Novels: The sense of an ending

This is probably the best-written book I have read in quite a while.  The language is really beautiful, and there are many aspects of the story that makes one think about life, which is a good thing to do sometimes.  For example this quote struck me: 

"But then you begin to understand that the rewarding of merit is not life's business."

Because it's true right?  It's not.  But much of the time we think that in fact the rewarding of merit should be life's business.

When I started this book I thought it was going to be one of those books where an aged gentleman finds a new lease on life, something like Robert Hellenga's Fall of a Sparrow or even Helen Simson's Major Petigrew's Last Stand (both of which are fantastic by the way).  However, this book was not like that.  In reading reviews of this book it has been suggested that it should be read twice, the reason being that new things will come out, and I can see the wisdom in that.  The ending, not to give it away, but it does not exactly leave one jumping for joy at the wonder of life's serendipitous surprises.  However it is well worth reading.  I enjoyed it, and it struck a somewhat deeper cord than the fluffier fare I have been reading of late.