While I Was Sleeping
Having watched the Lord of the Rings video - Return of the King for the umpteenth time, I came to reflect on the way that death is handled in the world of fiction.
Whilst the city of Minas Tirith is under siege from Saurons orcs ; Gandalf explains to Pippin that death is only the beginning of another journey and there's nothing to be afraid of. In comparison, in Sabriel, a science fantasy novel by Garth Nix full of Necromancers and free magic, death is handled differently. In this tale the dead are the enemy and it's Sabriel's job is to prevent the dead from walking in life for " that is not their path".
"I wonder if the way death is handled affects whether we enjoy a book or not."
My mother for example found Sabriel disturbing and macabre. I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that she's approaching her later years and the she has an increased awareness of death. Maybe we are all frightened ,whether we admit it or not, and Sci-fi often offers an alternative.
I was amazed in Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy where planet earth is completely destroyed by the 4th chapter to make way for an intergalactic highway. A very cavalier and light-hearted start to a story which sets the tone for the rest of the book.
And so to Harry Potter which I thoroughly enjoy and regularly read every night before I go to sleep. The characters don't seem to go away when dead; for example they regularly appear waving out of photograph albums, portraits or chocolate frog cards. I'd love to know how this is supposed to work, but then that's magic for you.!
In conclusion, the endings of science fiction/fantasy novels are many and varied. I personally enjoy the books where death is not the end of life but the beginning of a new journey.
The Hermit.