: Re: Do readers not like a book if it's too dark and the characters almost never win? I started a book and although I wanted it to be dark, will the readers find it too dark if the characters

@Kevin153

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It depends on the book and the reader but broadly I believe it has to make sense either way. For example Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm by George Orwell wouldn't make the least bit of sense if the protagonists won, that's just not what they're about, they're both no win situations from the get go. Equally the protagonists of the Narnia books have God on their side, at least that was always my understanding of what Aslan is supposed to be, so they always win and it's only sensible that they do.

In most cases it's not so clear cut, you don't know until the bitter end who's won or lost, and in some cases, like the end of Prince of Chaos you don't even know for sure who won even after the story ends. This can be satisfying too though, because it makes sense within the context of the story that definite answers are beyond reach.

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