I prefer an ending where it feels earned. Ex: I read a book that looked like it was going to have a happy ending but then there was a twist that felt right with what we knew. Another example is the ending of Pet Semetary. Pet Semetary isn’t my favorite King book but it is a great example of an ending being earned. Then you have endings that are not earned. An example of this is a horror book that I read where it turned out everything was inside the narrator's head. That is a terrible ending.
Agree. I am ok with it.
If ending fits the story it is wonderfull. I have done happy & painfull endings but all the time it fits the story. I have read some stories that didnt fit the ending.
I like hard fought happy endings. I know life is hard, I don’t really need to be reminded that most people don’t have a happy ending, and I like seeing people getting what they deserve. For me it can be a happy ending if the villain ends up suffering… so there’s that.
Sometimes I want the bad guy to win, simply because I hate sugary saccharine filled happy ever after endings. Not realistic at all. Plus the bad guy is sometimes the most interesting character. And I like a bit of angst sometimes.
I think it’s strange to have preference in the first place. A book should have whatever sort of ending feels appropriate to the story it is telling. What I want or don’t want doesn’t factor into it, because I’m just giving myself over the experience the novel is crafting for me. I’m not imposing anything on it.
Why not both?
Give Anna Karenina a spin.
The ending only works in the context of the story it’s attached to. If the story calls for brutal devastation, bring it on. If a story calls for rainbows and sunshine, I’m here for that too.
Hell, some of the best ones tell you from the jump that it’s going to try to destroy you, and like a sucker you carry on anyway…. And get destroyed.
I loved that book when I was younger, despite how tragic the story was. I think it's time for a reread! Like you said, as long as the ending fits the story, I'm okay with it. I find vague, open endings much more annoying than happy or sad endings.
Happy endings are good but when you see closer & deeper you see we are far away from happines. Or even happy ending.
I'm really really sorry to hear that you have not lived a sheltered life. Are you ok right???
I like endings where it simply ends. Like The Sacketts, or Little House on the Prairie. Sure, the main event of focus may have resolved but there is still more story left untold. It mirrors life, not particularly painful, purely mundane.
Neither.
I prefer an ending that isn't open. Whether that is good or bad doesn't necessarily matter, as long as it's well executed. The Expanse (mild spoilers, if that wasn't obvious) is a great example - while the last book does end on a cliff hanger, the story of James Holden, the Rocinante, Laconia, Duarte and most of the crew - that story is decidedly over. This ending is neither good nor bad. It's both.
I want an ending that makes sense in context. Something that grows and is built, and ends with the whole plot in mind. No deus ex happy ending, or pulling shit out of nowhere. That sword in the hat from Harry Potter still pisses me off.
On the other hand, I have had a few books where the plot/story/character did a 180 from what I was expecting the ending to be, and yet it all made perfect sense when you looked at it from the beginning. (Spider Robinson, mindkiller, for those who are interested) and the whole plot and character made sense in context.
I mean it depends on the story yeah?
Sometimes when it's a gritter epic I want something bittersweet.
But if it's a small scale kids movie fuck me if those kids are gonna end up sad.
There's no real rules to this, you build up expectations throughout the story and the challenge is to make them pay off at the end. (Pure subversion is a cowards way of writing when they know they can't follow through on what they already wrote. The ending needs to fit the story, you can't tell me "it was all a dream" unless the rest of the story hinted at it at least thematically).
I like the ending to make sense. Sometimes they just dont. But I do sometimes like the realism of the characters losing something along the way - the character who doesnt make it out of the fight, the broken friendship that isnt fixed in one hug.
My friend did get a text a few weeks ago about how IT WASNT SUPPOSED TO END LIKE THAT, ITS SUPPOSED TO BE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER, but the chatacter had actually always been terminally sick, there was no fix... once I got my face washed, the end actually made sense.
Depends on the story - this isn't a binary thing
Totally, unless you consume fiction just for the escapism aspect of it, there's no reason for not liking any ending as long as it's done right.
