Meine letzte RezensionThe Ending Writes Itselfvon Evelyn Clarke
Publishing is ruthless. Only very few authors make it to the top. One would like to believe that talent and persistence is enough for anyone to make it. In most cases, it isn't. "Midlist" is a word that grew to have a negative connotation - but truth is, most authors that write consistently are midlist, and that does not mean they are not successful. Midlist means you make enough with your books to live off of - which in this industry is a feat in and of itself.
But let's be honest: Which midlist author wouldn't jump at the chance, to make it to the top?
In "The Ending Writes itself", six authors are presented with that exact opportunity. They have 72 hours to write the perfect ending to the most anticipated book of the year - and the winner gets a publishing deal beyond anyone's wildest dreams.
Each of the characters comes with their own motivations and dreams, and with their own approach to writing. Some are in the business for simply the love of the craft, some like having written more than writing itself. Some write three thousand words a day, others do literally anything but write.
It is super interesting to see all these different kinds of authors, that all somehow made their way up enough to live off their craft. There really is no "right" way to approach writing, and this book shows that perfectly.
It's a harsh but honest critique of the current publishing industry - that is full of rigged chances and rejections for everyone who doesn't quite fit the mold. And even those who do fit the mold often struggle to keep up with trends. It's a ruthless business that often gets romanticised and it's refreshing to see such an honest take on it.
Of course that is not all this book is. It's a closed circle murder mystery, that Stephen King compared to Agatha Christie for a reason. Once it had gripped me, I found myself unable to stop reading, finishing the "last" 250 pages in a single day. I needed to know what was going on, who was behind all the bloodshed, and whether the reason was really just that this is a cutthroat industry - literally.
The fact that all the characters are writers makes it even more fun: They spell out tropes and literary tools like a Red Herring for everyone to see, only to make you realise in the end that those exact tropes and tools were used on you, the reader, in the very book you're holding.
It is absolutely genius writing and I'm finding myself rereading now, to find all the little hints and false trails that were put there for us to find.
Even if thrillers or crime novels arent your usual genre, i urge you to give this one a try, because this isn't just that. It's satirical, it's bloody, gripping, horrifying and funny all at the same time. Any book can be for anyone, and you never know what you will enjoy if you only stick to what you know.
