Cheap Trick!

Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall is about a future England in which a combination of global climate change and a fuel shortage has led to the creation of an all powerful new government called The Authority. The book is written in journal format and describes the dismal lives people lead in cramped quarters working pointless, filthy factory jobs. When Sister is sterilized against her will by the government it is the last straw. Sister risks her life with a daring escape from the city to a utopian farm community of all women. Fascinating premise, isn’t it? I thought so, and was enjoying Sister’s dramatic tale of survival until the author decided to opt out of writing a big chunk of the book. The women of the farm learn that The Authority is coming to destroy their community. They prepare to fight, then suddenly the fight is over. I was flipping back and forth wondering if pages had been left out of my edition when I see a sneaky little heading at the top of the page, “DATA LOST”. What a cop out! I don’t know if the author didn’t want to deal with writing battle scenes, (she certainly had no qualms writing about violence previously), was bored with where the story was going, or simply did not know how to end her book.

I certainly hope other authors don’t resort to this bogus trick on their readers. What if Jane Austen hadn’t known what do with Mr. Darcy and merely leapt to the ending? How about we delete the whole battle of wits between Moby Dick and Ahab and just skip to 'And I only am escaped alone to tell thee.'

Ok, I am done ranting. For now.