Satisfying endings to long series

[Eponine]

Apparently a lot of people aren't happy with the ending of HP (I didn't think it was so bad- it was pretty consistent with the quality of the entire series). And previously, a lot of people weren't happy with the ending of the Dark Tower (the epilogue was the worst thing ever). There's no way possible that RJ is going to be able to wrap up all the gazillion subplots in WoT, and people are speculating that GRRM might have trouble since aSoIaF has expanded so much.

So are there any long series (more than 3 books) with a satisfying ending? Have you ever read the last book and said- that was a perfect way for that to end?

The only one I can think of right now is Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. Since it was a pretty simple children's series, there weren't a lot of plot ends to tie up, and it managed to be both bittersweet/hard decision and happily ever after at the same time.

[Vhagar]

The only thing coming to mind at the moment is The Chronicles of Narnia. I loved the way that ended. I don't read a lot of series, though.

I haven't even read HP.

[Red Templar]

It deplends on how you define "long" these days. The Hobbit/LOTR, at one time, was considered a long series. I thought the ending was handled exceptionally well. Good resolution to all the plotlines and characters, but it also didn't go overboard. Some of the charcters, like Gimli and Legolas, were given just enough resolution to give you a sweet but sad sense of the rest of their lives.

[Gerold Hightower]

The Lord of the Rings is a standalone novel that was broken up into three volumes because at the time it was considered too long. It was never meant to be published as a "series".

[Red Templar]

The Lord of the Rings is a standalone novel that was broken up into three volumes because at the time it was considered too long. It was never meant to be published as a "series".

Good point. Funny - I thought the same thing as I hit the post button. I was hoping nobody would catch my faux-pas.

[Bronn Stone]

I personally found the ending to the Tawny Man series by Hobb very satisfying.

I was especially intrigued by what turned out to be the Fool's motivation.

[Bastard of Godsgrace]

It also depends what you consider the ending. I was very satisfied with ending of Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, but it proved to be not the end, after all. As long, as author lives, you can never be sure (and sometimes after he dies as well, as in the case of Dune

[Bellis]

I was thinking of this too... I realized I may have been hard on JKR. Personally, I thought she did a better job than Hobb in both Tawny Man and Farseer (huge pacing problems in both), and about on par with Liveships.

I think I'm a lot harder on series that are in process than ones that are completed before I heard of them. I liked Otherland, but I imagine if I had been waiting for it while it was written, I would have founded plenty to gripe about. That one ended a bit saccharine too and the explanation for the mind behind the VR was .... strange.

In terms of epic fantasy, I really liked how Fionavar Tapestry ended, but that was a pretty short series (you can actually buy it as a 1000 page single volume). The fact that GGK was willing to kill of some of the principles was admirable.

I would also second LotR. Thomas Covenant was alright as well.

[Werthead]

Nearly finished Book 5 of Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott (a completed 7-book series) so we'll see how the ending of that one holds up in a week or two.

[Myrddin]

This topic has been on my mind a lot lately, as I've been waiting for the end of HP (haven't read it yet) and Wheel of Time, as well as wondering how GRRM is going to end ASoIaF well in three more books.

I realized that I've never read the end to a series with more than four books (Memory, Sorrw and Thorn - 1, 2, 3a, and 3b). I liked that ending. Come to think of it, even most trilogies have trouble ending well.

My favorite trilogy ending is probably Lawhead's Song of Albion.

SPOILER: Song of Albion

Ending the third book at the beginning of book 1 had a nice symmetry when you consider the whole celtic knot motif through the whole series

It'd be nice if Martin, Jordan, Baker, etc can end their series well. I've given up on Jordan (just finishing will be an accomplishment at this point). I'm looking forward to reading HP 7.

[Angalin]

Susan Cooper's quintet for The Dark is Rising held up pretty well, I thought.

Pratchett's Discworld is ongoing (and going, and going, and going...), so there's not really a question about how it ends. The internal consistency is pretty good, though.

Trying to think of other multi-book series... is this only for sf/f?

[kcf]

Frankly, I'd have to put Harry Potter near the top. I found the ending to very appropriate and satisfying. The juries still out for most long series as they are not done yet.

