One More Shot at City of Thieves

Hey All,

I just finished City of Thieves, and I have to admit, I'm sad.  Don't worry, though, this happens often when I finish a book I really like.  I once heard an author (or perhaps a reviewer, I can't remember who) tell of how he never once finished a book, because if he did, it would make him sad to have it over.  I'm not quite that dramatic, and, well, I like to know how things end.  Oftentimes, though, I end up, even with books I really enjoy, disappointed in the ending of a book.

I used to be in a band, and I know how hard it can be to write the end of a song.  Just think about it: do you make the music simply fade out?  Do you sing it out?  End on one final note?  The possibilities can be daunting.  Now, I'm not saying the same thing happens with a novel, as I am sure most writers already know their endings before they're even halfway done writing the book.  But my point here is in the details.  That's what I either love or am disappointed in with book endings.  And City of Thieves, though not the best, has a good ending.

What constitutes a good ending for me is a sense of completeness.  When I am finished the book, I shouldn't feel that there is anything left dangling.  Certain questions can be left unsaid, if that is the nature of the book, but I don't want any loose ends.  When I read the last sentence, I want to feel as though I know all that the author wants me to know.  For that reason, I try my best to anticipate when I will finish a book, because I like to take a few minutes once I finish, and reflect on what I just read.  If the book and it's ending were good, chances are that I'll have a great big smile on my face while doing this, and will just bliss out for a while.  That, to me, is the sign of a good experience.

I'm tempted to tell everyone to read City of Thieves, but I know that not every good book will affect everyone in the same way.  Just as not everyone gets goosebumps on their skin every time they see the replay of Joe Carter hitting the World Series-winning homerun in 1993 for the Blue Jays.  Still, even a casual observer of sports, with a little understanding of baseball, can appreciate what that homerun might mean to a fan.  So it is that a person can appreciate a good book when they read one.

Wow, this really sounds like a review, eh?  It's not what I meant, but I just kind of went where my mind took me on this post.

I'm starting my next book tonight: Helter Skelter, by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry, and recommended to me by Jocelyn McEachern.  It's about the Manson murders, and was not the kind of book I expected from little Jocey.  I'm excited to get into it, in part because serial killers and murderers intrigue me, but also because I rarely read non-fiction, and I think it will be somewhat challenging for me.

-Bryan