening.

Of course, that's not the only reason to keep reading. The characters might not be as fleshed out as they could be in a longer novel, but they do exhibit the fundamental humanity that keeps readers attached to their story. The writing is tight and overall of high quality (though I take issue with the author's liberal use of shifting tenses throughout the book, even if I do understand his purpose in doing so). And, as I've already mentioned, the brief philosophical interludes, though occasionally an annoying distraction from the story proper, more frequently provide a brief pause in the story for the reader to reflect on some interesting ideas.

A novel that spends so much of its energy making the reader detect a nearly imperceptible "offness" has to rely on the force of its ending to justify the rest of the story. In this case, the author manages to pull it off, but only just. I did not predict the ending very far in advance, though I did have a feeling early on of the "kind" of ending it was likely to be (and that feeling proved correct in general terms, though the details eluded me). Was it a satisfying ending? Partly. Without spoilers, I will say that it did bring the story to a satisfactory conclusion, but I'll also say that I didn't find the "punch" of the ending nearly as interesting as the "weirdness" of the preceding pages. I can somewhat forgive that, though. The ending is probably the hardest part of a story, and that goes doubly for a story like this.

Will this book become enshrined as one of my favorites? No. But it's a good quick read, likely to keep you interested until you finish in just a sitting or two, and worth a few hours of your time and a few dollars of your money. Despite a few flaws, I do recommend it.
33 people found this helpful
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Kelly Schuknecht
3.0 out of 5 stars Weirdest book I’ve ever read
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
I recently ventured into what might be the oddest reading experience I’ve ever had with “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” by Iain Reid. Initially intrigued by its adaptation into a Netflix movie, I dove into the book expecting one thing and ended up with something entirely different.

At first glance, the title (and the beginning of the story itself) suggests a straightforward narrative about ending a relationship, and for a significant portion of the book, that’s the journey we’re on. The protagonist’s contemplation about her relationship and the ensuing road trip with her boyfriend kept me hooked. Reid’s writing style, tinged with sarcasm and a unique tone, made the read enjoyable and engaging—until it wasn’t.

As the story progressed, “weird” took on a whole new meaning. The narrative took such a bizarre turn that I found myself questioning the reality Reid had constructed, leading to a jarring disconnect from the initial intrigue. This twist, while perhaps intended to shock and awe, left me more horrified than impressed.

After finishing the book on a Friday night, curiosity led me to the movie adaptation the following day. If I thought the book was strange, the film amplified that tenfold, adding additional layers of visual weirdness.

It pains me to give this book three stars because there’s a part of me that genuinely enjoyed the ride for a good 80% of it. However, it just got too weird for me.

If you end up reading “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” just be prepared for a conclusion that might not sit well with everyone. As for me, while I appreciated the journey for the most part, I couldn’t fully embrace the destination…hence the three-star rating.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Ana Luisa Lima
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfeito para leitores que gostam de quebra-cabeças
Reviewed in Brazil on June 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
Começo dizendo que esse livro não vai ser do gosto de muitos. Ele é escrito no estilo de fluxo de consciência, e a narrativa foca nas conversas entre os personagens e memórias intercaladas para avançar, a localização é limitada a poucos espaços fechados e atmosfera é bastante claustrofóbica.
O livro possui uma boa mistura de mistério com uma pitada de terror psicológico, e como o próprio autor descreve nas páginas: o que importa é apenas uma pergunta. O interesse está em encontar as pistas que os personagens vão deixando entre suas falas, para assim montar o quebra-cabeça das memórias e acontecimentos narrados e chegar à resposta final junto à personagem.
Acredito que esses sejam os principais pontos para ter em mente antes de iniciar a leitura, e eu recomendo que, assim como eu, ela seja feita sem haver lido muito da sinopse, e de preferência em uma única sentada. No mais, é importante atentar para os gatilhos da história.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectas condiciones.
Reviewed in Mexico on March 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
5 estrellas porque el libro llegó en perfectas condiciones y en el tiempo estimado.
En cuanto al contenido; no me gustó, es muy depresivo, pero no me atrevería a calificar el libro en base a ello porque es una opinión personal, que dice más de mi que de el producto.
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Lisa
4.0 out of 5 stars Impression Amazon
Reviewed in France on January 25, 2024
Verified Purchase
Attention impression faire par Amazon, couverture douce qui retiens le gras, papier épais.
Pour ce qui est du livre, histoire intrigante et totalement addictive.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully dark
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
Emotionally macabre with a sinister twist. Refreshing to read something original. Plays with the thoughts to such an extent I could not put it down. More, please....
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Mind-blowing
Reviewed in India on May 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
One of the best book I've read in recent times. Incredibly Clever and the ending is amazing. I would recommend others to read it too
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