THE END.....

“I always rip out the last page of a book. Then it doesn’t have to end. 

I hate endings.”

Doctor Who: The Angels Take Manhattan

Stephan Moffat

Recently, I watched the mid-series finale of Doctor Who on BBC. The quote above is said by Matt Smith who portrays the mythical Eleventh Doctor. It is in reference to a mystery book that he was currently reading.

It speaks quite a bit more about certain aspects of the Doctor’s life than just his thoughts on reading.  However, in real life it is a sentiment that many readers will attest they have felt from time to time. We all find books we love that we quickly devour and immediately want to know more about the characters. So great did we appreciate the fast-paced plot, the victor, or that goofy side-kick that always made us laugh, that we actually hunger for more information about them.  This fact is proven by the copious amount of series available to readers today as well as author web pages such as Pottermore (JK Rowling) that can extend a universe created by a particularly talented wordsmith.

Heck, there are quite a few of us closet cases out there that can’t help but love the villain. We can’t help but encourage their efforts. After all, wouldn’t it be a nice change of pace if, every once in a while, we could enjoy a bittersweet ending? Just imagine if the Wicked Witch of the West finally fulfilled her sister’s last will and testament by getting those shoes? Why did Prince Phillip have to automatically be Sleeping Beauty’s true love or what if he had never reached her because Maleficent ate him, leaving her to that cursed coma forever or to be rescued by another?

Of course, as in all cases, we all feel differently about the ends of our books. Some are dissatisfied with the ending while others are relieved to finally have an answer to most of their questions. This never-ending debate revolves around the question of whether or not the end came too soon or if it was about time the long-winded waste of ink and page finally ended.

Despite the dissention, this endless dispute is what unites us as a community of readers. Otherwise, why would we hold book clubs? Though more often than not it is a chance for adults to get out of their house, away from their kids, escape real lives filled with jobs and bills so that they can socialize with other grown-ups for awhile, there is still a common current at one point or another during the evening: the discussion of the latest book they all read. If there was no variation of opinions on content, undertones, or ending, this outlet of escape would be lost.

Even smaller relationships can be strengthened by this wonderful outlet. My husband and I have engaged in quite a few fun discussions about the Inheritance Cycle series (Christopher Paolini) or the Chronicles of Nick series (Sherrilyn Kenyon). My friend’s new fiance and I connected over our love for the Immortal Instruments (Cassandra Clare) series. And more than once, an old friend that rarely has much free time anymore still seeks me out to discuss the latest Dark Hunter book (Sherrilyn Kenyon). And of course, many of my hours spent on visits with my mother revolve around the new books we have read since seeing each other last.

Nevertheless, just as the Doctor found out at the last scene of the episode, all ends must come whether we are prepared for them or not. After 55 years of chasing down one villain after another, the character Hercule Poirot destroyed the most evil murderer he had ever faced before his life (and story) was ended by a purposefully placed out-of-reach nitro bottle (Agatha Christie).  After four lengthy books chock-full of ‘will-she, won’t-she’ and Team Jacob or Team Edward, Bella Swan finally achieved safety for her vampire family and was heading towards a happily ever after (Stephenie Meyer). The end came and we were forced to move on…

While it may seem depressing to fall in love with a group of characters only to lose them after a few hundred or thousand pages, I have known very few people in my life that have only read one book or one series.  Just as a parent with large families will attest, love can not be limited. Every time a new child comes along, their love will just grow to include them with the rest of the rowdy bunch waiting at home. As we shared our love with Poirot and the triumphs of using his “little grey cells”, with Harry Potter and his determination to deliver the wizarding world, with Watson’s endless quips about Holmes’s endless intelligence in the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with Katniss Everdeen of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games as the character slips through the fence of District 12 for the first time or with James Patterson's character, Alex Cross, as he hunts down his first killer, our hearts will once more expand to supply the love to embrace those who become just as endearing as their predecessors.

So, in the long run, there will never be another last page to "tear out" as the Doctor would encourage, for every page, be it first or last, just opens a window to a new adventure.

So at last, a word to all my fellow readers out there:  GERONIMO!

by guest blogger and fanatic library patron Kari