I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Plot and narrative structure

The novel is narrated by the unnamed girlfriend of Jake, a man she has been dating for only a few months after meeting him at a college trivia night in a pub. Despite her deep reservations about their relationship, which she refers to internally as 'thinking of ending things,' she agrees to accompany Jake on a long drive to his parents' remote farm. Their journey is filled with lengthy philosophical discussions that set an uneasy tone for the visit. The evening at the farm proves deeply unsettling, with the parents asking awkward questions and the narrator noticing disturbing details, such as a childhood photo of Jake that eerily resembles her.

On the drive back, Jake stops at a Dairy Queen and later at a deserted high school to dispose of trash. At the school, he becomes angry after a flashback involving the school janitor watching them and leaves the narrator alone in the car to confront the man inside. After a long wait, the narrator enters the school to search for Jake and becomes lost in the corridors, experiencing traumatic childhood memories and a growing sense of dread. The narrative structure becomes increasingly fractured and disjointed as her identity begins to blur, and she starts referring to herself using the plural 'we.' The climax reveals that the narrator and Jake are manifestations of the same person, a middle-aged janitor named Jake who never approached the woman in the pub but instead wrote about a fictional relationship with her in his notebooks.

Intercut between the main narrative chapters are conversations between two strangers discussing a horrific incident at the school, initially implied to be a murder. Near the novel's end, it is revealed they are discussing Jake, the janitor, who dropped out of college thirty years prior and lived a withdrawn life after his parents' deaths. The strangers discuss the discovery of his body and the notebooks that detail his elaborate fantasy, which culminates in his suicide. In the final scene, the narrator, now an amalgamated identity in the janitor's closet, uses a straightened clothes hanger to end their life, concluding with the thought, 'Me. Only me. Jake. Alone again.'

Background and development

Iain Reid drew heavily on his personal experiences growing up on a remote farm in Ontario to create the atmospheric setting of the novel. The sense of isolation and the imagery of travelling dark Canadian country roads were directly inspired by his upbringing. Reid has stated that the core ideas for the story had been with him for a long time, but the actual process of writing the book took approximately three years to complete. He intentionally crafted an ambiguous ending, noting that while he has his own interpretation of the events, he considers other readers' interpretations to be equally valid and appreciates literature that requires active engagement from the audience to decipher meaning.

Despite the novel's eventual success, Reid faced significant challenges in getting it published. He recounted that nearly every publisher in Canada initially rejected the manuscript, but the breakthrough came when Simon & Schuster in the United States made a modest offer to publish the book. This decision proved prescient, as the novel went on to achieve commercial and critical success, including placement on The New York Times Best Seller list and translation into over twenty languages. The publication journey highlights the novel's unique and challenging nature, which initially may have been difficult for traditional markets to categorize.

Critical reception and awards

I'm Thinking of Ending Things was met with widespread critical attention and several literary honours following its publication in 2016. National Public Radio selected it as one of the best books of that year, praising its innovative and chilling narrative. The novel was also a finalist for the prestigious Shirley Jackson Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. In 2017, it appeared on the longlist for the Ottawa Independent Writers' Frank Hegyi Award for Emerging Authors, cementing its place in the Canadian literary landscape.

Reviews of the novel were often polarized, highlighting its divisive and thought-provoking nature. In the Chicago Tribune, Lloyd Sachs described I'm Thinking of Ending Things as the boldest and most original literary thriller to appear in some time. He called Reid a master of tension and noted that despite the book's philosophic weight, he pulls it off. Sachs recommended re-reading the book, saying that with its deep enigmas and the dense psychological space the characters are traveling through, it remains as full of dark surprises as your friendly neighbourhood black hole. Conversely, Hannah Pittard wrote in The New York Times that she felt the novel's bait-and-switch tactic of interspersing the main narrative with a commentary between two strangers was too gimmicky. Pittard expressed her disappointment at the book's big reveal at the end, saying that it hastily disposes of unexplained and unnecessary red herrings, and the revelation is, at once, too tidy and too convenient to be satisfying.

