I have always loved reading series. Some of my favourite books are part of series. But I've always had a little trouble motivating myself to read the last book in those series. In recent years, I've found that I've become more and more reluctant to read the last in those series…to the point I've made a challenge to help me catch up on series. I don't really know why. For the post part I think it's a question of me being afraid to say goodbye to those characters I've been reading about for so many books. Or maybe it's that I'm afraid that the ending won't leave me satisfied. And that's what this post is all about, how I feel whenever a series ends.
There are so many series I love that are ending this year. And as excited as I am about finding out how everything is going to pan out, there certain books that I am almost afraid of reading for fear of what they will do to my poor heart. Just in the next couple of weeks, I know I'm going to be putting my heart through the wringer. In just about three weeks, Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices trilogy will be ending with Clockwork Princess and I know that this is a book that will likely break my heart into a million pieces. Much like Lauren Oliver's Requiem is likely to do. And potentially Josephine Angelini's Goddess when May comes around. And every time one of those books comes out, I will wage this internal battle as to whether or not to read the book right away.
I know this because this is what I've been doing for the past few years. There are countless series sitting on by bookshelves right now where I am just too scared of reading the final book. I'm scared because I don't want to be disappointed by the conclusion. I'm scared because I don't want anything bad to happen to the characters I've grown to love over the course of the other books in the series. And most of all, it comes down to me not wanting one of my favourite series to end. I know they all have to end one day, but sometimes I still just don't want them to end.
This is not to say that I don't read last books in series. Because I do, and sometimes I can't wait to read them and jump straight into reading them. I remember going to the bookstore first thing on the day Last Sacrifice, the final book in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, and starting to read it right away when I got home. But the whole time I was reading I was torn: I wanted to keep going because I was dying to know what would happen next, but at the same time I didn't want to read too quickly so that the book wouldn't end right away. And that's how I am with basically all the the final books in series I read.
In general, I go through a whole range of emotions whenever I read the final book in a series. And this year, a whole slew of series are ending. And that means my poor little heart will break over and over again. But regardless, I will be reading those last books even though I know they will completely break me.
I love how clearly you write about your conflicted emotions toward the end of a series - I'm pretty sure I go through the same kind of symptoms! It's always bittersweet to finish a series - great to get the ending, but it's sad to say goodbye.
ReplyDeleteI have the same feelings. I still know how I felt when I read the last Harry Potter. I had so many different emotions. I was happy that I finally knew the ending and I was sad that the adventure was over.
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