Quote:
Originally Posted by Sephiroth 
And when is a book optimistic?
If it is terribly dark, but offers hope in the end, is that preferable to something less dark which ends negatively?
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Of course it's all completely subjective. There are a few writers I like very much whose work tends to be full of shadows and terrors -- but then there comes, every so often, that moment of grace, of hope.
And I think a truly cynical person would not be able to recognize those positive moments between individuals that you mention -- they would always color them with some negative interpretation.
And I'm not really worried about individual books or authors, it's the overall trend that concerns me. Books reflect their times, but I believe that
in the aggregate they also help to create them.
scalem, I hope you are right and that there is a shift coming. But I'd be equally dismayed if it was all flowers and sunshine and sparkly unicorns; I'd just like to see more balance. I suppose that only really occurs at the midpoint as the pendulum swings back and forth.