Is Stephen King bad at endings? *YOUR* least favourite King book endings discussed!
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
- For this month's book special, I'm looking at Stephen King's endings. More specifically, I'm going through the 13 endings that YOU guys put forward as your least favourite and letting you know what I think of them.
By nature of this month's topic, this video is full of spoilers so might be one for you to avoid. The stories I'll be discussing are: Apt Pupil, Cell, The Colorado Kid, Dreamcatcher, Gerald's Game, The Institute, IT, Revival, Roadwork, Secret Window Secret Garden, Sleeping Beauties, The Tommyknockers, and Under The Dome - feel free to skip this one if you need to, just come back soon!
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Agree about your point that king is ok at endings. Only the stand readily springs to mind. Quite abrupt. But no complaints about his other endings.
It’s definitely a myth!
I loved Gerald's game!!! The whole book and deloras Clayborn
Yes to both!
I agree with your thoughts on Revival. It was pure dead brilliant!
Yeah - it’s gangbusters!
The end of the Dark Tower kills me. King gives us the choice as readers to stop and let the ending be, but much like Roland, we must carry on and it is on us what happens next. I'm not necessarily mad about it, but it hurt lol.
My least favorite is most definitely Under the Dome. What an absolute crock
Overall, I'd say a few questionable endings in 50+ books is a good record
Totally!
First Like and First Comment. I've bee waiting crazy for this one!!
Enjoy!
I think the revised ending of "The Stand" is a bit naff as it isn't as strong of an ending. The Story ending of "the mist" isn't nearly as strong as the movie one, King even said he prefers that ending. Not a book but still the ending of Rose Red was bad. I like everything in the mini-series up to the ending.
Yeah, The Mist is interesting isn’t it? Do you want the (sort of) hope of the book or the gut punch of the movie? I’m with you, love the movie. As for Rose Red…yep, not so good!
I felt Duma Key was a bit of a let down. Lots of interesting sizzle...but no steak by the end. Sometimes I think Constant Readers just don't want King's books to end at all because they love his stories so much.
I think your final sentence is very true!
Lol, I had to turn the volume down quickly when you got to The Institute because I still have to read it. I seem to remember the ending of Needful Things being average but it was soo long ago I might feel different today if I read it again.
Needful Things is…interesting! Magic tricks, evil pixies, that kind of random stuff!
I was wondering where your glasses were lol thought you had entered the world of contact lenses lol ..... I bet it's that Dog which has taken off with your glasses 🤣
Ha 😂😂
Revival brilliant ending. One of his best.
Heck yes!
I liked the ending of gerald's game because Jesse was able to overcome her trauma and move forward with her life
Same!
Very this!
Hate to be like this but I was really disappointed in Revival! The ending was interesting but it wasn’t a “punch in the gut” like so many people say. It was scary sure but didn’t overcome the build up! Overall I was a little bored.
To be positive too, I Love the ending to Hearts in Atlantis. Beautifully tied together the novellas and Carole & Bobby’s stories 🥲
Fair enough on Revival - it definitely was effective for me though! Agree with you on HiA - just a great book all round!
I loved Revival … up until “Mother” …. Totally ruined it for me. 😢
Interesting! That’s the part they really cemented it as top tier King for me, but I know it doesn’t work for everyone
The worst Stephen King ending ever is the ending to Carrie.
I love Carrie. It's my favorite book, my favorite Stephen King book, and Carrie is my favorite Stephen King character.
I knew she wasn't making it out alive when I first read it, but the ending still broke my heart. So much wasted potential.
Carrie had a bad life, and her dying at the end made it so much worse. I like the TV movie made in 2002 because she does survive at the end, not making the story pointless.
Carrie could've done so much after her book if Stephen King kept her alive.
Carrie is my favorite book, but Carrie dying for no reason at the end just ruins it for me.
Interesting - I thought her dying worked actually, but I can see your point!
@@DaveReadsKing thematically, I do understand why she dies, but it still ruins the book for me.
I absolutely enjoyed revival from beginning to end 💯
Yesss!
When I finished The Colorado Kid, I threw the book across the room. Hated the ending. Hated, hated, hated the ending. Don't get me wrong, I *understood* the ending, I just hated it. Had I read it when I was a much younger King reader (late teens-early 20's), I probably would have felt differently. Sometimes you don't get an answer. Whoa, man. Deep. But I was nearly 40 when I read this book. So I was fully and painfully aware that many times in life you don't get an answer for why something happens. That is the reason I read fiction, in general, and King, specifically. Because no matter how crazy or deus-ex-machina the answer, it is AN answer. And I agree, it usually fits the story when it comes to King, even if it might induce an eye roll or two.
