Well, I've just finished the book and I enjoyed it.

I think that the clues were in the description of Laura during each of those times... on the cruise she was distressed, this was during the time that she was refusing his advances.

The day she gave in was when she went sailing with him. At this point she seems more at peace with things, because she has justified what she has done as a way to keep Alex safe (her deal with God).

The biggest clue, however, was the use of the word
"besotted". If you remember, Iris speaks of his use of this word after he married her.

by Sharon on Wednesday February 20, @12:29PM

those were the places that laura had been to with Iris and Richard. remember the boat, the house...etc. In all those places he tried to seduce her but she resisted hence the 'no'. but when they got avilion and the Water Nixie (his sailing boat) she finally succumbed. . remember when richard says he is besotted with Iris. here we see the word again. anyway i loved the book. spent 3 days reading it. cant really understand why laura did sleep with him in the end and why she betrayed her sister. maybe she just didnt really care. not sure. still thinking about it.

by karen on Sunday May 19, @11:44AM

i was under the impression that richard was sexually assaulting laura, and that her actions towards him were not complicit. the "no's" therefore would indicate that she was under a great deal of mental anxiety, or that she had attempted to resist. but then, i read the book quite a while ago.

by lexi on Friday May 24, @06:55PM

Hi,Iris is a flawed character like all of us .. and I thought ,as what some readers feel,she 'whined non-stop' and in Ms Atwood's writing,Iris is a victim of circumstances.Therefore .. although I agree with one reader who said 'Richard was sexually assaulting her and she was under mental anxiety',Iris is making a great deal of assumptions ,with self-delusion of all kinds and we can't take all her words for it.
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Iris comments a great deal of Richard's infidelity and selfishness and Laura's 'infuriating iron-clad confidence in God' ,but she has a tendency to suppress her genuine emotions and through her words ,we know contain 'a word that empties itself of meaning' ..

by mandy on Sunday December 21, @05:25AM

I think Richard took advantage of Laura's niavete.She seems to attract men who are pedophiles without meaning to.also seems like the kind of girl who flirts without meaning to, and I think he took it wrong in his perverted way.

The one thing I wonder is ,Who killed Richard?
I honestly don't think it was a suicide

by Kristy on Wednesday September 10, @11:25AM