Charlaine Harris did the unthinkable and ended her beloved series about Sookie Stackhouse. She has been threatened with death threats and other not so nice things since the ending was leaked before the books release and many fans are crying foul about how she could end the series at all.
Speaking as a fan of the books (and may I add LONG before the series LOOSELY based on her books came out) that I for one am pleased that she ended the series and that I for one am not unhappy with the ending. I feel that the series was at the "this is going to start getting REALLY stupid and fast" point and her decision to end it on at the height of popularity was a good one. While I never understood "Seinfeld", I did agree with the decision to end the series while it was still popular. Too many t.v series and book series go on way too far beyond their stay and they get stale and stupid.
An author owns their work, not the fans, although one could argue that without fans, an author has no work. Fans get very possessive of a work, and yes we do invest a lot of time and money in these works as we buy them and read them, in many cases, reading them many times and perhaps purchasing multiple copies as gifts. We do feel a sense of ownership and many times there are clear factions of character loyalty that divide fans into near violent froths.
Yet, when an author decides to end a series (which is preferable to the publisher ending it without any final coda) it is hard on fans to let go. "Harry Potter" fans knew that they would get 7 books since it was established early on that we would be following his years at Hogwarts. The recently ended "Septimus Heap" books ended with book 7 which was almost a giveaway from book one, and if you have read them, you know why. (I will not share that here in case any of you will be reading them any time soon, and I HIGHLY recommend them.) (As far as I know, Angie Sage is not facing death threats from 8 year old's over this decision, but I could be wrong.)
As for Harris, I think people are over reacting, as usual, due to the leak, the popularity of the show, the books,and because we have a whole generation that does not understand "no" and not being able to watch/read/do what they want "NOW!". Harris has written this series for 14 years. It was time. All the short stories that went with this series and all the books, including the overview companion book, take up time. Time that she could spend with her family. Time spent watching her daughter grow up and graduate from college.
Reportedly,she is going to have tie up the loose ends/cross over to the new series book later on this year, and I will read it. I have no animosity toward her for her ending of the series. It was,as I said, time. All authors need to make the decision to end a series,no matter how popular, before the integrity of their characters is compromised, they become irrelevant,just plain stupid, or a combination.
Harris did not enter this choice lightly and I feel that her so called fans are acting like petulant children instead of looking forward to new and possibly even better works. She is taking away their favorite toy and they don't like it. Fictional characters that resonate with you are rare, and when you lose them it is hard, but they are in a book, so you can re-visit them any time you wish. For many, the anger is the ending itself which to me, fit the book. No one is going to be happy with the ending if they felt strongly about one character or another, but I felt that the ending fit. It fit Sookie, the book itself and the series. I applaud Harris for staying true to the logic she crated for the books and did not try to force and ending that would not have fit as well.
I am sorry to see the gang go, but I can always revisit them any time.
As all good things must end, so do book series' and yes, it is better if we know a series is finite BEFORE we read it, but sometimes things happen. Life is like that. It happens when we are not looking, prepared, or ready. It is what it is.
So, I have one more thing to say to the unhappy "fans" out there who feel cheated.
GET OVER YOURSELVES!
I hope Harris' new series is just as good as her last.
Speaking as a fan of the books (and may I add LONG before the series LOOSELY based on her books came out) that I for one am pleased that she ended the series and that I for one am not unhappy with the ending. I feel that the series was at the "this is going to start getting REALLY stupid and fast" point and her decision to end it on at the height of popularity was a good one. While I never understood "Seinfeld", I did agree with the decision to end the series while it was still popular. Too many t.v series and book series go on way too far beyond their stay and they get stale and stupid.
An author owns their work, not the fans, although one could argue that without fans, an author has no work. Fans get very possessive of a work, and yes we do invest a lot of time and money in these works as we buy them and read them, in many cases, reading them many times and perhaps purchasing multiple copies as gifts. We do feel a sense of ownership and many times there are clear factions of character loyalty that divide fans into near violent froths.
Yet, when an author decides to end a series (which is preferable to the publisher ending it without any final coda) it is hard on fans to let go. "Harry Potter" fans knew that they would get 7 books since it was established early on that we would be following his years at Hogwarts. The recently ended "Septimus Heap" books ended with book 7 which was almost a giveaway from book one, and if you have read them, you know why. (I will not share that here in case any of you will be reading them any time soon, and I HIGHLY recommend them.)
(As far as I know, Angie Sage is not facing death threats from 8 year old's over this decision, but I could be wrong.)
As for Harris, I think people are over reacting, as usual, due to the leak, the popularity of the show, the books,and because we have a whole generation that does not understand "no" and not being able to watch/read/do what they want "NOW!". Harris has written this series for 14 years. It was time. All the short stories that went with this series and all the books, including the overview companion book, take up time. Time that she could spend with her family. Time spent watching her daughter grow up and graduate from college.
Reportedly,she is going to have tie up the loose ends/cross over to the new series book later on this year, and I will read it. I have no animosity toward her for her ending of the series. It was,as I said, time. All authors need to make the decision to end a series,no matter how popular, before the integrity of their characters is compromised, they become irrelevant,just plain stupid, or a combination.
Harris did not enter this choice lightly and I feel that her so called fans are acting like petulant children instead of looking forward to new and possibly even better works. She is taking away their favorite toy and they don't like it. Fictional characters that resonate with you are rare, and when you lose them it is hard, but they are in a book, so you can re-visit them any time you wish. For many, the anger is the ending itself which to me, fit the book. No one is going to be happy with the ending if they felt strongly about one character or another, but I felt that the ending fit. It fit Sookie, the book itself and the series. I applaud Harris for staying true to the logic she crated for the books and did not try to force and ending that would not have fit as well.
I am sorry to see the gang go, but I can always revisit them any time.
As all good things must end, so do book series' and yes, it is better if we know a series is finite BEFORE we read it, but sometimes things happen. Life is like that. It happens when we are not looking, prepared, or ready. It is what it is.
So, I have one more thing to say to the unhappy "fans" out there who feel cheated.
GET OVER YOURSELVES!
I hope Harris' new series is just as good as her last.
I,for one, am looking forward to new adventures.