Realm of Elderlings
December 2009 - 22 Feb 2010
Crossposted to Fitz and the Fool
I’m certainly not spitting mad about the ending like some people were. I’m heartbroken. Which is worse. Let me elaborate.
1. Molly
I’m almost completely fine with this ending. Fitz deserved to be happy, and have a loving family. Which he now does. I liked the fact that it took these two a while to work out their differences and get together in the end. No complains there. Almost. I read in some ancient rant that Hobb didn’t want the series to have a Disneyesque ending. Ehem. What do you call this ending then? The whole ‘happily-ever-after’ scenario makes me uncomfortable. It doesn’t feel quite right. I think I understand now why many people were mad at Rowling for the way she finished HP. Too goddamn picture-perfect. Sugarcanes, sunshine and farts. Or something like it.
2. Home is people, not place.
No it isn’t. I draw on personal experience. I’ve been travelling most of my life. I lived in Russia, Japan and Australia long enough to call each place home. However, when I went back to my actual ‘home’ in Russia, after 10 years of absence, my heart nearly broke. The place is almost the same. The People I knew when I was a child, are still there. But they’ve moved on. When I was there I had a horrible feeling that I was thrown outside time. Life around me went on, but I was no longer a part of it.
3. Fool and Fitz
Now this is a painful subject for everyone. I have to say that their separation made perfect sense to me. As sad as it was, I completely understood Fool’s motivation for severing the bonds with Fitz. I can even understand why they didn’t get a chance to say a proper goodbye. Sort of. I have to concentrate until my head splits and my eyes pop out, but I sort of get it. My heart bleeds when I think about it though.
I hated the finality of it. I had to say goodbye to very dear friends, knowing full well I may not see them again (and it’s been 10 years since I last saw them). The “Last Dance of Chances” made we want to punch something. Whatever the circumstances, one cannot simply sever a bond like that and sweep it aside. Permanently. Like none of what the Fool and Fitz went through truly mattered. The rational part of me still understands the reasons for it, and I respect Hobb’s decision, but something inside me dies when I think about it.
Adding insult to injury, Hobb left a tiny hint that the two will meet again because they never really got to say goodbye. Again, the rational part of me is grateful to Hobb for this last bit of hope. The other (considerably larger) part is furious. Hobb made it clear that there is unlikely to be another book about Fitz and the Fool (and, again, I agree, and don’t want her to write anything else on the subject – the story is done). Then why the hell couldn’t she give us a complete ending? Why did she have to leave the loose ends dangling like that?
*walks away shaking head*
4. And now for the part that very nearly ruined the whole series for me.
Like I said, I understand and (mostly) accept the ending. There is one little bit, however, that (for me) throws a dark shadow over the whole series, all the way back to AA.
What was the point of letting the Fool go off thinking that Fitz was dead?
That breaks my heart. Seriously, what was the point of that? So Fitz’s supposed ‘death’ could be a cornerstone for the Fool? So now the Fool can really get his life together, now that there is nothing in the past to hold him back?
It’s a shame that my favourite book series of all time now has a bitter aftertaste. One I’m not sure will ever wash out. Not even with Apricot brandy. *le sigh*
Related forum thread at The Plenty
Related Old formu thread
Robin Hobb's rant from Blood Memories
And all of that is a very roundabout way of saying that the end of Fool's Fate wasn't supposed to be the final ending of that tale. So, it doesn't really reflect my philosophy on life. :) R.H.
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