Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Is it normal...?

This is topic Is it normal...? in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Leigh (Member # 2901) on :

I have just finished reading Robin Hobbs series of books "The Farseer Trilogy". I loved the books, and right at the end I felt utterly betrayed. I grew to love the characters and have even refused to watch TV, come online or even write my own work for she has spellbinded me to read her books. Is it normal to feel betrayed in books? It's the first time its happened for me that I can recall. Never have I read a book that confused me with the ending. I won't reveal the ending, but it made me sad and wishes me not to write a similar ending to any of my own novels.

I was wondering if anyone else has felt this way about any other books you have read, for I feel put off to read another book for quite some time, and I feel obliged not to write a similar ending to any of my own works.

I don't know what to do. Should I continue reading the other books of hers I have or forget about them if I feel betrayed by her?

Posted by AstroStewart (Member # 2597) on :

I can't think of what example I'm drawing this from, but somewhere in the past I remember reading a book, watching a movie/tv series, playing an RPG game, something or other, in which, at the end, once the hero saved the world, he woke up and it was all a dream.

"Trick" endings like that, where it turns out that everything you cared about didn't actually happen, irk me. Even some relatively good sci-fi plotlines that include going back in time annoy me if the majority of the work (book, TV show, etc) was all erased by what happens at the end. After all, what's the point in devoting so much, coming to care about what happens in the story, only to find it never really happened at all. (I mean, it's fiction, so of course it never *really* happened, but you know what I mean.)

Other than that, personally, I can't think of any endings that have turned me off of the story / series / genre like you're describing. I've never read the book you mentioned, so I can't really comment about that in particular...

Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :

What, exactly, made you feel like the author cheated? Did the writing get weaker? Were you upset at how the storyline wrapped up? What were the things that made you maddest?

Out of curiosity, I checked what the reviews on Amazon.com had to say about Book Three in this series. It seems several reviewers agreed with you, several felt the ending was satisfactory and were looking forward to reading this author's additional works. You might run those additional titles through Amazon's search engine to help you decide if you should invest the time in reading, or not.

I admit, I'm a wuss when it comes to endings. I don't like investing emotional energy when a beloved character is killed, or if nothing gets resolved. A sad ending can ruin a book or movie for me. Not everyone feels that same way. But I would personally do a little surface research on a title if I suspected the author was going to cheat me at the end and leave me feeling like I'd wasted time and money reading.

[This message has been edited by Elan (edited February 27, 2006).]

Posted by Leigh (Member # 2901) on :

quote:
What, exactly, made you feel like the author cheated? Did the writing get weaker? Were you upset at how the storyline wrapped up? What were the things that made you maddest?

I know it's normal for writers to change the plotline to fool us, but the twist right at the end just... felt wrong for such a strong beginning and middle book. I felt the writing only stronger throughout the trilogy. Yeah I got upset about the wrapping of the storyline. The things that made me maddest is that the MC's childhood carer ended up with his love and daughter, when all signs pointed to yes she'd be with the MC again.

I have played RPG's, read books that have done this before, but not to this level. I accepted the previous times but I possibly got into this book more than others, that's a first.

Posted by CoriSCapnSkip (Member # 3228) on :

Not so often in books, although ambiguous endings are maddening, but I can name 3 or 4 TV series with RUDDY AWFUL endings which were an insult to the audience who was loyal to them and the actors who had to act them.

The most pointless movie I can think of is "Picnic at Hanging Rock," which is based on a book. The movie is set up as if portraying a real incident, then at the end they say it's all fiction and there's no conclusive ending anyway. Years later, it turned out the author had offered a supernatural explanation for the mysterious disappearances which are the focus of the book. I guess it wasn't felt that the rest of the book properly set readers up to accept such an explanation, so the story was simply printed omitting the ending! "Hanging Rock" indeed!

There are also a couple of books which are written as the true adventures of a character, then at the end it happens that the character is in a looney bin and telling their own version of events, or just has a big imagination and is making it all up. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but is perhaps better short story than novel material. Pretty big literary risks to take unless the author REALLY knows their stuff!

Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :

SPOILERS ahead !

I hated the ending because I could not bring myself to care about the relationship between Fitz and Molly. More, Fitz had spent a great number of years getting over it, and now he just throws everything to the wind and gets the girl and the children? No way.

I didn't mind seeing the Fool leave. Heart-wrenching, but still good. It was the whole Molly side of the books that I couldn't get.

And I, personally, will wait a little before checking any of Ms. Hobb's books, so you could say I was disappointed by the ending as well.

Posted by luapc (Member # 2878) on :

Stephen king's Dark Tower series. This one is seven books long, and King even knew the ending was bad, because right before the last chapter (on the audio book, anyway) he tells the reader that they may want to quit reading right there, probably knowing that everyone will want to read it anyway. I don't know if he wanted to be forgiven for it before writing it or what, but only someone like King could get away with something like that!

Posted by Kolona (Member # 1438) on :

quote:
right before the last chapter (on the audio book, anyway) he tells the reader that they may want to quit reading right there, probably knowing that everyone will want to read it anyway. I don't know if he wanted to be forgiven for it before writing it or what, but only someone like King could get away with something like that!

What???? Boy, there's the answer for writing yourself into a corner. Just tell the reader to stop reading: "I know this has been great so far, but that's all there is."

Where was the editor on this?

Posted by pantros (Member # 3237) on :

Everything that happens in Robin Hobbs books has a reason, sometimes only explained if you have read all of her books.

[This message has been edited by pantros (edited February 28, 2006).]

Posted by Leigh (Member # 2901) on :

quote:
And I, personally, will wait a little before checking any of Ms. Hobb's books, so you could say I was disappointed by the ending as well.

I suppose I'll do the same there, Silver.

Thanks Everyone

Posted by Nyna (Member # 3062) on :

I loved everything about those books, so this isn't exactly unbiased advice, but I have to recommend reading the last trilogy. Molly isn't such a major character, but she is a presence, and --

SPOILERS! -- There is a happy ending.

I actually much preferred the Tawny Man trilogy to the Farseer one. YMMV.