Have you ever experienced this? You’re reading along, loving a book, absolutely positive that it is going to be a 4- or 5-star read. And then it ends. Only it doesn’t. Not really. The author has performed that clever little trick called the “ambiguous ending.” What happens next? Does the couple end up together? Is that really the murderer the detective is locking up? Will she ever get her life back? Your guess is as good as mine – and, to be honest, it really ticks me off!
I know that a lot of people consider ambiguous endings brave or true-to-life. They like deciding how the story ends. Not me. That is the author’s job, for heaven’s sake! I haven’t invested 300-some (or 400- or 500-some) pages in this story only to have to decide for myself how things turn out. An ambiguous ending can take what was a totally enthralling read and make me hurl the freaking book across the room. Honestly, I think I’d rather read a book with a terrible ending than an unclear one.
I wasn’t going to name any titles in this post, but I changed my mind. I now christen the following books “hurl-worthy:”
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
Second Nature by Jacquelyn Mitchard
So, am I on my own on this one? Tell me why I’m wrong – or why you agree with me!
Twitter: aprilmom00
says:
Yes agree with you and add also Forever by Maggie , and agree with you on the Before I go to sleep too book.
I about tossed that book too and so many questions about characters I had grown to love and it was vague.
Julie@my5monkeys´s last post ..Purity Book Review
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Julie – I forgot about Forever! Only I didn’t really mind it with that one as much, for some reason….
LOL – love your rant
I happen to like ambiguous endings most of the time – as you say it’s a bit like life – but I can understand why you don’t. Funnily enough I’m less forgiving of such endings in movies – there I want it all nicely tied up.
Bernadette´s last post ..Review: The Drowning by Camilla Lackberg
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Bernadette – I really hate it in movies, too!
Twitter: bermudaonion
says:
I generally don’t like ambiguous endings but sometimes they work for me.
bermudaonion (Kathy)´s last post ..Review: Tabloid City
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Kathy – Is your comment intentionally ironic?
Twitter: MargReads
says:
I would include In the Woods by Tana French in this list!
Marg´s last post ..Teaser Tuesday: The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
I was going to mention this one too! I’m also not a fan of ambiguous endings.
avisannschild´s last post ..Similar Covers: Red Dress, Red Shoes
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Marg & Avis – I forgot about that one! Yes, the ending drove me crazy – though it wasn’t so much ambiguous as just completely unresolved. Argh!
yes I agree, I typically like endings resolved. Add the novel “Smilla’s Sense of Snow” to your list, probably many more which I can’t think of at the moment …
Susan´s last post ..In Memoriam
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Susan – I haven’t read Smilla – I’ll avoid it now!
I really disliked this book, though I didn’t remember that the end was ambiguous. I just thought it was boring. Come to think of it, maybe I didn’t make it to the end!
avisannschild´s last post ..Similar Covers: Red Dress, Red Shoes
Twitter: myeclecticbooks
says:
I agree! It’s the rare ambiguous ending that is actually satisfying.
Melissa´s last post ..Top Ten Bad Boys (& 2 Giveaways) with Devyn Dawson
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Melissa – yes, very, very rare.
Twitter: youvegottaread
says:
Heh heh. Yes, I nearly hurled “Before I Go To Sleep”, not for the ambiguous ending, but for the contrived, convenient ending. That makes me madder than the ambiguous one. In fact, I loved everything about “The Little Stranger”. Now THAT worked for me. Sometimes I think authors just do it to be avante garde, but it doesn’t really contribute to the overall plot. I like the open endings when they make sense. My mom, on the other hand, doesn’t like them ever.
Sandy´s last post ..A Land More Kind Than Home – Wiley Cash
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Sandy – I don’t think I’m avant garde enough – I just don’t like them, like your mom.
Sometimes I like them, sometimes I think the author is sick of writing and just doesn’t know what to do. I agree that Tan French did this in In The Woods, I was so ticked I haven’t read anything else of hers.
irene´s last post ..Mailbox Monday…oops forgot House at Tyneford readalong
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Irene – I was so mad about the end of In the Woods, but a lot of people told me The Likeness was even better, so I continued with the series and have loved every other title.
I second what Carrie said: I enjoyed her next two novels much better than her first!
avisannschild´s last post ..Similar Covers: Red Dress, Red Shoes
Twitter: dogearedcopy
says:
I just finished a book like that, Invisible (by Paul Auster.) The book made me feel kinda stupid for not “getting it” and then, I began to wonder what the whole point of the book was. Then I decided that I didn’t care because it wasn’t even “lit-fic” good, it was just there as an exposition of Auster’s skills in evoking male angst. Oh yay, now he can go hang out with Ian McEwan and Michael Cunningham and compare notes… :-/
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Tanya – your comment has me laughing – I think Ian McEwan is completely over-rated!
Twitter: picky_girl
says:
I don’t like ambiguous endings because I don’t think many writers do them well. To me, it just leaves a book feeling unfinished, and I hate that.
jenn aka the picky girl´s last post ..I’m a Book Pusher*
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Jenn – I agree – I don’t like it when the ending is unsatisfying.
I don’t mind them in certain cases. It really depends on the book. What I hate is the non-ending. I think there is a fine line between the two. I need to feel some degree of closure. Do all the strings need to be tied? Not always.
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Wendy – I agree – I don’t need every little string to be tied, but to leave major plotlines hanging? That drives me nuts!
2 words = ME TOO. I just don’t like to think that hard. Tell me how it ends, dear author! They are YOUR characters, YOU get to decide! That’s why I’m reading the book, to find out what happens. Don’t make me guess! If I wanted to decide how I think it should end, I’d write the book myself
Lisa Munley´s last post ..Michael A. Rothman, author of Heirs of Prophecy, on tour June/July 2012
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Amen, Lisa – you said it!
Oh, me too! I just read the book… I want an ending…
Kailana´s last post ..Once Upon a Time Meets Poetry – Poetry: Read More/Blog More – Take 4
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Kelly – seems like a lot of us feel that way!
Twitter: Arti_Ripples
says:
I used to dislike ambiguous endings. They left me with a sense of loss when I finished a book. But in recent years, I’ve started to like them more and more, especially with movies. I find there are an increasing number of good movies with ambiguous ending nowadays, and they’re absolutely intriguing. e.g. The Grey (with Liam Neeson). I haven’t read the books you mention here, but I guess it depends on the plot and the intention of the authors. I know what you mean, it can be frustrating if clarity is called for.
Arti´s last post ..Everything In This Country Must by Colum McCann
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Arti – I think while I generally don’t like endings like that , I also go through stages – when things are unsettled and stressful in my own life, I want a story that is complete and doesn’t leave me hanging!
I haven’t read any of those titles you mention, but I really do get annoyed at ambiguous endings. They drive me crazy sometimes. I just want to know what happened!
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Jeane – you and me both!
I fear I am in the minority when I say that I like ambiguous endings. They may bother me initially, but I would rather allow the readers to choose their own ending then have a novel end in a contrived fashion or with something that does not remain true to the novel.
Michelle´s last post ..The Sunday Salon – April 29 Edition
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Michelle – I don’t like contrived endings or endings that ring false, either – so I guess if I had to choose, I’d rather have things left open-ended. But ultimately, I’d rather have a really well-written, authentic, satisfying ending!
Of the ones you mention I have only read Before I go to Sleep and agree that the ending drove me nuts. When I discussed it with my book club it was the number one complaint about the book that everyone really liked…up until the end! I’m interested to see how they handle the ending in the film they are making.
Kathleen´s last post ..Review: The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Kathleen – me, too! I really hope they give the movie an actual ending.