Bookaholic Anonymous discussion

I lately had this discussion with my friend about sad endings.
I do not like when a book ends on a sad note. I will have no problem with it if it's only a book in a series (meaning, the next book will probably bring the character back to brighter sides), but it's very hard for me when the end of a book is sad (as in – there is nothing after that. It just ends like that!)

Do you like/hate/tolerate sad endings?

I don't really like sad endings to much, but I can tolerate them.

I hate sad endings

I do not like sad endings. Especially not when people die. If I know that the ending is sad, I'll probably not read it (or atleast postpone it). (view spoiler)[I do not enjoy having a red face and swollen eyes (hide spoiler)]

What's the saddest book you've ever read? Mine would have to be Love Story. Two hours of bawling. Each time.

Yeah, I hate when people die too. I'm like you - sad endings usually equals postponing or not reading the book, unless there are more books to come after it.
But I do think that there is just something incredible when a story can make you bawl your eyes out. I mean, some stories are supposed to make you have a reaction, but can't, so when it succeeds to the point of crying and weeping, I think it means those are extremely good books, if only because they make you so engaged and connected to the characters.

I'm not sure what the saddest book I've read :O

I do agree with you. They've achieved the emotions they wanted. (view spoiler)[But that doesn't make me like sad stuff any more. (hide spoiler)]
Nope, you can't say that. Think think!

I don't know!! >.< I mean, there are some books that made me really emotional, but I can't remember the last time I read a book with a really sad ending, and if it was sad, it was also good or there was a next installment!

I will think about it and tell you at a later time... or something. I don't know T^T

I hate sad endings, and sad books in general. That is why I still havent read (view spoiler)[ , , , or (hide spoiler)], although they are on my tbr. Maybe I never will.

Rebecca! This discussion is because of you! :D Just thought to let you know xD

Haha, I thought it might be. :P

I think I disagree here! I LOVE sad endings. Well, a book can be sad with a glimpse of hope, but I feel when someone dies or something sad happens, a book is more powerful and realistic

Really? That's interesting. I think death is something books can bring in, but sometimes it's extremely sad, and not in all books it's realistic. I mean, even in real life people don't die all the time. But sometimes it is more real, I'm just not always sure I want things realistic, in that way. I read to escape reality, sometimes, so I'd rather not read something that squishes my hopes and breaks my heart. Though I will, if it's a good book. Or if I don't know it's sad. xD

You know, it has to work the book...sometimes a writer can pull it off, other times they can't. It's all upto talent

Yeah. Sometimes I feel like the ending fit, even though it's sad. Other times... well, I might curse the author. xD
But I think it's really amazing that you have the strength to face sad endings! I'm a crowd, so I often ran away from them.

Haha, well, I think not everyone should live, at LEAST kill off one character and I'm satisfied, even though if it's my favorite character LOL! I've read books with the most awesome people end up getting killed. You have to see the shock on my face :) but yeah, I think it's great how not everyone survives. I mean most of the time in YA, characters are in grave danger, so death CAN be an option anytime. You know what I mean?

@Adeeb: Yes, I do. I'm not too fond of the Power Ranger ending, which is the kind of ending in which they get blown, near defeat but somehow come out of it with barely any bruises if at all. But I'm not too happy when a character I like dies, and even less happy when it's a main character!
I like for them to get hurt, lose things. Not a fully happy ending, one more realistic, but give my heart a break and keep the characters I love breathing! Please!

Mal A.K.A The Awesome One wrote: "I am presonally the kind of person that loves H.E.A (Happily ever after) mostly because I can dream up a happy life for me, but also because the book feels complete. Sad endings have m crying (whic..."
Yeah, I love HEA too, but with a touch of sadness. Like, not a completely perfect ending, but with all my loved characters alive and kicking ass.

I very very very very rarely like a sad ending. I would say that I ALWAYS prefer HEA, but I loved the ending of Sweeney Todd, although that is a movie, not a book. It just fit. But besides that I have no examples of sad endings I like. HEA all the way! I avoid sad like the plague.

@Nitzan I love your mentality hehe :) that's how I think too! Like I'm not dissing Twilight here, but I hated the end of Breaking Dawn. They're preparing for a fight and they TALK!?!?!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? And nothing happens?

