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endings that left you cold...
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1984 - hate the ending, It - right there with you, along with many other works by King, which have an awesome build-up but somehow weak resolution (Dark Tower, I am looking at you!). The endings are, for me, the single most important of the book. While the book itself may be compared to wine, it is the aftertaste of the ending that you carry with you forward as you look back at the book. That is not to say that the process is not important (if it wasn't all the books would consist of endings) but the ending holds a very special place in rounding the experience.
The Hunger Games. I loved it but the ending felt hurried and not quite right.
Gone with the Wind. I read it as a pre-teen and I was devastated that Rhett left. I wanted to kick him in the knee. In all fairness, Scarlett deserved it, but I was still crushed.
Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age. A big build up, and then an ending that didn't even seem like an ending. And it was quite literally cold. The characters are standing on the beach after swimming up from the depths. And then they just stand there...
Oh, Anita Shreve is the worst! Sucks you in, then, instead of wrapping things up, she just kills somebody off at the end.
*cough*Sookie Stackhouse series*cough*
The main one I'll always remember is The Historian
Had a long buildup with great prose and a nice creep factor, then nothing. Really hated the ending.
Alana ~ The Book Pimp wrote: "*cough*Sookie Stackhouse series*cough*"
Even though the last book seemed like more of a dud than the earlier entries, I'm still surprised that people did not see Sookie's HEA choice coming since the first book.
Even though the last book seemed like more of a dud than the earlier entries, I'm still surprised that people did not see Sookie's HEA choice coming since the first book.
Olivia wrote: "The Appeal by John Grisham."OH MY GOD!!!! I know just what you mean. Although I have to say, it has STUCK with me, like a splinter sticks in your thumb, man. So in a way, it's a powerful ending. (Grrr.)
Terri wrote: "Bel Canto"Yes! Me too! I loved that book...all the way up to that incredibly unnecessary and unrealistic epilogue. no no no no...
I'll also concur with the last book of the Hunger Games series, but for me the issue was that it felt so rushed, like the publisher had spun out one of her early drafts (which I bet is exactly what happened).
Alana ~ The Book Pimp wrote: "*cough*Sookie Stackhouse series*cough*"lol, that's certainly one that's disappointing.
The end of Son Of Rosemary by Ira Levin turned extremely cheesy and out of the blue too, yech.
Also The Partner with John Grisham irritated me.
And Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon
The one I've just finished, "Six Years" by Harlan Coben, has a slightly weak ending. A bit too "happy ever after" for me - no mention of how the protagonist resolves the dead body count with the police, just that he ends up with his dream girl.
I also agree with Vardan about 1984. Not so much that I hated it, it came as a complete surprise that jarred somewhat.
Ending of "A WALK TO REMEMBER" left me cold :(
Living Dead Girl. I know the point of the ending was to be vague, but God, did I ever want another chapter telling me what happened. (For those who don't know the book, it's about a girl who was abducted by a paedophile, told from her perspective.)I know there's a book about a detective hunting a serial killer, and the final scene is the detective being murdered by the killer. I don't know the title, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about that one, creative as the ending is!
Jacqueline: I agree that Kostova's first novel, The Historian, "Had a long buildup with great prose and a nice creep factor, then nothing. Really hated the ending." But her prose is so lovely that I'll suffer through a bad ending. Happily, I loved her next book about the artist.
And how could I forget? The last Twilight novel in which Bella gets everything she wants. Her dad accepts that his grand-daughter grows three feet in mere weeks, her daughter and her in-laws don't eat anymore, and Jacob is hot. Literally. She's a virgin when she weds. She gives birth to a baby while still human. She becomes a vamp. And no battle. It makes my teeth hurt.
Merry, it's tough when a series goes bad. Sookie Stackhouse!
I know that many people think Sphere is a wonderful book. I, however, felt cheated by the ending. I thought it contrived.
Without a doubt, Gone Girl. I absolutely loved the first two parts, but I finished part three feeling completely empty and cold.