But the answer is Under the Dome. As much as I hated the end to The Colorado Kid, it was a quick read. I felt it was a waste of time, but it was a very quick waste of time. And there was a point to it, even if I didn't love the point he was making. Under the Dome was an investment. There were several characters to invest in. There were multiple plot lines to get invested in. It was all very on brand for a King book and I was enjoying it. Though about 75% of the way through the book I felt like there was no way to really land the thing. It was so bonkers. There's probably a parallel between Chester's Mill and the story itself. Eventually, it just ran out of air.
I think you're on to something about King and aliens. He should just steer clear.
This is a really great comment, thank you! I know exactly what you mean with TCK - it didn’t affect me like that, but I get it. And yeah, as for aliens…put the flying saucer down, Stephen 😂
Most of the books that made this list had perfectly decent endings at worst, but I really hated the end of Under the Dome. 800 pages just for it to be wee alien bawbags was so disappointing. While I'm here, can I suggest that after the tractor and now the train that if you ever move house again, Dave, make sure there's an international airport within earshot. Cheers!
😂😂😂
I was a little disappointed in the ending to Joyland. It just seemed kind of rushed and cheap. The story gave you no indication or offered any clues as to who the killer was , it just kind of picked a character and was like, yeah this is the guy, the end. The ending to Elevation was just silly, lol.
Oh I liked Joyland, both times I’ve read it it really got me. As for Elevation - yeah, I see that…but it was also never going to be anything else!
@@DaveReadsKing I really liked Joyland too, just felt like the ending was rushed and a little unfair to the reader.
READ DARK TOWER COMIC BRO!! out of topic but READ IT :P :P
I plan to one day! Aren’t they getting a big rerelease or something this year? I seem to remember reading that
@@DaveReadsKing I dont know about the rerelease but i belive the fisrt 5 (The Dark Tower: Beginnings) are among the best in entire series of the tower... ;)
Nice!
I actually really like the end of under the dome🥲 I mean it was at least more creative then being a goverment experiment or sth. Just the pointless cruelty kids (alien kids) can have
Creative is definitely a good word for it
I've said this before, but the ending of Under the Dome is not important. I mean, who cares why the dome was there? It might have been better if it just disappeared without explanation, but would readers be up in arms if the book ended like that? Probably.
Yeah, I hear you - King was onto a loser however he ended that book!
The downside of Revival is the book reads too fast. The reader needs to slow down to enjoy the ending
Interesting, I’ve never heard anyone put it like that before but I get what you mean
Sup dave nice vid SeE YoU SOoN...
HavE a GReat DaY 😉
Of the King books i've read so far, the ending of The Long Walk pissed me off 😡
Oh...and Doctor Sleep's ending was kind of weak compared to the film version. Several of the film versions of his books I think were an improvement.
Interesting! I really liked The Long Walk ending, but have heard a few other constant readers say they didn’t like it. As for Doctor Sleep, I preferred the book, but thought the movie was excellent - The Mist is the one for me when it comes to movies with better endings!
@@DaveReadsKing With the Long Walk, it was the abruptness after waiting for so...well...long...for a big payoff. Then just...lights out. 🤷♀
Doctor Sleep's ending kind of just trickled off into a bit of rambling compared to the "firmer" end of the movie, I felt. Great channel, btw.
I totally get that for both and appreciate you sharing - I always love hearing what other King fans think! And thanks for the kind words 😊
The Stand was pretty disappointing as well.
The ending or the whole book? 😉😉
@@DaveReadsKing just the ending. I loved The Stand. I remember feeling really connected to all of the characters and feeling like I was with them on their journeys. A lot of build up for such a bland and anticlimactic ending.
It's just one of those fucking stupid things that people spout all the time. I don't think it'll ever go away. And it's just not true, utter bollocks... Revival, Salems Lot, Pet Sematary, Dark Tower, Misery, wayyy to many good endings. I think it has to do with the breadth of his output, not going to please everyone all of the time. I just hope it doesn't stop people picking up one of his books for the first time.
Absolutely! Couldn’t agree more!
Please never let your accent go extinct
I’ll do my best! 😂