Ah, the good old days... Where no one was safe, and people liked it that way.
I was slumped over on the couch this afternoon, starring at my bookshelf, when I got to thinking about death. Not real death mind you - character death. How'd ya get thinkin' on that, you ask? It starts and ends with The Vampire Diaries. The books - not the show, as the two are very different. L.J. Smith is a fabulous author, and The Vampire diaries are some of her best work.
(side bar)
Now - just to qualify this - I am referring to the original three novels, not the new ones, as they are the very essence of suck. The fourth one is good, but it is not apart of my argument for two reasons - one, it was published several years later as the request of the fans and was not originally intended to be a part of the series, and two, it makes my point moot.
(end side bar)
I've been with The Vampire Diaries since back in the day. Like circa 1994ish. All my friends were. It was basically the Twilight of our era. And my favorite thing about the original series... Elena dies.
I. LOVE. IT!
Don't get me wrong, I had no problem with her, nor do I get off on pain and suffering. What I love, is the fact that Smith had the balls to do it! She basically gave 'happily ever after' the finger, and that's okay - because it WORKED. Not every story has to work out perfectly. Not every couple has to ride off into the sunset. The only thing required of the ending of a story is that it by SATISFYING. Satisfying does not have to equal happy. Take The Vampire Diaries - Elena dies saving the town. Stefen (Elena's love interest) is devastated obviously, but he is given a purpose with is to look after Damon (his brother). Bonnie and Meredeth (Elena's friends) are sad, but they are once again safe because of her sacrifice. It all works out. Satisfying.
Okay yeah, Smith went on to write a fourth book in which Elena comes back, but like I said, that wasn't until later, and my point still stands.
Anyway, all I'm saying is it would be nice for authors to keep us on our toes. Kill off some people who we would have otherwise considered un-killable.
~ Mar
I was slumped over on the couch this afternoon, starring at my bookshelf, when I got to thinking about death. Not real death mind you - character death. How'd ya get thinkin' on that, you ask? It starts and ends with The Vampire Diaries. The books - not the show, as the two are very different. L.J. Smith is a fabulous author, and The Vampire diaries are some of her best work.
(side bar)
Now - just to qualify this - I am referring to the original three novels, not the new ones, as they are the very essence of suck. The fourth one is good, but it is not apart of my argument for two reasons - one, it was published several years later as the request of the fans and was not originally intended to be a part of the series, and two, it makes my point moot.
(end side bar)
I've been with The Vampire Diaries since back in the day. Like circa 1994ish. All my friends were. It was basically the Twilight of our era. And my favorite thing about the original series... Elena dies.
I. LOVE. IT!
Don't get me wrong, I had no problem with her, nor do I get off on pain and suffering. What I love, is the fact that Smith had the balls to do it! She basically gave 'happily ever after' the finger, and that's okay - because it WORKED. Not every story has to work out perfectly. Not every couple has to ride off into the sunset. The only thing required of the ending of a story is that it by SATISFYING. Satisfying does not have to equal happy. Take The Vampire Diaries - Elena dies saving the town. Stefen (Elena's love interest) is devastated obviously, but he is given a purpose with is to look after Damon (his brother). Bonnie and Meredeth (Elena's friends) are sad, but they are once again safe because of her sacrifice. It all works out. Satisfying.
Okay yeah, Smith went on to write a fourth book in which Elena comes back, but like I said, that wasn't until later, and my point still stands.
Anyway, all I'm saying is it would be nice for authors to keep us on our toes. Kill off some people who we would have otherwise considered un-killable.
~ Mar
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