I noticed this topic on the General Movies forum and thought it would be an interesting topic for books too.

I read the book Empire Falls by Richard Russo some time ago and while I enjoyed the first part of the book a lot, I was really disappointed by how it ended.

Any other books that didn't live up to promising beginnings?

A Frolic of His Own by William Gaddis.

I read this not too long ago, and thought it was great for about the first 400 pages and then just puttered out until I could barely finish the last hundred pages of the thing.

Girlfriend in a Coma by Douglas Coupland, it's still a good book but he kind of goes bananas about 3/4s through.

I recently read Green and Gray, a science fiction novel by Timothy Zahn. I love Zahn, but that book had the lamest ending I've ever read.

YOu can't beat a good ending in a book, but there's nothing worse than being disappointed. I'm looking forward to reading Steven Preece's next book, "Always a Marine" becasue the first book he wrote "AMongst The Marines", kinda left the door open for us to wonder what he did do after he walked through the gates for the last time.

Infinite Jest.
Infinite Jest.
Infinite Jest.

Looks like you won't have to wait long for the sequal, "Always A Marine". Its already been released. You can find it on this link. The sequal was definately worth waiting for.

http://www.bookhead.net/184596005X.aspx

Bel Canto

Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms. Love the book, but hate the ending.

quote:

Originally posted by Crash:
Infinite Jest.
Infinite Jest.
Infinite Jest.

That implies that Infinite Jest even had an ending! IMO, it just...stopped.

I agree with Bel Canto and I have to add, The DaVinci Code, but then The DaVinci Code isn't my kind of book, really.

For me, it was Peter Benchley's 'Jaws'. I read it long ago & it will always standout as the WORST ENDING EVER! It was so flippin' sudden, I had to go back & reread the last couple of pages to make sure I didn't, somehow, miss something! I was really enjoying the story. Hooper's relationship with Brody's wife was an interesting read, as was the rest of the book. It's just that ending: When the shark is charging at Brody, who is just treading water. No boat. The crew is dead. It's coming at him full speed & then...
...it JUST dies & sinks to the ocean floor. What a letdown.