I held off on reading this thread until I finished the book, and now I am so disappointed there are so few replies, because I need to hear everyone’s thoughts!

I read the two parts as alternate universes. In part one she has no son, she has affairs, she struggled with her scene in the play. In part two, she always had a son, her husband has the affair, she plays the scene to great acclaim.

But…. The play her “son” writes, about a woman who struggles with reality. Yeah, I really don’t know what I just read either.

I was also thoroughly confused and so I’m hoping someone shares insightful or illuminating comments in this thread.

I understood it as he’s actually her son, they had a rift, he wrote the play. She’s starring in that play.

Because the “journalist made a mistake” rings hollow and the last three or so pages can be read as a direct connection to where Anne says to stop wasting time.

What, the, hell.... did I just read? I am so confused. Was Xavier a grifter?? Was he actually her son, who she had had a rift with and deluded herself to believing she had no son? I feel like that was the point but then it didn't all add up. How he said "I think you might be my mom" in the beginning. Help.