That feeling you get after a great story

[Celitholar]

You know the one. You just finished an amazing story, whether it is a book, movie, or show. It leaves you wanting more. You don't want those character's stories to end. Afterwards, you feel empty because you know it is the end.

I had this happen to me the first time I finished Avatar The Last Airbender. And oddly enough, I watched it a second time and I felt the same. I found myself missing the Gaang. Not just the main characters either. I missed "being a part of the world".

Anyone find a cure? Cause right now all I want to do is watch the entire Avatar series again. Not that I would mind that

Has anyone else felt this way? What story gave you this feeling?

[Hadessniper]

Oh I get this all the time. I really get into the world of a story and it kills me when it ends. I grieve when I finish a good story. I haven't really found a cure except diving into the next world. Although if it was truly exceptional it sometimes spoils me so I can't get interested in another book/TV show for a while. I hate when that happens because if I don't have a book going I feel lost.

[Comet]

That's what fan fiction is for. Not my cup of w/e, with a few exceptions, but might do the trick for you.

As for examples on my part... well, Planescape: Torment comes to mind. Fall-from-Grace delivers a line at the very end that implies that she is not quite done with this whole plane walking misadventure thing. At that moment I thought it would have been fun for her to have her own spin off, searching for you know who and eventually coming to terms with the fact that the multiverse moves on and that she may herself just have to sit down and accept the decision made at that final moment in the game.
Plus, you know, Fall-from-Grace is cool. See, now I'm thinking like a fan fiction writer!

[Mauve Shirt]

This is a problem I have. It's why I reread books as much as I tend to. And why I watch series finales multiple times.

[Weimann]

I know the feeling. I don't get it often, but some stuff is just too good. Strangers in Paradise, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Harry Potter and Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations have caused such reactions.

As bittersweet as that feeling is, stewing on it for too long tends to detract form the enjoyment of the story. I usually cure it with discussion. I'm not a fan of re-reading books or re-watching shows; it always detracts from the 100% pure, full enjoyment of the first time and can never be as good again. Instead, I post my thoughts on the internet or talk with friends (although not many of them have my taste ) so that I can process the turmoil in my head.

Sometimes, reading another book is a good way too. Ideally not someone quite as good, since your previous high will make it really hard for even a great book to compare.

[Tengu_temp]

I have this feeling almost constantly. From my experience, the best to do is to talk about the story you just finished with other people, preferably fans of the same thing. Also, you need to accept the fact that the same day you finish a great story, you won't be able to think about anything else - you can try to distract yourself from it, but only important real life matters will manage to achieve that. Savour that feeling, because it might seem like an obsession, but it's ultimately a positive one.

[Celitholar]

Bittersweet! Thats the word I was thinking of!

Now that I think about, the best way to be rid of that feeling is to talk to someone else about it. Must be why I'm trying to get my roommates to watch ATLA

I tried to watch another anime and just kept thinking back to ATLA
Next thing I know I downloaded a bunch of Avatar desktop wallpapers and watching clips on youtube.

[BiblioRook]

Last book that came off this way with me was an obscure one called "Heroes by Necessity".
It was just one of those books that (for me) promised to be everything you were looking for in a fantasy novel... and held up. After I was done with it I think I had to take a week off from reading in reflection, I was just so blown away. I might have even cried a bit [/not serious].

That's actually the part of it I hate the most. While riding on that ambrosial high after experiencing a really good story that it becomes all the more harder to move on to the next one because you know that the next book (or whatever) will never hold up in comparison... even if in hindsight it actually does.

[Darkmyst]

It's a dreadful sensation, true, but the high one experiences in getting to that point is worth it. BiblioRook is right though, you need to take a break from reading after finishing your stint in a particularly engrossing world, just to avoid flavouring your perception of the next one.

One thing I've found: Re-reading doesn't help much. You can never read a book for the first time again, and that's always when your experience will be its best. Subsequent exposure won't have the same impact, and at worst will just prolong your reflection on how the story you enjoyed has ended.

(Can't remember my own most recent experience with this phenomenon; I suspect it will occur again when the Fallout: Equestria fanfic finally concludes, but that that hasn't happened yet . Also, go and read that if you like either Fallout or Ponies. It's marvelous.)

[Closet_Skeleton]

Actually, I think you'll find that the word you're looking for is "catharsis".

The benefits of a classical education .

[Hadessniper]

Actually, I think you'll find that the word you're looking for is "catharsis".

The benefits of a classical education .

I don't agree. Catharsis is the feeling that a story came to it's natural conclusion. It's a different feeling. It's what you feel when you finish a good self contained book or movie and everything is wrapped up. Catharsis is when the story finishes with the proper closure. It's a warm feeling that everything is as it should be.

This is sort of the opposite. It's when you still have a need to be in the world that was created with the characters you fell in love with. It's really almost more akin to grief.

[Tengu_temp]

I dunno, from my experience the post-story catharsis combines both feelings. You feel great that you've finished something awesome, yet at the same time feel sad that there won't be more. Once you learn to accept this feeling it's 100% positive, really.

