Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Happily Ever After

I'll do my best to keep the whining at a minimum. I'm starting to annoy myself. Moving on...my sister's divorce became final this past few months. Not to be catty, but his family looked like the Clampets come to town. The judge had to order dear old fart dad to remove his baseball hat. Don't get me wrong I really liked my former brother-in-law. He's funny, hard-working and down to earth, nothing like his family. However, these things happen and sometimes it's no one's fault. Though I like to blame it on his rude and catty step-mother and father....that's a whole 'nother story. It involves the middle of nowhere, bugs in gumbo and father-in-law stealing all the reception food.
Why mention any of this you ask? Well, because it proves my point. We all need happily ever afters. If we can't get them from real life then books prove to be the next best thing. Life may not have all the drama of a romance novel, but at the end of the book at least you know you'll have that happy ending.
Through all bumps, ups and downs in my life I've kept my books near. Most of the time I read for pleasure, but sometimes as an escape from my troubles. Imagine my surprise when happily immersed in a book I get to the end and there's no happily ever after. I mean really? I read all this, connect with the characters and join the journey with them only to end up bitch-slapped in the end with one of the main characters dying. ACK!!!! Makes me want to smack the author.
Ummm, yeah, I think I'm done with the ranting and the arm is getting cramped from typing. I hope all of you enjoy your Wednesday, stay cool!

10 comments:

Regina Carlysle said...

Gotta have that HEA. Seriously. Years ago I bought a book by a favorite author (hardback, too) and when the heroine DIED at the end the book went sailing across the room. I never bought that author again.

Not about to bash an author here but there is a guy who churns out one 'bittersweet' story after another and they usually become movies. In each one you KNOW at least ONE of the main characters will DIE. Sometimes I still struggle to understand why he's so damn popular. There's enough angst, tragedy and sorrow in real life. I will never choose to wallow in that for entertainment.

Sorry about the divorce, honey. Hoping she gets her HEA. We all deserve that.

Harlie Williams said...

Morning Allie. I can totally understand reading a book and then, wham, no HEA. Not even a HFN. Everyone deserves a HEA. I thing my borther finally got his after three failed attempts. Yep, married three times. I waited for mine; just didn't realize that it would take 37 years to get there but it was and still is totally worth it.

Great post......

Harlie Williams said...

BTW, I've never read nor seen the author that you referring to Regina. Don't care too, either.

Laurann Dohner said...

Sorry about the divorce in your family. My family is a circus. LOL. TONS of bad humor that I find to survive them. If you can't laugh, it's tears...and I'd rather laugh.

I HATE bad endings. HATE them. I want happy. I want the guy to get the girl, the girl to get her guy, and yeah. HAPPY! I avoid books I know will be all full of pain and misery. I also refuse to watch movies like The Notebook. Or ones where someone is dying young (think that was a movie title). I can watch the news or pick up the phone when I know someone just screwed up their life if I want depressed. LOL. Awesome post!

Allie Standifer said...

I remember reading a three book series a few years ago. I was completely invested in the h/h. End of the last book...the hero DIES! I tossed the book, jumped up and down and swore a blood oath to never read this author again. I haven't touch her or her publisher since.
You get burned like that after three books it's all over.

Maria said...

Lol at the Clampets comment!...yeah I totally get bent out of shape if I don't get a HEA or HFN at the end of a book...I don't buy books to cry or feel miserable and I have to say that I know exactly who Regina is talking about with the death in every book and I don't get the appeal either...personally I think it's crap....lol...Hope things get better for your sister Allie!

Jen B. said...

Wow, I really am the odd duck because I don't necessarily need the HEA. I read fiction because it's fiction and not my real life. That being said, I do try to avoid the authors who purposely kill main characters as a hobby. But, sometimes I think a book would have more impact and be a better story if main character or major side character died. I can even forgive the cliff hanger if the book is well written and the author promises resolution in the next couple of books. I also avoid books that are designed to be emotional rollercoaster tear jerker why the f*** did I ever think reading this was a good idea books. Really, life is emotional enough without doing that to yourself :)

Marie Rose Dufour said...

I honestly would feel robbed if a book that I read didn't have a HEA! Real life is bad enough but when a book that you read to escape doesn't end well...well that's just not right. I just watched a movie over the weekend where the aliens won and totally wiped out the population of Earth. I want to do something evil to the movie.

Delaney Diamond said...

I know who you're talking about Regina. With him I go in understanding it's not a real romance, because in a real romance, there's an HEA. If I read a romance and it doesn't end well, I'm an unhappy camper.

I feel the same way about movies. I need the bad guys to lose and the monsters to get vaporized.

I'm always skittish when I watch a foreign film because you never know how it's going to end. It's always a toss up, and they often don't end well.

Anonymous said...

No HEA? That's like sex with no orgasm! Why even start?! I get mad enough when it does have an HEA, but I don't like it. At least it's happy, and frankly that's why I read. No horror or mystery for this lil lady, I want love, romance, laughter, the works. Same goes for movies. I love being taken away and living vicariously through the heroines. So no HEA, and I'd be a sad, mad, ticked off woman!!!