Molly Anna wrote: "Without a doubt, Gone Girl. I absolutely loved the first two parts, but I finished part three feeling completely empty and cold." OMG yes. That got quite a discussion everywhere! Gone Girl would get my vote. When I finished it, I actually yelled, "THAT'S IT???" followed by some cussing. But then I calmed down and gave her 3 stars because the rest of the book was compelling, and I especially enjoyed the "Cool Girl" riff.
I hated the end of Jodi Piccoult's MY SISTERS KEEPER. I felt it was an utter cop out... Having dragged the reader in this emotional journey, it was as if the author didn't know how to end it so she cheated. I won't give any spoilers but just thinking about it makes my blood boil and I've never read another JP.Anne Perry's THE SILENT CRY is another book that relied on the rabbit out of the hat ending.
Alison wrote: "I hated the end of Jodi Piccoult's MY SISTERS KEEPER. I felt it was an utter cop out... Having dragged the reader in this emotional journey, it was as if the author didn't know how to end it so she..."I couldn't agree more! I wasn't crazy about My Sister's Keeper up to that point, but the ending was just lazy.
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness left me feeling very disappointed. I thought A Discovery of Witches was a masterpiece of literary talent and was so very excited about the second instalment. I finished the second book and kept trying to turn pages to find the rest of the end thinking what the hell...a sure sign for me that something went wrong at with the ending. Looking at the reviews afterward I certainly wasn't the only one.
I should add that I will still read the third instalment!
I agree on Sphere and My Sister's Keeper! And I recently read the first book in The Lying Game series... to begin with, I was disappointed because it was almost nothing like the TV show, which I'd really enjoyed, but then the ending of that book... I was incredulous. Let's just say things are unresolved, no doubt to keep the series going, but COME ON.
Just finished Survivor and felt my heart in my throat after the last sentence. Even though the ending is essentially given away in the first chapter, it didn't make it any easier to digest.
My Sister's Keeper was one of the worst endings ever. I wasn't that thrilled with the final Divergent book nor did I care for Requiem, either. It feels like authors are just copping out, going for shock value, rather than attempting pull about a beautiful resolution. With stand alones, I don't mind it so much but when I become invested in a series, I expect the ending to wrap things up.
I thought Inheritance was a bit of a lame ending, although the book dragged on a bit too!
I absolutely loved Elizabeth Kostovas Historian so when The Swan Thieves came out I was overjoyed. Well, it didn't last, the book is not as good as the Historian by far but I held on till the end just cause I was so curious as to why the guy had attacked the painting. For those of you that has not read it I won't reveal the ending, just saying that sadly is was not worth it.
Jacqueline wrote: "The main one I'll always remember is The Historian Had a long buildup with great prose and a nice creep factor, then nothing. Really hated the ending."
Did you? I loved the Historian but hated her second novel, and especially the ending.
I don't mind too much if the ending isn't what I hoped for as long as it's appropriate for the rest of the story. What I don't like is where the author has obviously got bored with their own book and just tacked on a badly thought out ending. It makes you feel cheated. Endings, need integrity.
Darlene wrote: "Oh, Anita Shreve is the worst! Sucks you in, then, instead of wrapping things up, she just kills somebody off at the end."Oh, I cannot stand Anita Shreve's writing at all!
The end of PORTRAIT OF A LADY is maddening! We don't know what Isabel Archer does, Henry James just leaves us hanging.
Dave Egger's newest book The Parade had an ending that was beyond comprehension. It's a moral parable, and you think you know what the lesson is after the harrowing journey of the protagonists, but then he justs (to be punny) rains on your parade.
Modern Good Reads
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The Historian (other topics)Survivor (other topics)
The Lying Game (other topics)
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Stephen King's It is a good example of that for me.
I also recently commented on a another thread about how I see the ending of The Dead Zone as kind of a cope out. I've recently thought of another book that left me feeling that way: Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper. Anyone know what I mean about that, or should I elaborate? (I'm trying to avoid diving into spoilers right off the bat here.)