[Tyrant]

I know the feeling. I have usually felt it after watching a long series, like an anime series. It seems to be worse if I watch it all at once (or in very few sittings). It probably doesn't help that the anime series I seem to be drawn to usually have a bittersweet ending or one with a high body count. I know I felt this way after watching the end of Cowboy Bebop (the final two episodes are still my favorite, and I think they are on Adult Swim tonight). Some of the Gundam series have had this effect on me, like War in the Pocket, 8th MS Team, Zeta Gundam, and Char's Counterattack. Though in fairness, the first three of those it may have just been purely from bittersweet endings, especially War in the Pocket. Char's Counterattack though is the end to Amuro and Char's story that ran through most of the UC stories. The live action example I can think of off hand is 24.

Some video games, like KotoR I and II, have given me that feeling. I've occasionally put off finishing a video game because I know that will be the end of it (until I get around to trying to replay it, if I do).

With books, for me it usually happens when it is the end of a character (or characters) even if there are more books set in that particular setting. The example I can think of off hand is the Dragonlance Legends trilogy.

[warty goblin]

I dunno, from my experience the post-story catharsis combines both feelings. You feel great that you've finished something awesome, yet at the same time feel sad that there won't be more. Once you learn to accept this feeling it's 100% positive, really.

I'd go further even, and say that at some point it stops even being sad, because you recognize that ending is what makes it great - particularly if the story ends well.

[Remmirath]

That happens to me a lot. It is mostly a nice feeling, in my opinion. It's probably why I tend to read more slowly towards the end of a good book or play more slowly towards the end of a good game.

Usually I just take the next few days to sort of reflect on it before doing anything similar again. Re-reading/playing/watching something right away doesn't work for me to get rid of the feeling, though if I like something a lot I will usually do so every now and then - just not right away.

Talking about it and looking for things related to it are good things, in my opinion - although for the books I don't usually have many people to talk to. That's mostly for games and movies, for me.

[BiblioRook]

I'd go further even, and say that at some point it stops even being sad, because you recognize that ending is what makes it great - particularly if the story ends well.

If anything that makes it more bittersweet. It's one thing if there the vague (abit unlikely) possibility of continuation because at least there you can wallow in the blissful pools of denial until the mood passes, but when something very decidedly ends you're just left with exactly that. Not only that but you are also left with the realization that no matter how much you wish you had more, because it ended so well, if by chance there would be any attempts to continue it or stretch it out it would be likely be disgustingly forced contrite and possibly even ruin many of the wonderful feelings the work initially inspired...

[ScionoftheVoid]

I get this a lot, particularly with video games (which I often leave unifinished for months or longer purely to avoid this). Then television programmes and then books. Which is basically also the order of how often I finish them, from least to most, which makes sense. I'm more used to finishing a good book so I don't feel so conflicted about it.

[Venctin]

I got this when I finished my very first Doctor Who marathon. My very first exposure was The Eleventh Hour, and I thought "Hey, this isn't so bad." so I watched Series 1 episode 1, then episode 2, and so on, until the end.

[Obrysii]

Honestly, the feeling I get is "Dammit, why couldn't I have thought of that?"

[Fiery Diamond]

I hate this feeling. I love this feeling. I hate this feeling. I love this feeling.

...

AAAARRRGGGH!

...

Yeah, I know what you're talking about.

[Caeci Somnia]

There's a nice little quote that sums up this feeling pretty well, I think.

Bastian Balthazar Bux's passion was books.
If you have never spent whole afternoons with burning ears and rumpled hair, forgetting the world around you over a book, forgetting cold and hunger—
If you have never read secretly under the bedclothes with a flashlight, because your father or mother or some other well-meaning person has switched off the lamp on the plausible ground that it was time to sleep because you had to get up so early—
If you have never wept bitter tears because a wonderful story has come to an end and you must take your leave of the characters with whom you have shared so many adventures, whom you have loved and admired, for whom you have hoped and feared, and without whose company life seems empty and meaningless—
If such things have not been part of your own experience, you probably won't understand what Bastian did next.
— The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

1st of all: catharsis is a very specific term. It's the feeling at the end of a tragedy, where everyone who is going to die has died, the story is over, and it's, in effect, the release of emotion. Very specific to tragedy.

2ndly, the last book to have the effect you're talking about for me, was the Millennium Trilogy. DAMN those books were good!

[AtlanteanTroll]

This is why reruns exist. Nothing stopping you from watching/reading it again.

[Hadessniper]

This is why reruns exist. Nothing stopping you from watching/reading it again.

Yeah, but you can never go home again.

[DomaDoma]

Well, first I brood over the deaths of my favorite characters. (For all my griping about George R.R. Martin, everything I've considered a "great story" has killed at least one character I love.) Then I give it a reread, rewatch or whatever's applicable.

And that's when I seriously overthink things. I speculate about how the events of Order of the Phoenix would have affected Joe Blough the Human Azkaban Guard. (Having previously concluded that human Azkaban guards are the only way they'd know what Sirius was muttering in his sleep.) I learn something cool and new and see instantly how it's applicable to the story and the story is applicable to it. Piqued by this, I go do some research, and it creates this big recursive loop, until finally the story's simple "everyone but the villain is ineffectual for a while" is transmuted into agonizing over things like the logistics of holding a pop concert in Philadelphia. And I become a maddening avatar of smugness because nobody knows what the devil I'm talking about any more.

The fact that this puttered out in late 2008 as far as Harry Potter is concerned probably means that the seventh book really was too neat and tidy, or some other sort of subtle letdown.