I’m sitting here, sweating, and hoping that there’s no tornado later today. (Sorry, I wrote this yesterday when there was a tornado watch going on. I feel like no one in my area is taking this watch seriously and I don’t think I’m taking it seriously, either. ) At the same time, I’m planning my vacation to the West Coast (vacation while you can, at least that’s my reasoning for this one).
Shel Silverstein once wrote, “There are no happy endings. Endings are the saddest part, so just give me a happy middle and a very happy start,” (Everything on It) and for a while, I used to love the quote (I was (and still a little am) an angsty teenager) but the reality in books is that there are happy endings. A little too much, I think because sometimes I want a good heartbreaking novel and instead am greeted with a depressing novel that has some what of a happy ending, leaving me groaning, “You know everything can’t be that perfect.”
Twilight aside, I find depressing novels to usually be more fulfilling. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is one of them. Part of the appeal of the novel was the fact that the characters will never, ever get the happy ending that they deserve. Readers know they deserve a happy ending, no matter how flawed or unnatural the characters are, but the heartbreaking moment is when the reader knows the fact that the characters will go to their (sad) fates.
I want less happy endings in YA, especially, partially because I can name at least five YA novels without naming a single depressing YA novel yet, and also because it’s refreshing to read a novel that will make me cry my eyes out.
While that’s happening, anyone want to recommend me any depressing (but good) novels? YA or adult is fine.
