Memory of Saccharide Endings

So I know from class discussion that I am by no means the only one who cringed internally reading the end of Memory of Running. Despite this novel generally being of a completely different type and genre than my usual reading material (I can't remember the last time I read a New York Times bestseller), I had been enjoying it until McLarty's slap-in-the-face TV ending.

One of the things that I found to be interesting about this novel was that Smithy is so different from the typical TV (or hollywood, or comic book, or New York Times bestseller) image of a hero. He isn't shiny or obviously charismatic or even very compelling (at least not before he gets going on his ride). In fact, in many ways he is extraordinary in his ordinary-ness.

Other characters as well seem to break out of what a reader might expect. It's nice that the primary love-interest of the novel is between two unconventional oddballs (I mean that in an endearing and unoffensive way) Smithy and Norma. Now, even that obviously growing romantic connection between the two of them was giving me a hint of sickly sweet aftertaste while the novel was in progress. To be honest, I never cared much for Norma, who I always saw as being clingy and needy despite her assertions of physical independence. So I was never all that moved by the possibility of a love connection between her and Smithy. I tolerated it, but was never really sold on the idea.

Needless to say the ending took my teetering ambivalence and pushed it over the side of that cliff. It was too fake, too sweet, too neat and clean. I wanted Smithy to find resolution to his journey himself. To come to terms with the loss of his Bethany and his parents within himself before making the decision himself to return, victorious, to his life and to Norma (if thats what he chose--and I was expecting and prepared for him to choose that.)

That Norma showed up, out of the blue in L.A. (with impeccable dramatic timing no less), de-emphasized Smithy's prominence as a protagonist and chipped away at his accomplishments. At least that's how I see it. Even turning a blind eye to the cheesy-ness, I still think of this ending as McLarty taking the easy way out.