If you know me, you know that I LIVE for my Happily Ever Afters but I realize that many people don’t like them (which is 100% okay because to each and their own.) Today I just wanted to sit down and talk about why they are important to me.
So ideal endings. We all want them and chances are, we hardly ever get them. For me the perfect ending is happy but is also open in ways that allows me to continue interacting with the text. So in the case of a romance: they get together… but preferably not the whole we are married now and have 100 babies epilogue because that’s cheesy (at least in my opinion.) I don’t just think of HEAs in terms of romance though, in my brain, an HEA is also satisfying. So like, I can close the book feeling happy that the characters are okay but I can also continue to think about all the adventures they would have. This is something I couldn’t do with the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows epilogue which is why I absolutely hated the ending. That epilogue cut me off from the text in such an awkward way and forced me to look at the characters I had come to love in a new light.
Why do I like HEAs? AM I NOT A REAL HUMAN BEING? DO I LIKE TO AVOID EMOTIONS?
So maybe both of those things could be true but my logic is really that there is way too much heartbreak in real life for me to want to deal with in books. As overused as this is, I totally read to escape from the real world. Sometimes what you really need is a good book, a cup of tea, and the real world to go the fuck away. There are times when I will read sad books but those are rare and I generally tend to avoid them.
I am also one of those kids who sometimes reads the ending before I even start the book. I’ve been doing it since 4th grade so it’s kind of a little too late to change my ways. Sometimes I read the ending because I am just curious, other times a book makes me so anxious I NEED to know the ending before I can go on. There are some series I know I will not read if things don’t end in ways that work for me. And yes, maybe those series’ are amazing but I also value my sanity and KNOW that if something doesn’t work for me, I will be a mess. I remember when one of my most anticipated series ended horribly, and even though I never picked the last book up, I spend over a month feeling absolutely horrible and in a constant stage of rage. I can only imagine how much worse it would have been if I had actually read the book.
Have a kind of gone off topic and am wondering what I am talking about right now? MAYBE. I really just like HAPPY ENDINGS OKAY? I like reading a book and feeling GOOD. I don’t like feeling like my world is ending and nothing will ever be okay again. I enjoy being sucker punched in the feels too as long as things work out. The world isn’t perfect and endings shouldn’t be either but again HEAs aren’t always perfect. They can be messy and complicated, which just makes them all the more better. Okay we’re done here. TOODLE-LOO.
Do you like Happily Ever Afters? If so, why? If not, why not? If there was an award for abrupt endings, do you think I would get it? Let’s talk!
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Nick @ Nick & Nereyda's Infinite Booklist
LOVE this, Rashika!
I’m a lover of all things HEA as well. Like you said, there’s a satisfaction to it. I’m just not build for sad endings. I know a lot of people think that’s silly, but whatever, it’s my opinion. Books are my happy place. I go to them because I want an escape from reality and sad endings, sadly, aren’t an escape. They are reality like you said.
OMG. I had no idea you read endings first too. I do it all the time! Nereyda shames me for it. Haha!
” I remember when one of my most anticipated series ended horribly, and even though I never picked the last book up, I spend over a month feeling absolutely horrible and in a constant stage of rage. I can only imagine how much worse it would have been if I had actually read the book.”
This was me with a couple of series. I get attached to many characters so easily. Honestly, I take it personally when things don’t go my way, so reading the ending is important for me to make sure that my sanity will be intact.
Anyways, I’m glad that you wrote this post! HEA-fangirls unite for life! 🙂
Rashika
Same. Sad endings don’t work for me and I don’t have the energy to deal with them. And it’s not silly! People who think that suck. TO EACH THEIR OWN, you know? LOL @ Nereyda! I don’t always read the ending first but I do it A LOT. I like to be sure before diving in, you know?
YES. I do take it personally because I am so emotionally invested. The author, does of course have the right to do whatever they want but at the same time I have the right do read whatever I want and I am not gonna read sad endings.
HEA FOREVER AND EVERR. YAY *fist bumps*
Myrthe
I completely agree with you! I need my happy endings exactly for those reasons you mentioned. There’s really nothing more to say. Although I’m a bit curious what series it was you read that you didn’t even read the last book of (if you’re willing to share of course).
Great post!
Rashika
I am! It was the Divergent series. I am *still* mad about it.
Thanks so much, Myrthe! 🙂
AngelErin
I am not picky about happily ever afters. I like both just fine, I think I mostly look for an ending to make sense with the book and not be too abrupt. Great topic!
Rashika
YUP! I do the same but in terms of happy endings? I feel like my definition for happy ending is pretty broad and all I want is an ending that works. An ending, where things get wrapped up, but not tied into neat knots; an ending that makes sense and does justice.
Thanks! 🙂
Sheena-kay Graham
We can agree to disagree. Give me the grit!
Rashika
I do like grit, I just don’t like grit when it ends unhappily? Does that make sense! But yeah, agree to disagree!
The Bibliophile Babe
I have to have a happily ever after!
Rashika
Same!
Lefty @ The Left-Handed Book Lover
What you’re saying totally makes sense. I personally like endings both HEA and death by feels. It just depends what kind of mood I’m in. But I definitely get the whole “books are an escape” thing. Sometimes a girl just needs a light, fluffy story that won’t wreck her. Great post!!
Rashika
YESSSS. Light, fluffy stories are my catnip. I WILL DEVOUR THEM. Death by feels sounds so painfulll but I can totally understand why people love it so much. SO MANY FEELS. Feels are fun.
Thanks! 🙂
Lindsay
I don’t need a HEA, per se, but I DO need an ending that doesn’t feel forced. I really hate when the author has to bend over backwards to give the characters that happy ending, when is just doesn’t ring true. Likewise, I hate when a protagonist has been put through the wringer and then dies a senseless death, just to make the reader cry. Like… seriously?! You couldn’t have given them a little bit of happy after all that hate?
Rashika
YES. I don’t like forced endings, either. I want my HEAs to make sense and not be there just so readers can be happy. That doesn’t work and makes me feel icky .-. AND YES AGAIN. That’s one of the things that pisses me off, tbh. You don’t need to kill MCs who have been through so much just for feels.