I'm Thinking of Ending Things Summary
Iain Reid

I'm Thinking of Ending Things Overview

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid tells the story of Jake, a disturbed man who contemplates his solitary life. Eventually, he commits suicide. A good deal of the novel has been fabricated by Jake and is narrated by a girl whom Jake met once in a pub. True to his nature, Jake never worked up the courage to give his phone number to her. The story is Jake’s fantasy of what might have happened if he and the girl had actually dated. At the end, the reader is shocked to learn that many of the characters did not exist as they are portrayed. They are really facets of Jake’s personality and his mental disorder. Themes in the novel include the truth found in thoughts versus words or actions, the benefits of being alone versus being with someone, and the devastating reality of mental illness.