fredericks | Re:As Meat Loves Salt

I like depressing endings. They are more realistic.

If I want depressing realism I'll put down the book and live my life. I generally read as a means to escape the dreariness of my day-to-day. Even then I can accept a downer ending, but for some reason most of the books I've been reading lately have had conclusions that I found dissatisfying because they've been so very "everyone is fucked". Meh.

Happy endings suck hairy sweaty arse in my view.

Check out my response above.

Checked!

I just prefer a bit of a downer ending, I like open endings and unsatisfying conclusions. If it gets tied up too well I feel like I've wandered into another damn Eddings book...happy endings tend to cross the line from 'fantasy' into 'fairy tale'.

The one book series I felt had a nice bittersweet realistic ending was Tad Williams' Otherland. The chips fell as they would and sometimes things were just screwed up, but the catastrophic ending where you question whether the journey was even worth it annoys me most.

With this series the protagonist was more or less unredeemable, you knew that after the twist and realized he wasn't going to change while reading the goings-on, but I still hoped for my big cheery music montage ending. When I'm depressed enough to burst into tears upon reading the gradual decline of the last four chapters and the devastation of the very last chapter I know I really could have done with a happy ending. And no, not that kind. Although they're always nice.

Not sure if you've read Stephen King's Dark Tower series, but that ending...you might like it.

I started reading the Dark Tower stuff, about 15 years ago, and of course then he hadn't finished it so I gave up.

I suppose a happy ending where it fits the story I don't mind. I especially don't mind endings like 'well it's finished, we did what we had to but there's a lot of work left to do'. I just had some bad experiences with authors like Eddings where it seemed all you had to do was a quest or something, and then all life's problems are solved. Even as a youngling I found them to be simplistic.

I REALLY tried to like Dark Tower. I liked the first book quite a bit. The gunslinger was cool. The second book was not good. I liked the lobstrocities on the beach. They were very cool though. I quit on the third book. It was awful. His companions pissed me off. I hated the psycho cripple lady. And that stupid love thing going on. And after like 3 months of DRY FIRING a pistol they were suddenly as awesome as the gunslinger. Gay.

Did you read the entirety of The Drawing of the Three? It picks up quite a bit as things go on. The reason Eddie and Odetta/Detta could learn how to draw so fast was...a literary device, I suppose. They were all supposed to be special. I just sort of accepted the fact that they'd been hardened by their time with Roland and they'd naturally be gunslingers in their own way, particularly when Roland started comparing them to his compatriots Alain and Cuthbert.

Oh, and the gunslinger losing his fingers so he could only fire with one hand made him a loser.

I liked the ending of the Dark Tower. It felt right, somehow, like everyone got exactly what they deserved, but there was still hope for the ones who hadn't learned their lesson yet.

You felt Roland was resident of the camp that got what they deserved? or had hope to learn their lesson still?

Yes.

Roland was a right bastard. It's why my mother never read past the first book.

I felt Roland was hard, but the circumstance required a Roland. The situation he's in...there is no redemption available. No Purgatory but a Circle of Hell, and it chilled me to see him end up that way. I was also left wondering - what in blue blazes was the point? The man was driven by some need to see a thing for whatever reason and then we find out...what?

I find it amusing that King gave readers the option to stop reading before the ending, though. A man after my own heart. I didn't take him up on his warning, though. Oh well.

Stephen King is an awesome person. I'm glad he's the one who's the household name writer, 'cause I'd hate it if it was some snooty jerk.

Anyway. That trumpet (horn?) thing that he had in the "reset" version hinted that there was some hope. Who knew how it would change things, but any proponent of chaos theory will tell you that changing one small detail can make a world of difference.

... I actually like depressing books...

Happy endings are cute though

Yes, it was a VERY depressing ending. I loved the book though.

Wasn't the twist/reveal in the first section of the book awesome? I totally didn't see that coming. Of course, when it did a part of me knew I wasn't going to see the "and they ride off into the sunset" ending but I was in such denial. Hmm.

Yes! I agree, very awesome. I admit I was in denial too. I kept thinking happy thought right up to the unfortunate episode with the woman near the end. By that time, I finally gave up all hope for a happy sex filled ending.

I understand the need for happy endings every once in a while. We are reading for escape and if life's been handing you the nasty end of the Sh*t stick then you want to escape to somewhere were you can experience something that makes your heart goosh with happiness.

I really like The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher for the not-so-happy yet Harry still is alive and laughing happy endings, here's a peak if you haven't read any of them yet. http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/

The whole "Wizard P.I." thing sounds neat. I'm definitely going to check those books out from the library next time I head over there.

Yes! Heart gooshing! Finally, someone who doesn't think I'm a complete arse. :) Nearly every book I've picked up recently has had either a bittersweet ending or a completely depressing ending. I honestly don't search them out, but I guess people want their books to be more realistic or something. I suppose I wouldn't mind if I could get the occasional goosh, but it's become fewer and fair-between.

That's why I love reading YA and children's lit. especially in the sci-fi/fantasy genre because they tend to have less derpressing endings or the bittersweet, and more goosh! I love O.R. Melling's Chronicles of Fairie, I can't recall if they have a bittersweet ending or a happy one but I do recall really enjoying all the books especially Book 4, Book of Dreams and for some go non-depressing fun any Discworld book by Terry Pratchett. You are right about goosh becoming few and far between now, it sucks sometimes I want to happily ever after crap! There is absolute nothing wrong with that, I hope all those writers are taking notes of this LJ conversation!!

Oh wait, for a second, I thought you were talking about Full metal Alchemist. I have just wasted an entire day doing nothing btw. God, I'm so fucking bored. Do you ever wish you had a lot of money and vacation time, b/c I sure as hell do.

I hope your boredom eased up some. I caught the FMA movie and so I found the ending of the series a little easier to take.

Re:As Meat Loves Salt

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