A Place for Recommendations discussion

Here you are free to ignore the rules and type every bloody thing that rubbed you the wrong way.

I like my entertainment to be infused with melancholy. Like Thoughtless, one of my favorite novels, had melancholy in the outlet of regret and guilt. I like there to be depth in books and movies. Some people mistake death for depth. True, it sometimes adds sadness but, mostly it is unnecessary and the work of a trapped writer. Death can't always just be a simple resolution to a conflict because death isn't simple. Some writers overuse or improperly use such a drastic/tragic event. Deaths should remain significant. It should evoke emotions. In The Book Thief when Rudy died and Leslie finally kissed him but, he was already dead. That was beautiful. It was tragic and hopeful and naive and full of regret and loss. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. That is an example of how melancholy should move you. When people get killed off left and right and there are no dynamic characters, the book loses that extra umph.