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Making changes to the classics

Fearless iVillagers reveal the endings they would have liked to certain novels...

We've all read novels that didn't end the way we'd hoped for. But what if you could change the ending of a classic novel and give it your perfect spin? Following are several iVillagers' new takes on old tales...

'I have read The Age of Innocence countless times, and each time I am completely devastated that Leland Archer doesn't go up to Madame Olenska's apartment to see her. After so much longing, so much passion, so many years... he must be a masochist to deny himself one afternoon with her at least!
My preferred ending: Leland lets his son go up without him and sits down to gather his thoughts, savour the moment, remember. But instead of taking the change of light on her window as a cue to leave, he takes it as a request from his own heart (and, perhaps from hers as well) to allow himself to feel alive and free all at once for the first time in his life. Several minutes pass. Slowly, Leland gets up and strolls into the building. We are not told what happens after that. It doesn't really matter, anyway. Leland, now in his late 50s, has begun to live his own life.'

'I love Of Mice and Men and I love Lennie. I wish that he could have got away in the end. I hate the whole part from where he kills the girl, I would have to change all that, maybe have his friend come in then and have a big fight with him, even humiliate him, but at least they would make up, they always do, and he would be alive and have those darn rabbits.'

'I would change the ending of Gone with the Wind. After Rhett leaves saying "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", I would have Scarlett cry about it, get on with her life, grow up a bit and meet Rhett again years later by chance. This time it would work out happily.'

'I would have changed the ending of A Little Princess. I always thought that it should have at LEAST had a part where Ms Minchin gets hers [comeuppance]. After seeing the ending to the latest movie I think that is about the most perfect ending when it comes to Ms Minchin. I think that the "friend" should have bought the school and turned her out, even though I know it goes against Sara's nature. I like to pretend that it did happen and it just didn't say so in the book.'

'The one I would change is actually a children's book, but a classic anyway. It's The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. As you all know, in the book, unlike the Disney movie, the little mermaid does not marry the prince, he marries someone else (a princess, not a sea witch, mind you), and the mermaid is condemned in some kind of "half-way state" between mermaid and angel, for I believe a thousand years. Then it depends on children's actions all over the world to add (when they're bad) or subtract (when they're good) years to her sentence.
I would definitely have the prince find out she's the one who saved him from drowning, and at least kiss her (well, you know, no need to marry anyone these days) before the sun sets that day. Then she can live among humans like she wanted to, and meet a handsome guy (not necessarily royal) to live with happily ever after.'

Why not chat to other iVillagers about film and entertainment on the Talking About Books message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions taking place right now on the board:

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