question of the month! (february)

**beanbag** · 02-19-2008, 01:24 PM

alright people. it's sad how little action we get in here, so it's time for a new thing!

if you could change the ending of any book in the world, what would you change it to and why?

(please try to stick to the following format so that people can skip over your post if they haven't read the book and don't want the ending spoiled.

)

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.

I would have the ending be completed as Gaskell originally intended for it to end. I cannot even begin to express how frustrated I was (my jaw really did drop in shock) when the book just ended. it was so abrupt. the circumstances in her life were such that she actually died before she could finish the book, and rather than have a ghostwriter come in and finish it off, the publishing company left the manuscript unfinished and published it. I mean, one can kind of tell what is going to happen with the end anyways, but still. it would have been nice to read it in the author's own words, because she did have a way with words.

thelitguy · 03-03-2008, 09:35 PM

I keep trying to come up with an answer for this. I really don't have one. I think the closest I can come up with is the Winter of our Discontent by Steinbeck.

**beanbag** · 03-04-2008, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thelitguy

I keep trying to come up with an answer for this. I really don't have one. I think the closest I can come up with is the Winter of our Discontent by Steinbeck.

I had trouble with that one. I just read it recently, and (maybe it's because I was always half asleep while reading it) but I had a lot of trouble understanding the end.

I can understand your dilemna, because it's hard to figure out how one might rewrite great literature. just out of curiosity, what would you change the ending to?

Thamar · 04-30-2008, 02:44 PM

I read two of Daniel Still's books and it just bothered me how there was so much suffering and pain in both of them. If I could change the ending of those books I'd put in something that would bring some hope. Not a "happy ending" but something that does not show so much futility to life. Apart from that I just stay away from her books.