I have seen movies with surprise endings but very rarely have
read a novel with a shocking or surprising ending.
2007-02-10 14:11:46 · 8 answers · asked by nemesis 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
"The Visitor" by Roald Dahl
"Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk
"Make Room, Make Room" by Harry Harrison (the movie is called "Soylent Green")
"The Monkey's Paw" by JJ Jacobs (short story)
"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson (short story)
2007-02-10 14:37:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
For my money, the mother of all twist endings is "the Murder of Roger Ackroyd" by Agatha Christie. It broke new ground in mysteries the way Hitchcock's "Psycho" changed movies.
I answered a similar question a few months ago; I'd been on an Agatha Christie re-read kick so I spouted off a big list (1 and 2 being "Ackroyd" and "And then there were none") of her best twisters. I also like "the instance of the fingerpost" by Iain Pears. I did guess the twist.. but not until very close to the end - which is pretty good for a book.
You're probably like me - I've read too many mysteries and seen too many movies, so I almost always "see it coming" where others might not. I think it really has to do with familiarity of the various devices that can be used - no matter how good an author is, there are only so many ways to trick the reader (and be fair about it.) A good comparison is my boyfriend is extremely knowledgable about movies and hasn't been surprised by a single good twist in any movie that takes most people by surprise (ie; sixth sense, Fight Club.) Likewise it's really hard to trick me on the page and most books that are praised as being twisty or shocking really aren't to me.
here's a link to my answer to the other question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApVEAe2g1.ddXiMDkfFvgc_sy6IX?qid=20061115185357AAyXHZr&show=7#profile-info-AA10883237
2007-02-10 15:24:12 · answer #2 · answered by lalabee 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How about Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd;The Seven Dials Mystery; or And Then There Were None (Ten Little Indians)?
2007-02-10 14:28:19 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Childhoods End by Arthur C. Clarke. There is a surprise twist in the middle of the book too.
2007-02-10 14:19:55 · answer #4 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie... really worth reading.
2007-02-10 21:19:14 · answer #5 · answered by Samarah 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
2007-02-10 14:18:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The novel was 'The Sorrow of War', by author Bao Ninh.
2007-02-10 16:00:11 · answer #7 · answered by WMD 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My Sister's Keeper.
2007-02-10 14:19:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