Lennart Hyland
Muse
Oh no! I haven't read it but I have it on my list mostly because someone told me the ending was beautiful and made him cry
What book is everyone reading at the moment? Part 2.
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theprestige
Penultimate Amazing
Just because Amy Strange says the ending is bad, that doesn't mean you'll find it bad. In fact, it can even help you make informed choices about good stuff to read.Oh no! I haven't read it but I have it on my list mostly because someone told me the ending was beautiful and made him cry
Now that I know Amy disliked the endings of The Stand and The Dark Tower, and she also dislikes the ending of 11/22/63, I'm thinking I might actually enjoy it. On the other hand, his opinion of Under the Dome tells me that I probably won't like it. Not that I think he's stupid and wrong; we just have a clear difference in taste. I've found many an enjoyable movie, by paying attention to movie reviewers who hate the kinds of movies I like. Their negative review is just as informative to me as a positive review from a critic who shares my taste.
AmyStrange
Philosopher
Oh no! I haven't read it but I have it on my list mostly because someone told me the ending was beautiful and made him cry
Hey, believe what you want. It's still a great read, and when you do read it (unless you're just saying that to make fun of me), I'd like for you to come back and tell me the ending was beautiful. BTW, it's a time travel story that has someone go back to try and save JFK from being shot.
ETA: You should still read 11/22/63 anyway, because as usual, SK writes great characters, and the plot line itself is interesting, unless you just want to ignore this part too like theprestige did. Personally, I don't care, it's your loss and not mine.
Maybe instead of stupid, I should've used the word lazy. SK is a great writer, but some of his endings are lazy and unimaginative, like he didn't want to take the time to think up a good one and just took the easy route instead.
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AmyStrange
Philosopher
You're right, but just because you think they were good endings, doesn't mean that they really are either.
Anyway, regardless of the endings, they're still worth reading (you obviously ignored this part for some reason) if only because SK does write great characters, and the plot lines are usually pretty good, except for the endings, but that's just my opinion and not a fact, any more than yours are real facts too.
ETA: Read Under the Dome because as usual SK (like I just wrote) writes great characters and plot lines, especially if you like...
Maybe instead of stupid, I should've used the word lazy. SK is a great writer, but some of his endings are lazy and unimaginative, like he didn't want to take the time to think up a good one and just took the easy route instead.
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theprestige
Penultimate Amazing
Sometimes he's just taking the correct route. 11/22/63, for example, has the correct ending.
AmyStrange
Philosopher
Personally, I think it's a good read. The characters and plotline are awesome, but that doesn't mean I have to like the ending. I think it's just too negative, but then again, SK is a master of horror, and that ending fits his persona.
All of SK's books (at least the approximately 30+ that I've read) are good reads because his characters and plotlines are all awesome, and just because I think some of the endings suck doesn't mean I'm right, and you're wrong.
It also doesn't mean you're right, and I'm wrong either.
ETA: Maybe (like I posted earlier) instead of stupid, I should've used the word lazy. SK is a great writer, but some of his endings are lazy and unimaginative, like he didn't want to take the time to think up a good one and just took the easy route instead.
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theprestige
Penultimate Amazing
Jesus Christ. I'm no fan of rom-coms, but I at least understand they have a certain structure, that I can appreciate and respect.
A horror writer writes a story with a gut-punch ending and you complain it's stupid. Let me guess: You think the ending of "I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream" is lazy and stupid. Without having actually read it.
For a self professed storyteller, you seem to have a weak grasp of how stories work.
alfaniner
Penultimate Amazing
I'm often reminded of the ending of The Long Walk. (as Richard Bachman) A longer short story about a contest where the participants have to walk dozens of miles maintaining above a certain pace, or be shot. The last remaining one wins. Quite interesting all the way through, but I had to reread the last page a couple times to figure out what finally happened. I'm not sure I ever did.
AmyStrange
Philosopher
Whatever, dude. You seem to think because I don't like something, I'm a bad writer. Not every writer likes every book written, and to say that would be stupid and ignorant.
