The sadness of finishing a series.
 

Last night at around 3am I finished the last chapter of the last book of a reasonably sized trilogy.

Last night at around 3am I said a final goodbye to a series of characters who I had come to know and to like and I felt sad.

Its wasn't a sad ending, it was a very nice, tidy, happy ending and I think that may have been even worse. Its not like I cried or anything, but I know that tomorrow night I will start reading about another set of characters in another world.

I’ve done it dozens of times… I spent weeks, maybe months getting to know characters, watching them grow, developing images of them in my mind, only to say goodbye to them after 3 or 6 or even 8 books. Sometimes it’s harder than others… it depends upon how well the characters and their world have been realised and if I even like the characters. It does only occur over multi-book stories; I can finish a single book story and just think “yeah that was good” but have no feeling of sadness.

It sounds kinda sad I know, and it is only brief few moments just after the sigh as remove my book mark and close the book for the last time but never the less its there and I class it was a mark of quality to the writers ability.

Nicely said, Wulfa.

Agree with Aunt Pam, well put.

i was curious to what series you were reading-im always looking for good fantasy series that get you involved?
i felt sad when finishing the robin hobb series but have all her megan lindholm books to read( a christmas present)
bill

I hate it when a series ends most of the time,not all series but most of them,Its hard to say good bye to characters we have come to know and love.

Just finished Dark Tower and I'm heart-broken.

Heart-broken,just doesnt cover it.

Do Humans dream of Discordia?
 

LOL, well if it comes to that then I don’t think there’s but a single adjective in this world which can portray the pain, the twinge, the throbbing, the abjectly delirious consternation of leaving Roland and Susan Delgado behind; not calamitous, not earth-shattering, not cataclysmic, hell probably not even grok. ;)

I knew it was the final one and had it pre-ordered I promised my self I would saviour every word and take my time in reading Dark Tower vii I even tried reading other books at the same time but I still finished it in 3 weeks knowing that no matter how many times I re-read the series I am never going to meet Roland, Jake, Eddie, Susannah or Oy ever again, why can't I learn self control.

I agree it is hard to say goodbye. It is one of the reasons I like reading a series. If the writing and story are good, and the characters are interesting then I hate to see it end. I used to read short stories as a kid, but they just don't satisfy me now. Not that I want a sad, tired or clapped out series to continue -- but those that are still vital I want to keep reading them.

To answer billyf27 question, the series was The Second Sons Trilogy by Jennifer Fallon. I Don't know your location in the world, but I could only buy these books of Amazon.co.uk as they do not have a general release in the UK but for some reason Amazon is selling them. The covers are a bit nasty but the the books are great.

Thanks to everyone else who responded, its good to know I'm not the only one!

I recall the feeling Wulfa is talking about well, I think i felt it the strongest when I finished my very first fantasy series (the belgariad/mallorean by Eddings). Heck this comforting familiarity you have with characters is the very reason continual series are much more valuable marketing/saling wise than totally new works.

Nowadays I am a sucker for series that are longer than the rambling of my ex-girlfriend, and I often kinda dislike short stories/novel now because I don't feel implicated enough to really care. But sometimes a shorter story can tell a tale most efficiently and most admirably, whereas I often lose interest in a series that drags on *coughWoTcough* simply because the novelty is wearing off. I think this transition from excitement to don't-care-state is sadder in a way than this emotional parting Wulfa is talking about.

You haven't seen anything yet. Just wait until you get old and your real friends start dying.

I felt a great sense of loss after finishing the Kushiel books, all nine of Hobb's books set around the Liveships and Fitz, and the six Wayfarer novels of Sara Douglass. In all of these series, there were threads left a little untied, characters whose stories didn't seem quite over yet.

I know the feeling well, and couldn't agree more Wulfa. A sense of loss similar to that of losing a family pet, but brief, usually even only a few minutes.

Interesting that you wrote this post in reference to Fallon's Second Sons Trilogy, Wulfa. I read your initial post and associated your description closely with the feeling I had when completing the final book of the same trilogy. The only thing that made me feel more depressed(?) was realizing that she did not have a list of 100's of published novels already =(.

Yes, I really enjoyed the Second Sons trilogy too. I have to say that wulfa, it seems you have hit the nail on the head for most of us.

When I bought the last in the tawny man books I went to a reading with Robin Hobb, and she signed my book 'journey's End', making it even more difficult!

I have often cried at the end of a series, I've said it once and I'll say it again, Guy Gavriel Kay draws you into his books and then devastates you. Happy endings are difficult enough, knowing you will never get fresh adventures, but tragic endings?! Not fair!

I can but agree with Wulfa...actually I can hardly ever finish a series without feeling sad...the result is that I can read the same book many times (even over ten in some cases)...at that point naturally the story has no surprises, but I feel like I'm meeting old friends!

Back in the late 80s I remember actually shedding a tear when I finished reading Magician because I didn't think I was ever gonna read about Tomas and Pug again!!

Solaar
sniffs

i will be sad when wheel of time ends.

It's one of the best things about series, isn't it? That feeling that the characters have become your friends or intimates. For a while, their entire life and its purpose has consumed your mind, so when you finish reading it often feels like there is an emptiness inside. It's very bittersweet.

Neil Gaiman said it best when he wrote about finishing the SANDMAN comic series, "Stories end; that's what gives them meaning."

If I feel sad that a story/series ends, it's because the writer has done a great job.

I'd rather a series end than go on, and on, and on, and on...

When I was a boy, I read a short story about a young witch named Vivan or Vivian (or something like that) who, though a good-hearted girl, mischieviously gave intelligence to a bear, and when the bear was later shot by a hunter, the gods (or some other authority) had to punish Vivan for the death of an intelligent creature. Vivan herself would only live for as long as someone else remembered her. Well, being only a boy, I was sucked into the story and swore that I'd never forget Vivan. I don't remember the story's title or author.

Jerry Abbott