Do you think it's important for a book series to have a good ending?

Whether it's bittersweet or happily ever after, a great or at the very least satisfactory ending can make rereading a series that much more enjoyable. But as a stupid ending as is the case with some novels I've finished just makes me throw the books in the dumpster from exasperation.

Heck this even applies to a lot of other mediums as well. What would you say are examples of series that ended well for you? Remember to mark for spoilers.

Yes. I get pissed if it has a **** ending.

I barely read any series but i dont think i have actually genuinely been happy with any of the ones i have read except maybe lord of the rings.

The thing is that if i read the stories, that means i like them and that also means i have my own wishes or expectations on how things should end. but i am not the author and as far as i am concerned, they can end the books any way they want. but most of the time i am disappointed by endings. not even for just series or books, but movies and tv shows as well :P

In my experience, a story is concieved with an ending in mind; a bad ending shows that either the story has been extended past its natural conclusion without an acceptable "new" ending, or it was a poor story to begin with. Not a rule mind you, just a general sense I get.

Of course it is. No body wants read a series of good novels only to have it marred by a less than pleasing ending.

Of course. What's the point of being told an interesting story if the ending sucks? You just wasted your time. On the flipside, I think a good ending can make a not-so-good story worthwhile. Case in point, the "His Dark Materials" series: the second book was my favorite, and I thought the third was the overall weakest of the three, but the ending was just so good that it made the whole series worth it for me.

Yes..I wasted my time readin the twilight books and enjoyed them and the ending was so lame its like Meyers went out of her way to make it suck.Kcube

Well, at least the whole series is consistent.

While there are books that I enjoy mostly for the stuff that happens along the way, I feel that in general the ending is the goal of a book and everything along the way is establishing the setting, the conflict and basically everything that makes us care what the ending is. Said in another way, through the course of your book you gradually raise the bar and in the end you have to jump over it. If you aren't setting the bar very high but jump it people will think it was alright, if you set it low and fails then it is a complete miss, but if you take a chance and set the bar very high then you will either have created a masterpiece or a tremendous let-down depending on whether you deliver or not.

While there are books that I enjoy mostly for the stuff that happens along the way, I feel that in general the ending is the goal of a book and everything along the way is establishing the setting, the conflict and basically everything that makes us care what the ending is. Said in another way, through the course of your book you gradually raise the bar and in the end you have to jump over it. If you aren't setting the bar very high but jump it people will think it was alright, if you set it low and fails then it is a complete miss, but if you take a chance and set the bar very high then you will either have created a masterpiece or a tremendous let-down depending on whether you deliver or not.

waZelda

In any journey, the ending is just as important as the journey itself.Allicrombie

[QUOTE="waZelda"]

While there are books that I enjoy mostly for the stuff that happens along the way, I feel that in general the ending is the goal of a book and everything along the way is establishing the setting, the conflict and basically everything that makes us care what the ending is. Said in another way, through the course of your book you gradually raise the bar and in the end you have to jump over it. If you aren't setting the bar very high but jump it people will think it was alright, if you set it low and fails then it is a complete miss, but if you take a chance and set the bar very high then you will either have created a masterpiece or a tremendous let-down depending on whether you deliver or not.

dagreenfish

I'm this way too. There's a certain point where, if a book is good enough to rope me in, I'll go wherever it takes me. Bad ending is subjective, of course, but as long as much was accomplished along the way (and some measure of closure is given), I'm very forgiving. In the case of TV, people deem Battlestar Galactica's ending to be awful, but I can re-watch the finale (Daybreak) and enjoy it each time. Overall, there are some stupid decisions made on the writers' part regarding some details when you look back at the show as a whole, complete with the ending, but I still love it for what it is.

If I spend weeks or months reading a novel or series (like A song of Ice and Fire) it better have a damn good ending. I sincerely hope George R.R. Martin doesn't screw up his ending. ferrari2001

I do. Having a good ending gives me satisfaction of knowing the story was fully concluded. Like Harry Potter for example. I loved the conclusion of the story and it was well deserved after reading seven books. If it would've turned out bad, it would've changed my whole opinion of the series.

I do. Having a good ending gives me satisfaction of knowing the story was fully concluded. Like Harry Potter for example. I loved the conclusion of the story and it was well deserved after reading seven books. If it would've turned out bad, it would've changed my whole opinion of the series.

soulless4now

It's funny because this topic was partially, ever so slightly influenced by my remembering of how Harry Potter ended.

And back in 2007, I didn't like it. The entire book 7 was... eh, it's difficult to describe really. But while you found it satisfactory, I... did not. However the coincidence present here is nice.

I think it's pretty important for a book series to have a good ending, yeah.

ya I really want a book to have a good ending. It doesn't make me more likely to read it again though. I almost never read books twice.

I do think it's an important thing the Harry Potter series it won't completely ruin the series for me if it isn't truly great. Just so long as it isn't horrendous.

I would prefer if the book series has a good ending since I invest so much of my time in it. Everyone seems to hate the Dark Tower series ending, but I thought it fitted the series perfectly. I'm also a huge fan of the Song of ice and fire books, but I have no idea how that series will be resolved since the plot has wandered so much.

I do. Having a good ending gives me satisfaction of knowing the story was fully concluded. Like Harry Potter for example. I loved the conclusion of the story and it was well deserved after reading seven books. If it would've turned out bad, it would've changed my whole opinion of the series.

soulless4now

[QUOTE="soulless4now"]

I do. Having a good ending gives me satisfaction of knowing the story was fully concluded. Like Harry Potter for example. I loved the conclusion of the story and it was well deserved after reading seven books. If it would've turned out bad, it would've changed my whole opinion of the series.

JinjonatorX