Does the lack of a happy ending ruin an otherwise good book?

[R D Ronald]

Like the title says, does it detract from the overall experience? Do you feel cheated if the guy doesn't get the girl, the bad guys don't get their comeuppance or the hero doesn't succeed on his quest? Or do you perhaps feel that an ending shouldn't be predetermined, and that having an author brave enough to challenge the trend makes the journey all the more exciting simply because you don't know how the story will end?

I've had this discussion a few times with fellow readers recently, so it will be interesting to hear what some of you think too.

[NotaBene]

I think a good book experience is when the author surprises us...
Have you ever read The Elegance of The Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery?
When I first read it, the ending did knock me out! How could she do this to me???
So yes, I really felt cheated. But after a while, I asked myself, had I been the author, would I have actually changed the end?
I don't know.
Either you remain in shock and unhappy (= you accept the ending, and meditate about the world), or you dream up another ending, and in this case, doors are left open for the readers' imagination.
The lack of a happy ending doesn't ruin a good story at all.

[realiz]

I think a good book experience is when the author surprises us...

I agree with this. And, often I find that too happy an ending, or too perfect an ending, can ruin an otherwise good book because it closes the door on imagination and speculation. A good book should leave you with a mixture of emotions.

[johnson1010]

i don't think all entertainment has to end with a smile and a walk into the sunset.

One of the best endings ever was the conclusion of Frank Darabont's "the Mist" based on a short story by Stephen King.

It was a soul-sucking ending. and it was perfect.

[GreggMattson]

This is terrific question and, as a writer, I’ve contemplated it more than once.

Life doesn't always have happy endings. Why should we not expect art to imitate life? Soul-sucking endings help keep our own life in perspective.

[NotaBene]

Hi, Gregg,
I would like to know : as a writer, don't you feel the characters have a "life" of their own, and in the end, they may escape your plan?
Is the end of your novel just as you planned it at the beginning?

[spoonwood]

I don't feel cheated by a strange, unexpected, or perhaps unpleasant ending. In fact, I enjoy a good jolt or twist. Maybe it's the masochist in me.

[GreggMattson]

I would like to know : as a writer, don't you feel the characters have a "life" of their own, and in the end, they may escape your plan?
Is the end of your novel just as you planned it at the beginning?

The characters definitely have a life of their own. That, I find, is the rush I get from writing. Sometimes, that can change the direction of the story. As the author, however, I have the final word. Wahahahaha.

Seriously, my published story, “Field of Orbs” began with only an ending. After developing a few concept short stories that set the framework, I turned them into chapters and followed the lives of the characters I created.

Characters must be real so they do surprising things when facing the challenges I create to test them, which eventually lead me to trash my original ending and formulate a concept that, while encompassing my original concept, went light-years beyond what I originally imagined.

So, did they escape my plan? That is hard to say. I would guess they actually shaped my plan by making me reevaluate my original concept. I really didn’t see the ending coming.

[NotaBene]

I've just read this on Siri Hustvedt's website. Interesting, isn't it?

“And who among us would deny Jane Austen her happy endings or insist that Cary Grant and Irene Dunne should get back together at the end of The Awful Truth? There are tragedies and there are comedies, aren’t there? And they are often more the same than different, rather like men and women, if you ask me. A comedy depends on stopping the story at exactly the right moment.”

[s.kundan]

I don't feel lack of a happy ending ruins a book. The best part is the story is left open to conclusions. It provokes readers to think and put their imagination in it. As everyone interprets differently, it also leads to very healthy discussions.