Author Pip Smith, reviewing for The Australian, offered a mixed assessment. She noted the novel reads like a stretched short story with all the ingredients of a good thriller but argued Reid 'sells his concept short' by adhering to the genre format. Smith was particularly critical of the narrator's portrayal, describing her as having 'inferior intelligence' until the twist reveals she is a male fantasy, which she felt trapped the narrative. Smith concluded that while a re-reading gives the text new meaning regarding themes of predetermination and free will, many readers might only engage with it once and miss these deeper provocations. The novel's reception highlights its role as a work that demands and rewards careful, repeated analysis.

• Selected by National Public Radio as one of the best books of 2016.
• Finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award in 2016.
• Longlisted for the Ottawa Independent Writers Frank Hegyi Award for Emerging Authors in 2017.
• Reviewed by Lloyd Sachs in the Chicago Tribune, who called it 'the boldest and most original literary thriller.'
• Reviewed by Hannah Pittard in The New York Times, who criticized its 'gimmicky' structure.
• Reviewed by Pip Smith in The Australian, who offered a mixed critique of its narrator.

Themes and analysis

A central theme of I'm Thinking of Ending Things is the nature of identity and the fracturing of the self. The novel meticulously deconstructs the narrator's persona, revealing it to be a fictional projection of a lonely man's unfulfilled desires. This exploration questions the reliability of memory and perception, as the boundaries between Jake, his girlfriend, and the janitor completely dissolve. The narrative technique forces readers to participate in piecing together the shattered psyche of the protagonist, making the act of reading analogous to the character's own struggle for coherence.

The novel examines isolation and loneliness, rooted in both geographic and psychological landscapes. The remote farm and the deserted high school serve as physical manifestations of the janitor's internal state. His withdrawal from society following his failure to connect with the woman in the pub leads him to construct an elaborate fantasy life within notebooks. This theme is poignantly Canadian in its connection to the vast, often isolating rural spaces that can shape a person's experience, a setting Reid knows intimately from his own Ontario upbringing.

Philosophical inquiry is woven throughout the characters' dialogues and the plot's structure. The conversations between Jake and his girlfriend during the car ride touch on existential questions about life, choice, and consequence. The novel also engages with concepts of free will versus predetermination, pondering whether the janitor's tragic end was an inevitable result of his personality and circumstances or a series of conscious, albeit desperate, choices. The ambiguous ending invites readers to form their own conclusions on these weighty matters.

Reid employs metafictional elements by making the act of writing and storytelling central to the plot. The janitor's notebooks are not just a record but the engine of the reality presented in most of the novel. This draws attention to the power and danger of narrative, showing how stories can be used both as an escape from reality and as a trap that ultimately consumes the creator. The strangers' discussions at the end serve as a form of external critique, analyzing the janitor's life and writings only after his death, highlighting how meaning is often constructed posthumously by others.

Film adaptation and cast

In 2020, Netflix released a film adaptation of the novel, written and directed by acclaimed American screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. The film stars Jesse Plemons as Jake, Jessie Buckley as the young woman, with Toni Collette and David Thewlis portraying Jake's parents. Kaufman's adaptation is known for its faithful yet expansive interpretation of Reid's source material, examining the surreal and psychological aspects of the story. The film retains the core plot of the road trip and the visit to the parents' farm but incorporates additional layers of musical and theatrical elements, along with Kaufman's signature exploration of identity and regret.

The adaptation was both a critical and cultural event, introducing Reid's story to a global audience. While the novel is firmly rooted in a Canadian rural sensibility, Kaufman's film universalizes its themes of loneliness and existential dread. The casting was widely praised, particularly Jessie Buckley's performance in capturing the narrator's increasing confusion and terror. The film's release sparked renewed interest in the novel, leading many viewers to seek out the original text to compare interpretations and unpack the story's dense symbolism. The successful transition from page to screen demonstrates the novel's powerful and adaptable narrative core.