Again (because you seem to be ignoring this part), I love SK's writing. His characters and plotlines are awesome, and just because I don't like his endings is just my personal opinion and doesn't mean the rest of his book is crap. Jeez, where do you get these ideas from anyway?
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JimOfAllTrades
Master Poster
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2011
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- 2,140
That's the one. And it was not just bad, it was BAD. The Dark Tower was pretty variable overall, with some of the books (or portions of books) being quite good and some just stinking so bad they could have been skipped altogether.
Needful Things was pretty good, 11/22/63 wasn't my favorite, but as I recall (it's been a while) but I quite liked the way it started. I liked The Stand, ending included.
Agreed. I've been reading King since Carrie was serialized in Penthouse (I think it was Penthouse) and have enjoyed most of them.
But it seems like in the last decade or two he's gotten so big no editor will actually edit him and we wind up with a potentially great story like The Dark Tower where he just rambles on and on. I think that series could have been much better at about 30% less length.
AmyStrange
Philosopher
You do know that SK rewrote The Stand, right? He added a bunch of pages and switched some chapters around with another ending added on after the original one. Maybe, he didn't like the way it originally ended either. I'll have to get that in order to see how he ends it this time.
Sounds like fun actually.
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AmyStrange
Philosopher
Exactly and thank you.
Did you read the original version or the rewrote one? The rewrote one seems to continue on after the original ending, and sounds like this one might be better, but that's just my opinion and NOT a fact.
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JimOfAllTrades
Master Poster
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2011
- Messages
- 2,140
It was the extended edition, which has an epilog, and I liked it. But it would have been a good ending even without it, I think.
And crap, now I think it was Firestarter that I read as serial, not Carrie.
AmyStrange
Philosopher
I liked both Carrie and Firestarter.
I can't remember the ending of the latter, but the former was ok, I think, although IIRC, the ending in the movie was different than the book.
Amazon and Mike Flanagan are working on a Carrie TV series, and I'm pretty psyched about that.
Thank you, theprestige, for bringing up SK. I'm going to put some of his books on my list to read again, except Salem's Lot. I still don't like that he killed off one of my favorite characters just because Bram Stoker did it, but that's just my opinion and not a fact.
I guess (in my old age) I just like happy endings. The endings in my six books are all happy, but some of the things that happened inside each one aren't exactly happy.
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arthwollipot
Limerick Purist Pronouns: He/Him
I'm so sorry.
alfaniner
Penultimate Amazing
I read that for the first time a year or two ago. Pretty much liked it and thought it belonged in my library so I bought not one, but two copies. One is annotated and the other is illustrated and has a nicer cover.
I was sometimes amused at the formatting. I even considered making a joke version with "Just the punctuation". There are a couple sequences in there with such long run-on sentences it's ridiculous.
Currently on Island of the Blue Dolphins. I'm sure I would have really liked it in middle school and it is still a good read. I know there was a movie made but I have no idea if it did it justice. I'm surprised it hasn't had a big budget remake as far as I know.
I was sometimes amused at the formatting. I even considered making a joke version with "Just the punctuation". There are a couple sequences in there with such long run-on sentences it's ridiculous.
Currently on Island of the Blue Dolphins. I'm sure I would have really liked it in middle school and it is still a good read. I know there was a movie made but I have no idea if it did it justice. I'm surprised it hasn't had a big budget remake as far as I know.
AmyStrange
Philosopher
Yeah, some of them went on for so long, I lost track of what was being said, and had to read them twice, but did you end up rooting for the whale in the end like I did?
And talking about long run on sentences, have you ever read War and Peace?
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alfaniner
Penultimate Amazing
I was surprised it took so long for the title character to show up. Nowadays he'd have to have an attack in the first chapter.
Not reading, because I don't read anymore, I just listen but, Empires of the Steppes.
Remarkable how folks had such a huge impact on the world with basically two technologies. Horses and Bows, well and just being bad asses that terrified everyone else.
Remarkable how folks had such a huge impact on the world with basically two technologies. Horses and Bows, well and just being bad asses that terrified everyone else.
AmyStrange
Philosopher