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"I don't want a happy ending..."
Feb. 9th, 2026 06:07 pmAt the pub quiz, we have just reached the end of our Book Of The Moment, Frances Hardinge's Fly By Night. The BOTM supplies one question a week, working through in a fairly orderly manner; so regular quizzers can pick up a fairly reliable point, if they are prepared to read a chapter or so each week. Fly By Night was my nomination (but the Quizmaster's choice) and I am very pleased with how well it worked. For me, that is: obviously I'd love to have converted other readers to one of my favourite writers, but I have very little feedback. People do seem to have been reading the book, and I wasn't hearing the sort of complaints I've heard about previous BOTMs. I know the First Reserve Quizmaster didn't enjoy it, but you can't win them all...
Anyway, two reasons for this post. First, to record how very much I enjoyed this re-read. It's a book that responds very well to being read slowly, with attention to every detail. I remember the first time I read Fly By Night, I reached the end of - I think it was the third chapter (they are quite short) - which ends with a line that just made me laugh out loud. This time I wondered, what took me so long?. So many lovely phrases, such wonderful descriptions, so much fun...
The final question in its tenure related to this line from the very last chapter. Mosca Mye says "I don't want a happy ending - " What does she want? Well, that's easy: she wants more story." And what makes it even easier is that this quotation constitutes the entire text on the back cover of my (hardback) editions of the book: "I don't want a happy ending. I want more story." It's a great line, but also I was delighted that it runs counter to my usual complaint about cover copy which tells you too much about what comes later in the narrative. It seems that you can get away with quoting even the last chapter, if you do it right.
Anyway, two reasons for this post. First, to record how very much I enjoyed this re-read. It's a book that responds very well to being read slowly, with attention to every detail. I remember the first time I read Fly By Night, I reached the end of - I think it was the third chapter (they are quite short) - which ends with a line that just made me laugh out loud. This time I wondered, what took me so long?. So many lovely phrases, such wonderful descriptions, so much fun...
The final question in its tenure related to this line from the very last chapter. Mosca Mye says "I don't want a happy ending - " What does she want? Well, that's easy: she wants more story." And what makes it even easier is that this quotation constitutes the entire text on the back cover of my (hardback) editions of the book: "I don't want a happy ending. I want more story." It's a great line, but also I was delighted that it runs counter to my usual complaint about cover copy which tells you too much about what comes later in the narrative. It seems that you can get away with quoting even the last chapter, if you do it right.
