Just what is an epilogue? Is it the satisfying final comment on/conclusion to a story? Is it a lazy way to tell everyone everything will be okay without having to write a sequel? Is it something unnecessary, a way for the author to not have to actually reach a conclusion within the confines of the story?
Honestly, it’s hard to know. I’ve written books with an epilogue, and I’ve
written them without. One epilogue was
about setting the stage for the next chapter without being heavy-handed with it. Other stories didn’t seem to need one.
I’ve kind of struggled to categorize this. I’ve read epilogues that seem mistitled, like
they’re just additional chapters instead of true
conclusions/after-comments. Sometimes they’ve
served a purpose, like an after-dinner drink.
Which statement fits depended greatly on how both the story and the
skill of the author writing it.
Maybe it doesn’t need to be categorized, at least on a
holistic level. Perhaps they should be
judged individually. Bad epilogues can and
should be called out, but maybe good epilogues give a feeling of closure. The Harry Potter epilogue did that for me,
but it was one of the few. Most of the
time, the epilogue does little for my enjoyment, one way or the other, but it
sometimes fits.
So have I really said anything here? Probably not.
Maybe it’s just another one of those stream-of-consciousness blogging
things. :-P
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