Alpha13 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Greg Keyes The Born Queen was pretty bad. I thought the Harry Potter ending was ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahimsa Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 "The End of Mr. Y" was like that for me. I loved the book, but the last paragraph almost negated the whole book. It was bad enough that it would have been better to have used the "it was all a dream" ending instead. Still, a good book that I would recommend to anyone, but just skip the epilogue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tramme Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I thought the ending of Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White was tremendously underwhelming.99% of the book, in my opinion, was great. Fantastic writing, great characters, awesome character development.The ending, however, was a total dud. It's as if Faber just got to a point where he grew tired of writing the book and decided "Okay, I'll just end it here." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord of Starfall Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I don't know if I've ever found an ending more disappointing than Last Argument of Kings. It was a great series for 2 1/2 books and the ending ruined it.I couldn't believe Bayaz was allowed to continue running the world as he saw fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McGinnis Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I'm going to have to second A Feast For Crows with disappointing ending. I didn't think it was a bad ending per se, and on a re-read I actually appreciate it more than before, but I thought that all of the other books had much better endings that really left me hurting for more and get right back on with the story. AFFC also left me wanting more, but for different reasons.But one that really stands out for me personally is Y: The Last Man. Not so much the VERY end, but a bit earlier.Essentially when 355 gets shot by Alter.After following the main characters for several years, getting to know each other, becoming friends and growing stronger personally, it just felt like a HUGE slap in the face. I don't think I've ever read a more unsatisfactory ending. It wasn't a bad ending at all, but for me personally it just left a really bad aftertaste. I'm not someone who needs a happy ending for all involved, but this was going a bit too far, seeing as most of the characters just go from one disaster to another throughout the series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galactus Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Huh, you know, I don't even consider the endings to the ASOIAF books well, endings. They're at most cliffhangers of varying effectivity, but they don't "end" anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tears of Lys Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Huh, you know, I don't even consider the endings to the ASOIAF books well, endings. They're at most cliffhangers of varying effectivity, but they don't "end" anything.I agree. I also didn't care much for how the HP series ended. That makes it easier to watch the films now, in a strange way, since I'm not afraid of anything being "ruined." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maia Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I am confused by why people thought the Harry Potter ending was bad? What on earth did you expect? I expected a more respectful/believable take on the issues of right-wing dictatorship, genocide and civil war, on the level appropriate for the intended audience. I expected the "most evil and dangerous wizard who ever lived" to be more actual threat than a common gangster. I expected the purported ideals of the series, like tolerance, inclusiveness, etc. to actually play a role. I expected the protagonist to actually grow up a little rather than regress, etc. I also hated the ending of the Tawny Man trilogy. After the great ending of the first trilogy that had it all - sacrifice, well-earned victory, poignancy, etc., this one felt like a massive saccharine overdose.IMHO, the ending of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy precluded it from attaining brilliance. It was an interesting and subversive take on epic fantasy in so many ways, but the stock "magic departs and the age of man begins, with our orphan boy hero as king" ending from central casting really hurt it, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigei Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I expected a more respectful/believable take on the issues of right-wing dictatorship, genocide and civil war, on the level appropriate for the intended audience.I'm baffled that anyone would expect that of Harry Potter. I expected the "most evil and dangerous wizard who ever lived" to be more actual threat than a common gangster.Oh, Dumbledore always said he was overrated. All that "I'm soooo evil and dangerous" is just propaganda.I was not in the least bit surprised, especially since Harry already won a battle via wand Dues Ex Machina before. More of the same stuff did not surprise me in the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Hat Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 With regards to Harry Potter, I've a problem with a series that introduces game changing elements in the seventh of seven books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkess Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I know there are plenty that I've read in my life, but the most recent that comes to mind was Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy. Serious disappointment, I kinda wondered why I had just spent however many hours and dollars on those books. Blech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronn is God Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 With regards to Harry Potter: I thought JK Rowling had the balls to kill Harry, considering so many other characters turn out to be cannon fodder.Even my 10 year old sister was disappointed that Harry didnt die. It seems that she added deaths so the series was just "adult enough". Sadly, this tarnished the series. At least give Harry PTSD in the final chapter, rather than filling us in on his obviously repulsive children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shryke Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Harry Potter, since book 4, had been setting up all these ideas of the arrogance of wizards and Voldemorts arrogance and non-understanding of more basic primal magic being a sort of twin to this.And then in the last book is does NOTHING with it at all. Like, not a single bloody thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha13 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I know there are plenty that I've read in my life, but the most recent that comes to mind was Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy. Serious disappointment, I kinda wondered why I had just spent however many hours and dollars on those books. Blech.Did you really hate it that much? I thought it was kinda refreshing. Plus its not like the whole story is really over. There are still books to be published so I'm sure we will see some of the characters again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Hat Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 For me, the ending of the First Law trilogy is why I think of the books as highly as I do. Before the conclusion, it was enjoyable but not revolutionary for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcant Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I just finished Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella and found it to have a stinker for an ending. Also, I recall being really dissatisfied with the ending of The Road. I also agree that Last Argument of Kings was dissatisfying, but do think one thing could have salvaged it: if he had followed it up with a direct sequel! Its clear that he is going to need another trilogy to tie things up with the Bayaz/Jezal storyline and as far as I know he hasn't done it yet. Isn't the newest one (and the one prior to it) set outside of the union with mostly new characters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shryke Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 All the complaints about the ending of The First Law are so strange. It's like people hate what makes it a great series instead of just a generic mediocre one. :dunno: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spring Bass Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I'm baffled that anyone would expect that of Harry Potter. Same here - the intended audience is 17 years old and younger. But I guess Harry winning the day isn't GRIMDARK! enough for some readers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shryke Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Like I said above, it seems to me that quite a few of the complaints aren't about the lack of grimdarkness, but about the way the series raised a bunch of issues for 2-3 books and really pushed them as being a big deal and part of the series and then completely ignored them for the finale. It felt like after she'd brought them up, Rowlings had no idea what to do with them so she just ignored them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
me399 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I'm sure there has been a book or two in everybodies life where the ending has dissapointed them, whether it was a stupid ending, or just didn't live up to expectations you had.I finished The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong a while back. while it was a good book, better than the second at least. the ending was so goddamn wide open. Since it was the last book in the series i wanted mosto f the loose ends tied up. but the ending felt like a ending that would suit a middle book in a series, not the finally.Anyway, what books left you being really dissapointed.Umm, Just about anything Stephen King. He always screws up his endings. "Under the Dome", "The Dark Tower"...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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