--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want an ending that's satisfying. I'm…" description: "\"I want an ending that's satisfying. I'm more of a classical writer than a modernist one in that I want the ending to be coherent and feel like an endin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/jeffrey-eugenides-462_chaotic_i-want-an-ending-that-s-satisfying-i-m-m_2828065.jpg" --- # I want an ending that's satisfying. I'm more of a… ![“I want an ending that's satisfying. I'm more of a classical writer than a modernist one in that I want the ending to be coherent and feel like an ending. I don't like when it just seems to putter out. I mean, life is chaotic enough.” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/jeffrey-eugenides-462_chaotic_i-want-an-ending-that-s-satisfying-i-m-m_2828065.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/jeffrey-eugenides-462_chaotic_i-want-an-ending-that-s-satisfying-i-m-m_2828065.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/jeffrey-eugenides-462_chaotic_i-want-an-ending-that-s-satisfying-i-m-m_2828065.jpg) > “I want an ending that's satisfying. I'm more of a classical writer than a modernist one in that I want the ending to be coherent and feel like an ending. I don't like when it just seems to putter out. I mean, life is chaotic enough.” [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A coherent, satisfying conclusion provides closure, contrasting with life’s inherent chaos. **In simple terms:** Stories need clear endings for comfort. Key Takeaway Craft endings that resolve key arcs. Themes narrative structure closure chaos literature Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - storytelling workshops Key Concepts plot resolution reader expectations Questions to Reflect On - Do all stories need tidy endings? - How can chaos be reflected without confusing readers? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on closure may ignore realism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Is Chaotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is-chaotic/) [Satisfying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfying/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Life is chaotic and unpredictable. If a butterfly flaps its wings in one part of the world, it could cause people at the opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/life-is-chaotic-and-unpredictable-if-a-butterfly-flaps-its-wings-in/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [What's next? Let's do it! My life is chaotic and spontaneous, which is the way I like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ant-middleton/what-s-next-let-s-do-it-my-life-is-chaotic-and-spontaneous-which-is/) [Ant Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ant-middleton/) > [Life is chaotic and meaningless, and you have to find your meaning. You must find the answer, you can't just live. That's the point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/life-is-chaotic-and-meaningless-and-you-have-to-find-your-meaning-you/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [I've kept a diary since I was 11. It's a way of taking stock, almost meditative, trying to make sense of stuff because life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-grant/i-ve-kept-a-diary-since-i-was-11-it-s-a-way-of-taking-stock-almost/) [Richard E. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-e-grant/) > [“Life is chaotic and unscripted. Not everyone becomes a success. Or, even a failure. Most people just are. They don't even consider what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-goldfarb/life-is-chaotic-and-unscripted-not-everyone-becomes-a-success-or-even/) [Aaron Goldfarb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-goldfarb/) > [Life is chaotic. It's messy. That's what Jesus was stepping into.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/life-is-chaotic-it-s-messy-that-s-what-jesus-was-stepping-into/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [Life isn't perfect and that's the kind of world where Jesus showed up. He wasn't born in a palace on a perfect day. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/life-isn-t-perfect-and-that-s-the-kind-of-world-where-jesus-showed-up/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [I believe that life is chaotic, a jumble of accidents, ambitions, misconceptions, bold intentions, lazy happenstances, and unintended consequences, yet I also believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-moranis/i-believe-that-life-is-chaotic-a-jumble-of-accidents-ambitions/) [David Moranis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-moranis/) > [You know not every book has to have a happy ending, but it has to have a satisfying ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lurlene-mcdaniel/you-know-not-every-book-has-to-have-a-happy-ending-but-it-has-to-have/) [Lurlene McDaniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lurlene-mcdaniel/) > [It's not fair. It's not. But then, that's the game. It makes life great. The fact that it ends when we don't want it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/it-s-not-fair-it-s-not-but-then-that-s-the-game-it-makes-life-great/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [Everybody wants a happy ending, except me... I want a never ending happiness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everybody-wants-a-happy-ending-except-me-i-want-a-never-ending/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to have an ending where people say: "That's the most shocking ending I've ever seen in a mainstream horror film."