Book Talk: Why epilogues are ruining my characters' lives

Recently I was on a blog hop where the topic of "plot change-ups" came up. The point was to take a book that you didn't particularly like and re-vision the plot. Interestingly, the topic of epilogues popped up a lot. As it turns out, many readers took issue not with the main plot but with how the characters' lives progressed in the epilogue. Thinking about this, I too realized that a lot of my mixed feelings about a book have come from the "life revelations" experienced by characters in the epilogue.

I don't know exactly what it is about an epilogue that can sway some readers' feelings in so few pages, but I think it has to do with a case of Too Much Information.

Here's where I think epilogues throw people like me off. Reading involves a full immersion of yourself as a character(s). Even if an author lays out the exact description of every character and scene, readers still find yourself  injecting personal thoughts and ideas into a story. For instance, there may be a MC described as a tall blonde and I may instead envision her as a brunette. This is because that is what I am and I like to inject my traits into the story. Just because something was wrote one way doesn't mean that I see it that way.

Reading is world building. For as much as the author describes everything going on, there is still an individual freedom for the reader to digress from what was written and build their own world. That's what draws a reader in and excites them. Because of this, we become so emotionally invested into a book/character that we feel a part of it. Like what we're thinking is coming to life - because we're interpreting motives and ideas in our own way.

So here you are. A couple hundred of pages into a book. Hours of reading time. Days of character immersion and world building. And you've reached the end. That sad last page of the last chapter with a squiggly symbol after the last paragraph. You take a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. One filled with the sadness of ending another book, but the happiness of living vicariously through another life much more exciting than yours. But it's okay that the book is finished. Because you have hopes and dreams for these characters. That the lovers stay together forever and explore the world. That the brother comes back from war. That the two people that wrecked each others' lives never cross paths again...

But no...what's this? No...NO! It can't be! There are still three more pages! What is this sorcery?!

AN EPILOGUE.

And guess what?

The the lovers end up with 2.4 kids, a white picket fence, colonial style home, a Labrador puppy, and office jobs.

But what? NO! That's not what was supposed to happen! They were never supposed to settle and have kids because they were supposed to travel the world together - just like they always wanted! And they would have never given up the Manhattan high-rise with a view of central park for a patch of green! And absolutely NO WAY would they have an office job! They're supposed to be traveling the world dammit! AND WHAT? They killed off his kind, brave, broken-hearted brother?! WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT?!

And just like that your fictitious world has been crushed. The characters that you thought you knew so well just stabbed you in the back. You feel betrayed. Because you know that they would not have chosen this life. They were forced by an evil hand! And now they're living in misery. Your poor beloved characters are slowly dying. The life leaving their eyes. And all you can do is sit back and watch...stunned...with no place to turn to for help...because all of their bright and shiny future doors have been closed.

It's the fault of an evil-doer who goes by the name of 'Epilogue'.

*Sigh*

And that is why epilogues are ruining MY characters' lives.