: Re: Can novels have twist endings? Can a novel have a twist at the end? Sure, a short story can be well written towards a not-so-obvious twist, but a 200+ page novel...can you suddenly whip it

@Goswami879

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Novels frequently (usually, even) contain plot twists. The thing is, a twist in a novel is very different from a twist in a short story. You can make a twist the core of a short story, the one element that gives the whole work its theme and meaning. A good example is short horror fiction, where many (many many) stories rely on a surprise ending to "push home" the reader's horrified reaction a la "It was Earth all along."

Murder mysteries of the whodunnit type are also expected to contain an element of surprise -- the identity of the killer. A reader who is unsurprised by the ending of a mystery is a disappointed reader. Most novels, however, rely on a certain back-and-forth between reader and narrator. Readers require certain reassurances, which vary by style and genre. In order to be effective, a surprising ending must be somewhat obvious in hindsight. Solid example: any of the first three Harry Potter books, arguably the later ones as well.

A twist in a novel has to have a narrative purpose. That's why twists belong in the middle of the book, and only rarely near the end. If you put a twist about two thirds of the way in, it can be used to show that things are getting worse for the protagonist. Example: betrayal by a major ally. The very end of the book is meant to be somehow cathartic -- unless it's actually the first part of a longer story. Example: A Game of Thrones with its by now famous death scene.

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