The True and Final Happy Ending

I have never been a huge fiction reader, but over the past six months or so, I have read six books by Alexandre Dumas.  I began with his lengthy, and very entertaining, The Count of Monte Cristo.  I then picked up his five-book, D’Artagnan Romances (of which The Three Musketeers is the first).  Last night I stayed up too late finishing the final book in his series, The Man in the Iron Mask.

Naturally, some of the books were better than others.  In all of them, there were numerous historical figures used, usually with plenty of fictional stories attached to them (some flattering and others not so much).  

One of the things I so readily enjoyed about reading Dumas is his ability to paint such a powerful picture of events with words.  And not just the external events, but the internal ones, the various inclinations and desires and motivations going on within the hearts of his characters.  Also the intrigues and looks and insinuations and tones.  Not only that, but he weaved a whole host of characters with their differing issues into one coherent story.  I would often find myself reading, asking to myself, ‘Where in the world is he going with this?’  And when I finally found out, I was usually filled with joy at how it all came together.  

Until last night…

For last night, as I mentioned, I finished the final book in his series.  And I could not help but leave the work a bit disappointed. Why, you ask?  (And even if you didn’t, I am going to ask it for you).  Simply because I didn’t like the ending.  I personally, didn’t like how it all wrapped up.  For after reading five full books and more or less traveling thirty-five years with his primary four characters, I had a certain happy ending that I wanted to read.  But that is not what I found in the final chapters.  Instead, I found one that left me wondering what could have been had Dumas consulted me in all my literary wisdom.  

I realize that one of the primary reasons Dumas ended things as he did is because he inserted fictional (or exaggerated historical) figures into actual history.  So many of his characters ended in their proper historical place.  I knew that going into things, but a part of me wanted him to fix history so that it was more to my liking.  I mean, after all, it is only a few minor details, and if you can leave you readers (or at least me 150 years later) with a better taste in their mouth by doing so, what does that hurt?  

Yes, I know I am being ridiculous, but I am all about happy, even semi-ridiculous, endings.  That’s part of the reason, no doubt, I usually like chick-flicks.  I want to walk away from my dream world story with a dream world ending.  I want to escape in my story from the way things really are (at least most of the time).  

Is this healthy, I wonder?  Yes and no, I believe.  For on one hand, if you watch too many romance movies or read too many ridiculous Cinderella endings, you often end up looking at your spouse, wondering why he or she falls so short of Prince Charming or Cinderella.  You distort reality by escaping too much (for evidence of this, check out the divorce rate).  But on the other hand, this desire for a happy ending seems to be instinctive to us all.  And I am of the opinion that that desire is a good and inevitable thing that ends up pointing the way to the only real, lasting happy ending.  

Whether we believe in God or not, we all recognize instinctively that the world is not as it ought be.  The Bible fully supports this notion, telling the story of why that is, what has been done to fix it, and the happy ending that is available for all who will believe in the One who did all the fixing work.  What a story it is!  So realistic, so rich and deep and difficult at times.  But one that ends in the most glorious way possible, with the return of the Savior and the remaking of all things.  

That being said, my disappointment with Dumas’ ending is put in its proper perspective by the Scripture.  Not only that, but the way he ends his Romances actually ends up serving me well.  For it leaves me longing for the true and final happy ending.  And that is a good place to be.  

Still, I confess, I am going to rent the movie (The Man in the Iron Mask), because I think Hollywood has one of those ridiculous good endings set for me tonight.