I just meant you can't really complain about the ending to a true story. History doesn't exist just as fodder for writers.
and readers [or an audience] won't mind a sad ending when they know it's how the real events ended, while many will, if it's fiction and they know the writer could have ended it differently...
Partly why I've only seen Schindler's List once. I have it on DVD and I remember it as being extremely artistic in cinematography and with superb acting. But it's just too darn depressing, so the DVD is still in its wrapping. You can write literary masterpieces that just drain people's will to live entirely, but is that what you want? Don't blame readers for not reading it twice, then.
For me endings are as important as the beginnings. I can't count how many books or movies I've seen that the ending left a nasty aftertaste in my mouth. Happy, sad, mixed, even possible continuations, they have to have a natural feel to them, otherwise they come off as flat bits of sludge dripping from the last few pages. I can't currently think of any books right off hand that I have read recently that did this, but I know one movie that stands out in my mind as the worst movie EVER! One Fine Day -- with George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer. The hype around this movie when it came out years ago, made it seem like a great romantic comedy. I watched it...the movie wasn't totally horrible through most of it, though it did move a little slow here and there, but the ending, them laying on the couch and then the fade out...that's it? I was left with a totally unsatisfied feeling at the end of that movie. I know I'm not explaining this as fully as I could be. The emotional build up of the story has to be reflected in an equally emotionally satisfying ending. Whether that ending makes you sob for an hour, pissed off for the rest of the night, or all warm and fuzzy inside, it has to be equal to the emotional level of the story. Things like adventure, for an example, take the movie National Treasure as the subject here. The emotional level of the movie is not very high, they conquer the obstacles in the way, end up with the treasure, and they live happily ever after. Typical of an adventure. Though some adventures could end with the MC dying at the end, but that has to reflect an emotional level in the story that was maintained throughout. Otherwise, in general, you will have a happy ending in an adventure story. Romantic comedies are an other example of almost always having a happy ending. Boy meets girl with a meet cute. Boy and girl fall in love with some musical montage. Boy or girl do something to anger the other and they split up. One of the people just can't let go and must do something to redeem themselves in the other's eyes (the grand gesture.) In the end they come back together, all is forgiven, and they ride off into the sunset. Drama's can end either happily or sadly. This depends on the comedic value as well as the emotional level of the story. A deeply emotional story will often call for a heart-wrenching ending to satisfy the reader. Some call for a bittersweet ending. Some call for a happily ever after ending. It just depends on the drama and the characters stories. Fantasy, sci-fi and others that deal with things not of this world, or whatever they may deal with, could call for any type of ending depending on the dramatic qualities and emotional levels of the story. Look at the Matrix, it had to end that way to maintain the emotional level of the story. War of the Worlds ends with earthlings being victorious, happy ending. Look at the new movie Knowing (though I didn't like it) the end is rather bittersweet. There are some stories that just feel like the author got bored and ended it too quickly, or carelessly. Others feel like they were trying to stuff it into a cookie cutter ending to appeal to the masses. To me the best endings are the ones that stay true to the stories overall theme and feel natural. It doesn't matter if it is sad, happy, or even cliff hanger, it has to be true to the overall story for it to be GOOD.
I was thinking about the sad endings, or like mixed ones to say the least, to do it for my novel, but then I thought would the reader like it? I know 90% want it to end on a happy note, but how good/interesting are those which end sad or somewhat mixed but leave a small door open about a new adventure...?
it all depends on how good the writer is... an exceptional one can make the reader not care how the book ends... and those with less skill can make readers add their names to their 'never buy another book by so-and-so' list...