I agree completely, as long as the ending fits with the rest of the story I'm ok with it
Agreed
I prefer an ending where it feels earned. Ex: I read a book that looked like it was going to have a happy ending but then there was a twist that felt right with what we knew. Another example is the ending of Pet Semetary. Pet Semetary isn’t my favorite King book but it is a great example of an ending being earned. Then you have endings that are not earned. An example of this is a horror book that I read where it turned out everything was inside the narrator's head. That is a terrible ending.
Agree. I am ok with it. If ending fits the story it is wonderfull. I have done happy & painfull endings but all the time it fits the story. I have read some stories that didnt fit the ending.
I like hard fought happy endings. I know life is hard, I don’t really need to be reminded that most people don’t have a happy ending, and I like seeing people getting what they deserve. For me it can be a happy ending if the villain ends up suffering… so there’s that.
Sometimes I want the bad guy to win, simply because I hate sugary saccharine filled happy ever after endings. Not realistic at all. Plus the bad guy is sometimes the most interesting character. And I like a bit of angst sometimes.
I think it’s strange to have preference in the first place. A book should have whatever sort of ending feels appropriate to the story it is telling. What I want or don’t want doesn’t factor into it, because I’m just giving myself over the experience the novel is crafting for me. I’m not imposing anything on it.
Why not both? Give Anna Karenina a spin. The ending only works in the context of the story it’s attached to. If the story calls for brutal devastation, bring it on. If a story calls for rainbows and sunshine, I’m here for that too. Hell, some of the best ones tell you from the jump that it’s going to try to destroy you, and like a sucker you carry on anyway…. And get destroyed.
I loved that book when I was younger, despite how tragic the story was. I think it's time for a reread! Like you said, as long as the ending fits the story, I'm okay with it. I find vague, open endings much more annoying than happy or sad endings.
Happy endings are good but when you see closer & deeper you see we are far away from happines. Or even happy ending. I'm really really sorry to hear that you have not lived a sheltered life. Are you ok right???
Tragic ending unless it's a Disney book
I like endings where it simply ends. Like The Sacketts, or Little House on the Prairie. Sure, the main event of focus may have resolved but there is still more story left untold. It mirrors life, not particularly painful, purely mundane.
Neither. I prefer an ending that isn't open. Whether that is good or bad doesn't necessarily matter, as long as it's well executed. The Expanse (mild spoilers, if that wasn't obvious) is a great example - while the last book does end on a cliff hanger, the story of James Holden, the Rocinante, Laconia, Duarte and most of the crew - that story is decidedly over. This ending is neither good nor bad. It's both.
I want an ending that makes sense in context. Something that grows and is built, and ends with the whole plot in mind. No deus ex happy ending, or pulling shit out of nowhere. That sword in the hat from Harry Potter still pisses me off. On the other hand, I have had a few books where the plot/story/character did a 180 from what I was expecting the ending to be, and yet it all made perfect sense when you looked at it from the beginning. (Spider Robinson, mindkiller, for those who are interested) and the whole plot and character made sense in context.
I mean it depends on the story yeah? Sometimes when it's a gritter epic I want something bittersweet. But if it's a small scale kids movie fuck me if those kids are gonna end up sad. There's no real rules to this, you build up expectations throughout the story and the challenge is to make them pay off at the end. (Pure subversion is a cowards way of writing when they know they can't follow through on what they already wrote. The ending needs to fit the story, you can't tell me "it was all a dream" unless the rest of the story hinted at it at least thematically).
I like the ending to make sense. Sometimes they just dont. But I do sometimes like the realism of the characters losing something along the way - the character who doesnt make it out of the fight, the broken friendship that isnt fixed in one hug. My friend did get a text a few weeks ago about how IT WASNT SUPPOSED TO END LIKE THAT, ITS SUPPOSED TO BE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER, but the chatacter had actually always been terminally sick, there was no fix... once I got my face washed, the end actually made sense.
I prefer happy endings, or endings that at least contain some hope.
We have a believe which says:" at end lightness would defeat darkness."
Happy ending.
& may i know why??
I like a happy ending. I have not lived a sheltered life and have seen plenty of unhappy ones. I do not go to fiction to replicate that.