[Starkess]

I think that yes, a satisfying ending is possible for a long series, but I think it's damn near impossible for a long series that becomes popular before it's finished. Like HP, where there was so much speculation and re-reading and over-hauling that of course half of us figured it out and the other half were holding out for something SO amazing that it's virtually impossible for the author to deliver.

[potsherds]

I'm going to go ahead and guess that Erikson is going to end his series well. Along with leaving about a million questions behind because he's been very clear that that's to be expected. The reader is only getting to see a brief glimpse of a small segment of time in the world he's created. He'd better end the series well. (No pressure, Steve. )

Were it not for the Epilogue, JKR's last book was certainly a passable end.

[Vhagar]

I think that yes, a satisfying ending is possible for a long series, but I think it's damn near impossible for a long series that becomes popular before it's finished. Like HP, where there was so much speculation and re-reading and over-hauling that of course half of us figured it out and the other half were holding out for something SO amazing that it's virtually impossible for the author to deliver.

I worry about this with ASoIaF. We've torn the thing apart. Vivisection doesn't even encompass the extent to which these books have been analyzed.

I believe though, that George RR will see us through. I have to believe that!

[potsherds]

I worry about this with ASoIaF. We've torn the thing apart. Vivisection doesn't even encompass the extent to which these books have been analyzed.

I believe though, that George RR will see us through. I have to believe that!

Heh. Faith. I know what you mean. I'm hesitatnt to read any more GRRM than I have, because then I will have TWO authors I'm depending on to have fantastic series. The stress and worry is honestly too much sometimes. (Not to mention the agonizing wait between books. At least Erikson is a regular printing press with his.)

[Eponine]

Because of RJ and GRRM, I no longer read unfinished series until the second to last book comes out. I read through the HP books so quickly though that it still felt like I'd been waiting for a long time for the last one. I'm particularly worried about the new character explosion in aSoIaF.

I believe this is my 100th post.

[Vhagar]

Heh. Faith. I know what you mean. I'm hesitatnt to read any more GRRM than I have, because then I will have TWO authors I'm depending on to have fantastic series. The stress and worry is honestly too much sometimes. (Not to mention the agonizing wait between books. At least Erikson is a regular printing press with his.)

I know. I do feel better having had the opportunity to meet him. He is vastly intelligent and highly creative. He can do it. I know he can. (I know you can, George!)

However. I have been stalling on a re-read because we still have no date for ADWD, which is fine. I'd rather have a quality book than somethng he spends the next 3 cleaning up, but...I guess we can thank him for making the books so complex that everytime you read them you find something new.

This is often why I don't allow myself to even start a series...**Sigh**

[Red Templar]

Because of RJ and GRRM, I no longer read unfinished series until the second to last book comes out. I read through the HP books so quickly though that it still felt like I'd been waiting for a long time for the last one. I'm particularly worried about the new character explosion in aSoIaF.

I believe this is my 100th post.

Good point here. I read the first HP and the first 3 WoT books only. I'm waiting until each finished before I continue. I guess HP is fair game now that the final was just released, but now I need to find the time. It's comforting, however, knowing that the next time I decide to pick up HP, I can read straight through to the end if I so desire. In that sense, I almost wish I still hadn't discovered GRRM yet. Almost.

Congrats on post 100.

[Jaxom 1974]

It's hard to say. And what about authors who complete a series who decide to go back to it years later (whether they need to or not)?

The original two trilogies of Dragonlance, for example, Chronicles and Legends (we're not debating whether you like them or not here) I thought had a very nicely wrapped up end. It felt complete. The little novellas that Weis and Hickman did on the kids of Camaron and Tika didn't take away or add anything major to the story as a whole, they simply felt like nice little bonuses for the fan. Then the next thing you know, they're back in their Dragonlance world messing around. Some would say to clean up what others had done, some would say because they're simply insane. But did they need to? Probably not.

I'm talking the Weis and Hickman books here. Anything else in the DL universe is extra and does not exist for the most part to me (though you almost have to know some of it to get the Lost Souls trilogy that W&H did, and isn't that part of the problem?)