• Released in 2020 on Netflix.
• Written and directed by Charlie Kaufman.
• Stars Jesse Plemons as Jake.
• Stars Jessie Buckley as the young woman.
• Features Toni Collette as Jake's mother.
• Features David Thewlis as Jake's father.

Publication history and translations

I'm Thinking of Ending Things was first published in hardcover in the United States by Simon & Schuster in June 2016. Following its critical success and bestseller status, paperback and ebook editions were subsequently released, making the novel widely accessible. The initial print run, though modest, quickly proved insufficient due to growing demand fueled by positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations about its chilling and unconventional plot. The novel's international appeal is evidenced by its extensive translation history, having been translated into over twenty languages to reach a diverse global readership.

The book was translated into over twenty languages, indicating its broad international appeal. The novel went on to be listed on The New York Times Best Seller list, confirming its commercial reach. It was first published in June 2016 in the United States by Simon and Schuster. After Reid had finished the novel, he had trouble finding a publisher in Canada until Simon and Schuster made a modest offer. The book's availability in multiple formats and languages has cemented its status as a significant work.

Questions about I'm Thinking of Ending Things

What is the twist ending of I'm Thinking of Ending Things?

The twist reveals that the unnamed female narrator and her boyfriend Jake are not separate people but are both fictional personas created by a lonely, middle-aged school janitor named Jake. The entire narrative of their relationship and road trip exists within the janitor's notebooks as a maladaptive fantasy. The janitor, who dropped out of college and lived in isolation after his parents' deaths, never actually approached the woman he saw in a pub. The novel concludes with the janitor, confronted by the collapse of his fantasy, committing suicide in the school where he worked.

Is I'm Thinking of Ending Things based on a true story?

No, the novel is not based on a specific true story. However, author Iain Reid drew inspiration from his personal experiences growing up on a remote farm in Ontario and travelling dark Canadian country roads to create the book's atmospheric setting and sense of isolation. The psychological themes of loneliness and fractured identity are fictional explorations, though they are rooted in relatable human emotions. Reid spent about three years writing the book, developing these ideas into the completed psychological thriller.

How does the book differ from the Netflix movie?

While Charlie Kaufman's 2020 Netflix film adaptation retains the core plot and psychological themes, it expands upon the novel in several ways. The film incorporates surreal musical and dance sequences, additional philosophical dialogues, and more overtly blends reality and fantasy. The movie also gives the young woman a name (Lucy) and examines meta-commentary on art and criticism. The novel is tighter and more focused on the internal psychological breakdown, while the film uses a broader cinematic palette to explore similar ideas of identity and regret.

Why is the narrator unnamed in the book?

The narrator is Jake's unnamed girlfriend of only a few months. Her lack of a name becomes a clue to the novel's twist. It soon becomes apparent that the narrator and Jake are, in fact, the same person. The narrator is a fictional construct within the janitor Jake's fantasy, and he wrote about her to live out their relationship as a maladaptive fantasy.

What is the significance of the setting in the novel?

The remote Ontario farm and the deserted high school are significant settings that mirror the protagonist's internal state of isolation and stagnation. The rural Canadian landscape, drawn from Reid's own upbringing, creates a palpable sense of loneliness and distance from society. The farm represents a trapped, unchanging past, while the empty school symbolizes a place of frozen time and lost potential. These settings are not just backdrops but active elements that contribute to the novel's oppressive atmosphere and themes of psychological entrapment.

What awards did I'm Thinking of Ending Things win?

I'm Thinking of Ending Things was a finalist in the 2016 Shirley Jackson Award. The novel was also selected by National Public Radio as one of the best books of 2016. It appeared on the 2017 Ottawa Independent Writers Frank Hegyi Award for Emerging Authors longlist. While these are significant recognitions, the novel did not win the Shirley Jackson Award. The book's acclaim contributed to its commercial success, including a place on The New York Times Best Seller list. Its recognition in literary circles also preceded its adaptation into a Netflix film in 2020.

Sources and further reading

• I'm Thinking of Ending Things (Wikipedia)
• I'm Still Thinking of I'm Thinking of Ending Things, The Reader (thereader.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-11-01.