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epilogues
For some reason I find myself moved to write about epilogues, specifically the epilogue to The Lord of the Rings.
If you've just read The Lord of the Rings itself, you won't have seen this. Apparently everyone who read the book before publication found it so repulsively treacly that the author decided to omit it. But you can judge for yourself by looking it up in the posthumous volumes Sauron Defeated or The End of the Third Age.
It takes place 18 years after the Fall of Barad-dûr. It's about Sam surrounded by his children. It's warm and fuzzy, with lots of retrospective comments on the story just passed. Sam's children address him as "Sam-dad," and ask him questions like, What happened to Gimli and Legolas and Shadowfax, and did the Ents ever find the Entwives? Sam answers to the best of his ability.
Some discussion of these questions did make it into the appendices, written after the epilogue was abandoned, but those lack the conscious "wrapping it up" nature of the epilogue. The published ending has an elegant simplicity; the epilogue - well, maybe it was a bit much.
How come I'm mentioning this, you ask? Why, do I need a particular reason?
If you've just read The Lord of the Rings itself, you won't have seen this. Apparently everyone who read the book before publication found it so repulsively treacly that the author decided to omit it. But you can judge for yourself by looking it up in the posthumous volumes Sauron Defeated or The End of the Third Age.
It takes place 18 years after the Fall of Barad-dûr. It's about Sam surrounded by his children. It's warm and fuzzy, with lots of retrospective comments on the story just passed. Sam's children address him as "Sam-dad," and ask him questions like, What happened to Gimli and Legolas and Shadowfax, and did the Ents ever find the Entwives? Sam answers to the best of his ability.
Some discussion of these questions did make it into the appendices, written after the epilogue was abandoned, but those lack the conscious "wrapping it up" nature of the epilogue. The published ending has an elegant simplicity; the epilogue - well, maybe it was a bit much.
How come I'm mentioning this, you ask? Why, do I need a particular reason?
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When done well at the end of a magnificent modern series, it can be quite effective, particularly if the author limits it to broad outlines of closure and healing for the major characters, uncluttered.
Just sayin'.
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Speaking of posthumous publishing, what's your opinion of the new Children of Hurin?
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