Reading Writes {Chapter Two} Best & Worst Endings // Reading
Could an ending be anymore cliche? Probably not. But sometimes, that kind of ending can just work. Other times it's a giant cop-out from a writer too lazy or too confused to be able to present us with anything better. Sure, the way an author starts a book can be pretty crucial. But for me, it's the ending that makes or breaks it. The same is true of any story, no matter the medium.
I hate nothing more than a book, movie or TV show to have a shit ending. It leaves me feeling ripped off. Conned. It tarnishes the rest of the experience, even if up until the end it had been a really good experience and story. Now to be honest, there aren't a lot of books where I hated the ending. In fact, it's usually TV shows or movies where I get to the end and have that ripped off feeling.
In fact, I couldn't really tell you many book endings that I hated because if I hated them they have faded from my memory. I'm pretty sure I've completely blocked them out, such was my anger and disappointment! TV shows, though, that's another story.
I wasn't too impressed with the ending of How I Met Your Mother. It was ok, and I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. Despite the fact that the entire last season covers basically one day in their lives, and I liked the fact that you got flash forwards of Ted with the Mother, I didn't like the ending. It just felt too easy. And so obvious. I picked it at least 10 episodes before it happened.
 |
| Final sentence from one of my favourite books |
Lost was another disappointment, although again, I so knew it was coming. It was exactly what I said it would be. But still annoying. Seinfeld and Mad About You both sucked as well. Friends was actually ok. It's just that they could have done anything and I still would not have been happy because it was my favourite show and I never wanted it to end!
The ending of Stargate Atlantis was really shit. It wouldn't have been so bad if the Atlantis movies that they had planned at the time actually happened. But since they didn't, the ending just sucks even more, there were so many things they needed to address.
What did I love the endings of? Alias. If you go online and google Alias ending there is heaps written by fans and critics of the show about it's ending and how much people didn't like it. I for one thought it was brilliant. Especially what happened to Sydney's arch nemesis, Sloan. He couldn't have come to a better end!
I also loved the ending of The Office (US) and the 30 Rock ending wasn't too bad either.
In terms of book endings that I loved, my favourite has to be, of course, the Harry Potter series. Seriously, the last 5 chapters of the last book are pretty much the best 5 chapters of any book I've ever read. That's why I was so pissed off with the ending of the last movie, it was ridiculously shit-house, losing all the awe and amazingness of the final confrontation that the book had.
I also didn't mind the ending of the third Hunger Games books. I think there is real pressure on an author to nail an ending when it comes to a trilogy or a series, even more so than a TV show or movie. Readers invest so much more time in their books and to get a shitty ending after spending what can sometimes amount to hundreds of hours spent reading their words is a real big fuck you on the part of an author.
Having said that though, there is the simple fact that not everyone is going to be happy with the ending that a writer presents us with. We are social creatures, us humans, and as such we become seriously attached to the people in the stories we read or watch. Everyone has their own ideas about how a book, series, TV show or movie should end, and there are always going to be those that don't like what they are presented with.
However if an author treats their characters, and thus their readers with respect, then I think even an ending that people aren't so happy with, people will still see the value in it. It won't taint the rest of the work that has gone before.
I have high hopes for the final book in the Wool trilogy, as well as whatever the final book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series ends up being. Although to be honest with you, I am highly suspicious of just how George R. R. Martin plans on finishing that series and from what I've read about him, I wouldn't be surprised to get a big "Fuck You" ending from him!
So tell me, what endings have you loved, what endings have you loathed?
P. S. Just wanted to say a super big thank you to everyone who linked up with me last month. It was so great to read all your posts and have your support, and I hope to see you all linking up again this month. You guys rock!
P. P. S. Next month I'll be writing about favourite books so get your lists ready!
P. P. S. Next month I'll be writing about favourite books so get your lists ready!
Find me here:
Comments
I liked the way Sex & The City finished up. Six Feet Under was also done really well. Breaking Bad probably had the most satisfying ending of all my favourite shows.
I am concerned about just how George RR will finish of Song of Fire & Ice. So many plot lines to tie up! So many fans heavily invested after reading over 5000 pages or watching however many episodes it will end up being. I feel for him in a way. The pressure must be huge!
Books: SO MANY. Big Brother (Lionel Shriver) wins worst ending EVER for mine. I'll ditto you that the third book of The Hunger Games was ended well, but that's with the disclaimer that I think the third book was a bad ending to the trilogy. (If that makes sense. I disliked the third book, but like the way it ended if it had to exist.) I didn't like HP when I first read it - why fast forward? Why show that? Why? - but now I like that it wraps it up. No more books, people. 19 years later, Harry is happy. The end. Recent reads: I just read We are Called to Rise (I've linked the review) and the ending felt implausible. But I'm not sure I hated it, just didn't believe it could happen. Also recently read Lost & Found, and didn't hate the ending but wasn't blown away by it as I was expecting.
Will stop there. I could write forever on this!! x
Funny, I've got a post written in my head about book endings to link up with you. Hoping to actually write it on a screen tomorrow :)
And I agree about the last book in The Hunger Games. Sadly the second and third books really struggled to live up to the first one, but I think that was always going to be the case coz the first one was just so damn good!
And I agree about the pressure on George RR, I don't envy him that job at all! I just hope he doesn't die or something before he gets to it!
Yes HP was very satisfying, as was Friends (also MY favourite TV show ever!). I thought the end of Sex and the City the TV show was fantastic, and then along came the movie which I thought surprisingly added value to the whole story and also finished well......then they went and ruined it with SATC2! Another fave show of mine that ended recently was Dexter, and I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. Through the whole series you kind of loved him for being bad, I think part of me wanted to know that he was going to continue to be a badass!
Trying to think of an ending that really got my goat. The only one I can think of right now, but not really an ending so much as the very last scene in a movie, was The Matrix. So, apparently the guy can fly, and you choose the last 5 seconds of the film to reveal this to us? What the hell was that?!!
Loving this linky by the way, I'm joining again!
I love books or movies that leave an open ending, not a completely wide open one, but one that leaves you wanting to know more about the characters because the writer has written so well about them. I could read The Mortal Instruments forever because I loved hearing about the different things that the shadow hunters had, although the ending of the last book was a bit of a sucker punch.
I'll have to write a post about mental health books and link up!
And I also am very impatient to see how the mighty George R R is going to tie things up with Song of Ice and Fire. What will there be to wait for once that series is over?!
Ok, I'm out :)
Post a Comment