What's wrong with a happy ending? And by that I mean, a happy ending in fiction, not in life or on the massage table. Is the idea of lasting love just too damn boring? Is it perceived as a falsehood? Is it inherently dissatisfying to leave the reader on a positive, untainted note? Okay...so maybe the protagonist learns something about life or sets off in a better direction or treasures that old standby of it being better to have loved and lost blah blah blah. Regardless, the good relationship almost never survives. Pride and Prejudice is the only example in the realm of literary fiction that I can think of that offers a straight up happy ending. Maybe there are others, but I don't know them.I've come to accept that I love love stories. Most of my favorite contemporary novels have a love story as a prominent component: The Giant's House, Feast of Love, Bel Canto, The Transit of Venus, Mrs. Dalloway. None of these have happy endings.
What do you think? Can love only be lost? Does love found have to be wrapped in the conceits of romance fiction, chick lit and swoony teenage vampire chronicles?
Posts
No. Love can be gained. I too love a happy love story...there are some, I'm sure of it. I just can't think of any off the top of my head...
ReplyDeleteTime Traveler's Wife--well, not happy.
'Fraid you may have to turn to Romance for that :) Or write one ;0
PS the google "word" I must put in to authenticate my password is: "terds." Nice.
Think of anything yet? Yeah...me neither. Thanks for trying though!
ReplyDelete