zlacker

>>ipnon+(OP)
Purely in the domain of writers and endings, Patrick O'Brien has one of his characters say they think unfinished novels don't need a conclusion any more than an unfinished work of music does: you can imagine how the story goes on for yourself.

Vikram Seth does the same thing with the ending of "a suitable boy" as does Anne Proulx in "the shipping news"

Writing of one's own mortality in these situations obviously invites the final word, but it actually doesn't have to be cast as such.

For this author the situation is terrible, but the writing doesn't have to echo that finality, there's a choice to be made.

>>ggm+Q
>unfinished novels don't need a conclusion any more than an unfinished work of music does: you can imagine how the story goes on for yourself...

>...there's a choice to be made

and if the auteur does not finish it, you won't know that choice

unfinished works exist, yes, there's no denying it, but that's not the same as "unfinished works are just as good as finished". let me unfinish by saying this: I have a very short proof of Fermat's last theorem I'd like to share with you! I've encoded it in the form of a novel, but brief though it be, it won't entirely fit in this textbox... I'll get started, but I'm sure you can imagine it for yourself!

T'was a dark and stormy night when young Fermat put pen to paper...