The master of the macabre, one of the most prolific writers of the last (insert crazy length of time here), has written some classic works of fiction.They may not be Shakespeare or Mark Twain or Tolkien, but there's no denying they're popular and considered must-reads by many.
So why is it he seems to struggle with endings?
I spent about a year and a half reading his masterwork, the Dark Tower saga. Seven books, a few thousand pages. And I got to the end and couldn't believe my eyes. It was just like a punch to the gut. I was shocked that after I had spent a year and a half reading these seven books that I would be left with what I discovered on the last page. (Note: don't think this means I'm discouraging you from reading the books. On the contrary, they should be must-reads for anyone who enjoyed The Lord of the Rings trilogy, or any other fantasy stories.)
(Image created by Michael Whalen) http://www.darktowercompendium.com/fottergrafs-dt7.htmlJust last week, I finally finished the uncut version of The Stand, considered by some to be King's best work. Again, an engrossing tale, although it did take me a little while to get into the story.
But again, I got to the end and found it wanting.
I'm not going to spoil the details of either story, but suffice it to say, the endings could have used some work.
In his defence (for now, anyway), these are the only two Stephen King books I've read. But it makes me nervous as I delve into some of his other work. And I plan to read a number of his books as I explore the connections between The Dark Tower series and other books (Salem's Lot, The Stand, etc.).
I don't limit my criticism to King, either. I read Stieg Larsson's trilogy – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, etc. – and loved it. But the ending of the final book was a little rushed and went out with a whimper rather than a bang. Does this mean the time I spent reading the three books was wasted? Not at all, but I would have appreciated a little more of a payoff in the end.
Perhaps my disappointment is the result of watching so many movies/TV in my life. I've grown to expect a certain concreteness to an ending. Obviously, there will be times when an 'ending' leaves room for a return to the universe (See X-men: The Last Stand for an example) and that's fine. If a film makes hundreds of millions of dollars, it will almost always spawn at least one sequel.
But I feel I, as a reader, deserve more after investing hours and hours in a hefty tome. Am I on the fringe with this opinion? Should I simply accept that sometimes a story has a *blah* ending?
Perhaps I should, but I still prefer closure from a story.
Stephen King's official website
The Dark Tower official website
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