My sister told me to skip the last chapter of our book club pick and I'm glad I did

Our group chose a big, dense novel last month, 'The Glass Fortress,' and I was really struggling to get through it. With two days left before our meeting, I called my sister, who's in a different book club. She said, 'Elliot, just stop at page 420. Trust me, the final chapter ruins the whole book by explaining too much.' I was unsure, but I did it. At our meeting in the community center, the debate was wild. Everyone who finished the book hated the ending, calling it a cheap trick that undid all the good character work. I was the only one who loved the story, because I ended on a moment of hope the author set up perfectly. My sister's advice saved the book for me. Has anyone else gotten a tip like that which completely changed your view on a club book?

2 comments

2 Comments

baker.phoenix1mo ago

Skip the last chapter of a book and you didn't really read it.

milarodriguez1mo ago

Honestly... I've had the opposite happen. My friend told me to push through the slow middle of a book everyone loved. I almost quit, but she said the last third made it all worth it. She was right... the boring parts felt different once I saw how they all connected. It made me wonder if we sometimes quit books too early.