I have recently felt extremely let down by the final pages of two different books.

The first book was Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Yes, the same story as the film with Julia Roberts in it). I loved it. It was so refreshing to read an autobiographical book that not only made me laugh, but it also made me feel like I was really getting to know Liz Gilbert, and I was really growing to respect her for the choices she made during the year that the book is about.

The premise is this: a married American has a dawning realisation that her life is far from perfect and she doesn’t feel happy in her marriage any more, but in fact trapped, and wants to get out. In order to get out of the marriage it means her admitting to herself that her relationship failed and that she needs to be on her own; something she hasn’t done for more than a matter of weeks her whole post-pubescent life. So I’m sure it was a daunting prospect, that she really drills home through her unbelievably honest writing.

She decides that to learn who she is, she can’t just carry on living her life as she had when she was married, because she’ll just crawl back to the same old same old, and nothing will really change – except for her feeling miserable as she is now a divorcee. Liz arranges (and I’m quite jealous that she could just do this no problem) to take a year out. Out of everything pretty much. She plans to go travelling. She plans to spend year in Italy, India and Indonesia. In Italy she eats. That’s it really! She eats, and she learns to speak Italian. This part of the book I found begin to drag, but I stuck with it, and am glad I did so.

Next, Liz plods on over to India and spends time in an Ashram. This was really interesting; the relationships she forged with fellow residents and with God was amazing, and again, very honestly written. It was intriguing to learn about life in that situation, and how she removed herself completely from life to be at one with herself. I really respected her at this point of the book, and was quite envious on some levels.

The following part of the book was about balance, and trying to find the right point between living for herself, and living for God and not being drawn back into her old lifestyle upon her return to the US. This part of the book was quite spiritual as well, which I really enjoyed reading.

About 30 pages from the end, I loved this book. It was just what I needed to read at the time, and it was inspiring to read about someone living life for themselves and God and not needing anybody else in their life. By all means people will come into her (and my, and every other reader’s) life and make an impact, but it will be her choice to let them in, and she won’t need them, won’t have to depend on them, because she is and has everything she needs within her. I loved this sentiment, and was genuinely feeling empowered by it.

And then she went and married the first bloke she met.

Disappointed is not even the word. I was devastated. She was almost becoming a guru-like figure in my life, and then she went and did THAT. What?! How can I look up to her for being this strong independent woman when, at the end of her year of discovery, all she discovered was that she needed a man? And not even the perfect, most amazing man she’d ever met, no, just the first one she met.

I was gutted. I felt like she had let me down. Not only let me down, but all other women who are in search of true independence and empowerment. To be completely honest, I feel like that’s not even the worst part. I feel like she let herself down. She could have gone onto so much better, but in my eyes it’s like she settled, just because she didn’t really want to go back to America to be alone. I feel sorry for her. It’s like she clearly has no self-worth, and holds no value for herself. She couldn’t go back to America to begin her life as this fantastic woman, no. She had to go back as part of a couple because it’s clearly all she knows how to be.

I suppose in a way, the book did work. It has made me feel more empowered, because I know not to make her stupid mistake.

That’s the first book I was let down by.

The second was The Dinosaur Feather. A book Amy gave me for my birthday I do believe. Just because it had the word dinosaur in it, but reading the back was actually nothing to do with dinosaurs.

Well, it was in fact to do with dinosaurs. But it got incredibly sciencey!!

It was a crime thriller, and I felt so let down by the ending because everything was just as it appeared, and I think there should’ve been a couple of twists. I even predicted them, and thought to myself “Yes, this is going to be a fantastic book!” And then the twists never happened. It just ended. It was like the stupid writer just wanted a happily ever after.

I think that’s a big problem with women writers. They always just want a happy ending, and they don’t want to go too gory, or too sadistic. And I think some books need it. They need to freak out the reader, and they need to disappoint the reader. Not because of poor writing but because they’ve killed of a loveable character or something like that!

I really thought there was going to be an exciting twist in this story. Basically this is what happened: the son killed the dad just because he was mad at him and then killed himself just because he could and the other murder in the book wasn’t linked in any way. What?!?! That’s not an exciting novel, it’s lame!!! The mum should have been behind it all, she should have been the murderer of the man and her son, but she should’ve framed her son. It even fits, it would have worked! But nope, it was the son, and the other murder was an honest mistake. Yawn. Stupid Danish book. It boasts on the front cover that it is the Danish crime novel of the decade. I am certainly not in any hurry to read any other Danish books if that is the case!

Sorry for the spoilers, but to be honest, I think I’ve saved you the trouble of your own disappointment from these titles. You can thank me later.