Comments on: Tragic themes and other whatnot http://www.rflong.com/2009/06/18/tragic-themes-and-other-whatnot/ where fantasy and romance meet Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:18:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: RFLong http://www.rflong.com/2009/06/18/tragic-themes-and-other-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-154 RFLong Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:14:11 +0000 http://www.rflong.com/?p=426#comment-154 Great minds think alike! LOL! :) It had not occured to me, but of course you are right. Very few HEAs in the Asian stories I know. Funny, I mentioned King Arthur above and I'm currently watching the 2004 King Arthur film (yes, yes I know but I like it), and they swing it to give Arthur a happy ending. Of course, Lancelot and Tristan end pretty miserably. Great minds think alike! LOL! :)

It had not occured to me, but of course you are right. Very few HEAs in the Asian stories I know.

Funny, I mentioned King Arthur above and I’m currently watching the 2004 King Arthur film (yes, yes I know but I like it), and they swing it to give Arthur a happy ending. Of course, Lancelot and Tristan end pretty miserably.

]]> By: Jeannie Lin http://www.rflong.com/2009/06/18/tragic-themes-and-other-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-153 Jeannie Lin Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:56:54 +0000 http://www.rflong.com/?p=426#comment-153 That's quite interesting that you blogged about this. Just this morning I posted on mine about how Asian stories never have happy endings. It's as if in the Asian tradition, death and suffering make people examine the human condition more closely. But happiness is a human condition too! Pain just digs deeper and people tend to hold onto it longer - in life and in prose. So a sad ending makes us feel that the characters are unsafe and we continue to worry about them. A happy ending gives us that momentary high, but then we move on. What a downright, dirty trick, plucking at our heart strings that way! :) That’s quite interesting that you blogged about this. Just this morning I posted on mine about how Asian stories never have happy endings. It’s as if in the Asian tradition, death and suffering make people examine the human condition more closely.

But happiness is a human condition too! Pain just digs deeper and people tend to hold onto it longer – in life and in prose. So a sad ending makes us feel that the characters are unsafe and we continue to worry about them. A happy ending gives us that momentary high, but then we move on. What a downright, dirty trick, plucking at our heart strings that way! :)

]]> By: RFLong http://www.rflong.com/2009/06/18/tragic-themes-and-other-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-152 RFLong Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:01:06 +0000 http://www.rflong.com/?p=426#comment-152 On my livejournal, where this is cross-posted, one of my friends (the wonderful Brian Dolton) posted about a "satisfying" ending, rather than a necessarily "happy" ending, with examples from film such as Casablanca and Gone with the Wind. I think he makes a good point. Don't get me wrong. I like a happy ending too. But I'd like it to mean something and I find I tend to get more out of them if they are tinged by sorrow. On my livejournal, where this is cross-posted, one of my friends (the wonderful Brian Dolton) posted about a “satisfying” ending, rather than a necessarily “happy” ending, with examples from film such as Casablanca and Gone with the Wind. I think he makes a good point.

Don’t get me wrong. I like a happy ending too. But I’d like it to mean something and I find I tend to get more out of them if they are tinged by sorrow.

]]> By: Yvette Davis http://www.rflong.com/2009/06/18/tragic-themes-and-other-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-151 Yvette Davis Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:54:16 +0000 http://www.rflong.com/?p=426#comment-151 Dear R. F., I have also heard the unhappy ending decried by literary agents such as Donald Maas. In his book, Writing the Breakout Novel, he pretty much guarantees no book that isn't happy enough will ever be a bestseller. But tragedy can be very moving. I for one could go for some tragic stories over the usual forced happy ending ones if you know what I mean. Dear R. F.,

I have also heard the unhappy ending decried by literary agents such as Donald Maas. In his book, Writing the Breakout Novel, he pretty much guarantees no book that isn’t happy enough will ever be a bestseller.

But tragedy can be very moving. I for one could go for some tragic stories over the usual forced happy ending ones if you know what I mean.

]]> By: Rob Charron http://www.rflong.com/2009/06/18/tragic-themes-and-other-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-150 Rob Charron Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:39:59 +0000 http://www.rflong.com/?p=426#comment-150 Hi :) Another terrific blog. I admit I was shocked at the Game of Thrones books and that endeared them to me all the more. Same with Tad Williams Dragonbone series. And Kate Elliott's Prince of Dogs series. Each of which shocked/surprised me, and stuck with me. Sometimes a "happy ending" is just a cop-out and we, the readers, know it. Sometimes the hero or heroine doesn't live happily ever after (Frodo had to leave). Still, it depends upon the book and what is true to that book. :) Thanks for sharing. Love From Canada xoxo Hi :)
Another terrific blog.
I admit I was shocked at the Game of Thrones books and that endeared them to me all the more. Same with Tad Williams Dragonbone series. And Kate Elliott’s Prince of Dogs series. Each of which shocked/surprised me, and stuck with me. Sometimes a “happy ending” is just a cop-out and we, the readers, know it. Sometimes the hero or heroine doesn’t live happily ever after (Frodo had to leave).
Still, it depends upon the book and what is true to that book.
:)
Thanks for sharing.
Love From Canada
xoxo

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