Had a buddy tell me he reread the last chapter of a Stephen King book and realized the ending was actually the twist all along

We were talking about weird endings over beers on Saturday, and he brought up the end of The Mist. He said that once you know the twist, the whole thing reads totally different. Has anyone else had an ending completely change for them after a second read?

3 comments

3 Comments

beth_sanchez4719h agoOG Member

The ending of The Mist is a good example but it's not really a twist that changes the whole book. That final scene is just the main character making a terrible decision in the heat of the moment, not some hidden clue you missed the first time. The book plays out the same way regardless, the only difference is you know ahead of time how badly it ends for him.

nancy_green18h ago

Man, I had a buddy who read that book years ago and then forgot the ending. He picked it up AGAIN last year and said it hit COMPLETELY different, he kept yelling "don't do it" at the pages. Totally backing up what @green.jessica said about those tiny details screaming at you on a reread.

green.jessica18h ago

Wait hold on. Beth said it's not a hidden clue? That's ... actually wild to me. I read that ending the first time and felt sick, but then I went back and noticed all the tiny signs leading up to it. The way the guy looks at the other survivors, the way he holds the gun. Like that little detail where he counts the bullets in his head. Felt totally different the second time around.