While in Harry Potter, we even thought he died! Many people complained to me that the ending of Potter was so happy. I keep tlling them, NOOO! All this and you say happy?

Adeeb wrote: "@Nitzan I love your mentality hehe :) that's how I think too! Like I'm not dissing Twilight here, but I hated the end of Breaking Dawn. They're preparing for a fight and they TALK!?!?!?! ARE YOU KI..."
Harry Potter happy ending? Have they read the same books?! Did they see how many people died?! How physiologically mind breaking everything is? True, you get to see they all ended okay, to add hope, but this... this ain't your normal happy ending. It's a very bitter and sad ending, but a good ending (the whole fight, they survive, but not everyone. Fred ~sniff~)

Nitzan wrote: "Adeeb wrote: "@Nitzan I love your mentality hehe :) that's how I think too! Like I'm not dissing Twilight here, but I hated the end of Breaking Dawn. They're preparing for a fight and they TALK!?!?..."

Oh no, now you've reminded me of Fred. *sobs*
I mean: why HIM?
A lot of characters died, and I still feel sad about that, but I know they died for something good, so others could live on in a better world. In the case of Harry Potter books, the sad ending of the series was a little painful, but in a good way.
What I can't stand are sad endings that were totally unnecessary. A chracter dies for no reason at all or they do something stupid which they could definitely fix, but they choose not to. That's what makes me sad. I read that kind of end in my first week of my holiday in Australia. It almost ruined my whole week...

Personally, I am not a fan of sad endings. I like to see a book end with a smile or hope because that's how I like to think my life will end in the far future.

I do think it's important, however, for sad events to happen in the books. It makes it so the reader can connect at a more personal level with the characters. I'm new to this group and I don't know what people have read so I am not going to post any spoilers. But, I will say some of the series that do this very well are Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Song of Ice and Fire. Sorry those are all sci-fi/fantasy reads - most series seem to be in that genre.

Some individual books that I think accomplish the sad book with happy/hopeful ending are Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Marley and Me, and My Sister's Keeper.

I find books that nothing bad really happens in to be childish and easy to forget.

I would love some feedback on my thoughts if anyone has some. =)

Stacy wrote: "Personally, I am not a fan of sad endings. I like to see a book end with a smile or hope because that's how I like to think my life will end in the far future.

I do think it's important, however, ..."

I agree with you; sometimes bad things have to happen. It's what I meant, but you clearly said it better than I did :P As long as the ending is an happy/hopeful ending like you said, I'm okay with it. But if it's just sad, and you know the characters should be able to do someting about it but choose not to and just whine until the last word, then I don't like it. It's not easy for me to forget thouhg, because I keep scolding the characters for not doing anything when they had the chance and thus ruining the 'hopeful' part of the happy/hopeful endings

Anne wrote: "Stacy wrote: "Personally, I am not a fan of sad endings. I like to see a book end with a smile or hope because that's how I like to think my life will end in the far future.

I do think it's import..."

I 100% agree. I hate characters that whine all the time. I'm not too fond of people like that in real life either. =P

Agreed with everything you guys said :]

I think sad endings are horrible

They are. They are authors' way to rip our hearts out and abuse us :[

Great topic! I remember reading to the end of some books and thinking WTH, he/she died!! I want to throw the book across the room and travel back in time to before I invested reading in that sad, sad piece of literature! But in reality, it is more powerful because if it struck such an emotional chord in you, then you were invested in the characters and the author did his/her job. I mean, I would much rather one of the non-main characters bite the bullet, but even then if they were good characters, I still mourn (the twin in Harry Potter; I think I actually teared up (don’t tell anyone)). But it’s a fine line to walk because when I read and watch movies, I want to escape reality. If I wanted to be sad and depressed I would freaking watch the news! I don’t want to feel sad after reading a book. I don’t want unrealistic endings either…a great battle was fought and yet no one died. Yeah, right! Tough balance.

The only sad book that I read was sickened by Julie Gregory

Depending on the book, I am fine with sad endings. John Green's The Fault in Our Stars was great, but Jodi Picoult's Handle with Care made me SO mad!