Agony and Ecstasy in Book Form

Have you ever read a book and found that, as the pages dwindled toward the end, you felt a sort of sorrow that the adventure was ending? That’s because a good author leaves you wanting more.

There are books with conclusions that tell you how a story ends and nothing more can be said on the matter. It’s over. Never to be revisited. And then there are books with conclusions that leave you thinking about what happens to the character next.

The latter form of storytelling is the kind that makes you want more. You feel sadness as you near the end of a book, because you want the adventure to keep going in some form. This all got me to thinking about the books that have left me with this feeling.

Map of Bones
by James Rollins

I just finished this book today, and I have to say that the sense of sorrow I was talking about was overabundant as I reached the end of this one. It’s about 520 pages, and follows an elite American force called SIGMA as they search for clues surrounding the bones of the Magi and the mysterious Dragon Court. James Rollins is one of our generation’s best storytellers.

Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy
Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command
By Timothy Zahn
This is the nerd in me coming about full force. Published over two years, starting in 1991 and ending in 1993, Zahn’s efforts revitalized the Star Wars franchise. Picking up 5 years after Return of the Jedi, The Thrawn Trilogy reintroduces the original cast, sans Darth Vader and the Emperor. A new enemy, Grand Admiral Thrawn has brought Imperial forces back together under a single banner and pushed the New Republic to a breaking point. Each book averages 400 pages and is well worth reading.

The Dark Tower Series
The Gunslinger, Drawing of the Three, The Wastelands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, The Dark Tower
By Stephen King
A seven book series like this could lose the readers interest very easily, especially if a lesser author were at the helm. King masterfully navigates his own ship, though. This quickly became one of my favorite book series ever, and I can easily say that the sorrow and dread were palpable as the end of book 7 neared. The Gunslinger Roland, a type of knight/cowboy, leads a group through MidWorld, seeking the Dark Tower, or the nexus of the universe. King calls this series his magnum opus and one can hardly argue, as elements from multiple Stephen King tales appear throughout the series.

The Lord of the Rings
By J. R. R. Tolkien
I still remember coming out of the movie for “Fellowship of the Ring” and hearing someone say, “I can’t believe they just ended the movie like that!” Well, read the books. I had never read Lord of the Rings until 2001, and I was hooked immediately. As I reached the end of “Return of the King” I found myself feeling sad that it was almost over. Tolkien created a world of Orcs, Hobbits, Elves, Men, and Wizards. I enjoyed every moment of it.

Star Wars: Traitor
By Matthew Stover
Again, the nerd in me reaches full strength. Matthew Stover drew the somewhat unenviable task or relating the horrors of Jacen Solo’s captivity at the hands of Yuuzhan Vong. This book is part of a 19-book series called the New Jedi Order, but in a way, this book alone surpasses anything else the series accomplished. Stover’s portrayal of Jedi and Sith philosophies, as well as philosophy in general, give this book it’s power.