Last night I was thinking, as you do, about the idea I have for my third book and I was trying to imagine where I wanted it to go and what the ending could be. And it got me to thinking that the ending of a story plays a huge role in my appreciation of a book because I’m a hopeless romantic and hyper sensitive and I hate sad endings. It puts a downer on my mood for days and I hate finishing a book and not having that happy warm and fuzzy feeling.
The worst of the worst for me was when I read “One day” by David Nicholls. I don’t know if you’ve read it? Oh my God, it was a nightmare for my poor romantic soul. I swear, I was in such a state. I was furious with the author – with all due respect David Nicholls, if you do happen to see this post in a parallel universe, please know that I just loved your writing and your book was amazing, but boy did the ending SUCK!
Honestly, it was a wonderful book, so well written and I was hooked from the beginning to the almost end… and then he goes and ruins it all!!! I mean, WHY? What on earth went through his head? Did he do it on purpose to taunt romantic fools like me and make us cry for a week? I have no idea, but I honestly don’t understand why he felt that he had to end it that way… the story was already finished, it was just so unnecessary. I swear I just wanted to rip that last part out and pretend I had never read it! Or just unread the rest of the story!!
I guess I have a hard time understanding why writers who can make the outcome of the story be whatever they want it to be, opt to go for the sad and heart-breaking ending, rather than the happy one. I mean if books aren’t about escaping from reality for a while, then what are they for?
I know not everyone needs happy endings but I really do. And although I realise that I am pretty ridiculous, I have to admit that when David Nicholls new book, the Understudy, came out some time last year, every time I went to the bookshop I was tempted to buy it because I had actually loved his writing style in One Day (even excited while reading it and saying to myself ‘definitely a book I can read again’ – until I read the end that is!) But then every time, at the last minute, I ended up putting it back on the shelf, too worried that it would be the same sort of ending or bad surprise like in One Day!!
Do any of you feel as strongly about sad or negative endings as I do? Does it affect your appreciation of the book as a whole?
What about all you lovely authors out there, have you purposefully put a sad ending in your book – and if so, why didn’t you go for a happy ending instead?
I’d really love to hear from you so please reply either on Facebook or on my blog.
Can’t wait to hear from you 🙂
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Cassandra Piat 
You raise an interesting observation about endings – an observation that gets to the core of why many readers read in the first place – a chance for escape from the difficulties of life to a place that delivers a satisfying emotional high.
I’ve seen lots of discussions on sites like Goodreads asking the same question: Should a book have a happy ending? And I’ve even seen a few lists on Goodreads of books that leaving you smiling when you reach its final page. If you’re looking for your next read, I’ve read quite a few of the books on this list: “Want a Happy Ending? Try These.” from Kirkus Reviews. Maybe there’s a title on that list that will spark your interest AND secure a happy ending for you. 🙂
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/lists/want-happy-ending-try-these/lost-husband/
Happy Reading!
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Thanks so much for that Julie. Will definitely have a look at the list 🙂
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I don’t have a problem with sad endings, as long as it’s ‘in keeping’ with the book as a whole. I prefer to feel hopeful at the end, but I don’t NEED it. The strongest reaction to an ending I’ve ever had was with “The Language of Flowers” by Vanessa Diffenbough. Have you read it? I loved that book. Loved, loved, loved it – until I got to the end. And I wanted to throw it across the room. I’ve read books I really didn’t like and never reacted like that. If you don’t like a book, the ending doesn’t really matter, I guess. But when you love a book and hate the ending – oh boy.
I won’t say what happened, in case you haven’t read it and maybe will one day, but I felt so let down by the ending as it was not in keeping with the rest of the book.
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Yes that’s exactly how I felt with One Day. On the other hand, in Jojo Moyes book Me before You – the ending was really sad, but I could understand it. I still cried for a week just thinking about it, but I wasn’t frustrated like I was at the end of One Day. I will definitely not read The Language of Flowers in case I feel like I did with One Day 🙂 🙂
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I was thinking of putting a sad ending on The Water Castle… now I’m slightly afraid to
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🙂 If that’s where your story leads you, then go for it but please just let me know so that I don’t read it 😀 I really do hate sad endings.
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