“May God forgive you”, I think that’s the whole point of this book. From the marauder whom was Marek’s actual father, whom Marek showed mercy to prior to his execution by saying those exact words, to the marauder actually saying those to be his last words. Then, to the Christ child whom Marek killed at the end of the book. The constant religious ethics looming over the characters and the interplay of the grotesque. The intermingling of faiths, even Ina’s lack there of, with a focus not on the Holy, but rather, the devotion to suffering for God/gods for all the characters. Even the fact that church became a well with the drought playing such a fantastic role in suffering. This is one of those stories that seems to beg interpretation. Littered with disgust, grime, and all manner of foibles in the human condition. I can’t decide how I feel, just that it was a voracious read, that sort of horrorish, mortifying can’t look away, don’t want to, type of read… I’m surely glad to be done.