The Tastes They Are A-Changin'

I'm always trying to push encourage my bf to read some of the many books I have.  He's got a thing about cars and driving, so naturally I handed him copies of DRIVE by James Sallis and THE WHEELMAN by Duane Swierczynski.  It turns out that he really liked the books...until the end.  Without giving too much away, I can safely say that these books don't end in a sunny field of butterflies and flowers. 

Now, I really liked the way the stories wrapped up.  Things weren't perfect but they seemed real.  In thinking about this, I've realised that my reading tastes have changed.  I used to like books that had storylines that wrapped up cleanly, where the good guys walked away and the bad guys got what they deserved.  The resolutions are full of black and white, with little in between.

As my interest in flawed characters has grown, so has my interest in good endings that are full of gray areas.

Comments

[Duane Swierczynski]

Butterflies and flowers... I love it. I swear, somebody I'm going to end a crime novel with butterflies and flowers.

It's funny you mention endings, though. I'm very much a fan of the "gray" ending, too. There is a difference between a story being neatly wrapped up at the end, and a story that is *satisfying* at the end, you know? The best ending I've ever read is the last chapter of Ken Bruen's THE DRAMATIST, which features a kick to the gut that shocks, raises a thousand questions... yet still is completely satisfying.