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-want-to-have-an-ending-where-people-say-that-s-the-most-shocking/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [Where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a chance in a million that you can do something, anything, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/where-there-is-a-will-there-is-a-way-if-there-is-a-chance-in-a/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [The cruel realities of austerity and Brexit mean that life is chaotic, expensive and the road ahead is littered with obstacles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciana-berger/the-cruel-realities-of-austerity-and-brexit-mean-that-life-is-chaotic/) [Luciana Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciana-berger/) > [“The sound of you not here rolls through me like never-ending thunder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-toni-sorenson/the-sound-of-you-not-here-rolls-through-me-like-never-ending-thunder/) Dr. Toni Sorenson ## More by Jeffrey Eugenides > [“Only the Lisbon house remained dark, a tunnel, an emptiness, past our smoke and flames.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/only-the-lisbon-house-remained-dark-a-tunnel-an-emptiness-past-our/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [It's often said that a traumatic experience early in life marks a person forever, pulls her out of line, saying, "Stay there. Don't move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-s-often-said-that-a-traumatic-experience-early-in-life-marks-a/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Adolescents tend to seek love where they can find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/adolescents-tend-to-seek-love-where-they-can-find-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“The window was still open,” Mr Lisbon said. “I don’t think we’d ever remembered to shut it. It was all clear to me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-window-was-still-open-mr-lisbon-said-i-don-t-think-we-d-ever/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I was aware that you weren't supposed to write about suburbia, that it was undignified in some way, the subject matter not momentous enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-was-aware-that-you-weren-t-supposed-to-write-about-suburbia-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Dr. Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. Within five minutes of the transfusion he declared her out of danger. Chucking her under the chin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/dr-armonson-stitched-up-her-wrist-wounds-within-five-minutes-of-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“I don't approve of women driving, mind you. And now they get to vote!" He grumbled to himself. "Remember that play we saw ("The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-don-t-approve-of-women-driving-mind-you-and-now-they-get-to-vote-he/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Her face was calm, but inside she was tense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/her-face-was-calm-but-inside-she-was-tense/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I know that attaching memories to books may be going out of the world, but while it lasts, it's a strong record of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-know-that-attaching-memories-to-books-may-be-going-out-of-the-world/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I spend most of every day writing. I like to write every day if I can. I don't start extremely early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-spend-most-of-every-day-writing-i-like-to-write-every-day-if-i-can/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/maybe-the-best-proof-that-the-language-is-patriarchal-is-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [We knew that Cecilia had killed herself because she was a misfit, because the beyond called to her, and we knew that her sisters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-knew-that-cecilia-had-killed-herself-because-she-was-a-misfit/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [You can tell when something's not moving forward anymore. When the doubts you have about it don't go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/you-can-tell-when-something-s-not-moving-forward-anymore-when-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Normality wasn't normal. It couldn't be. If normality were normal, everybody could leave it alone. They could sit back and let normality manifest itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/normality-wasn-t-normal-it-couldn-t-be-if-normality-were-normal/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) [Explore all 516 Jeffrey Eugenides quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## More Chaotic quotes > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At the end of the day, the key to happiness is taking ultimate responsibility for your reactions to all of your experiences - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehuda-berg/at-the-end-of-the-day-the-key-to-happiness-is-taking-ultimate/) [Yehuda Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehuda-berg/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [Part of what we admire about a painting or a piece of music is the order which the artist has imposed upon what would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-storr/part-of-what-we-admire-about-a-painting-or-a-piece-of-music-is-the/) [Anthony Storr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-storr/) > [In my model, important interference phenomena arise when individual strata come into contact. These chaotic fluctuations are, I suppose, what my music is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ferneyhough/in-my-model-important-interference-phenomena-arise-when-individual/) [Brian Ferneyhough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ferneyhough/) > [“Observe ... for there's always a pattern even to the seemingly most chaotic matter of all”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-m-m-alusi/observe-for-there-s-always-a-pattern-even-to-the-seemingly-most/) [A.M.M Alusi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-m-m-alusi/) > [We are searching for the same thing,” Stripey said. “How do you know?” Janco asked. “I read his mind.” The Sitian pointed to Ari.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/we-are-searching-for-the-same-thing-stripey-said-how-do-you-know/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [I'm always looking to find order within the chaos. And sometimes when my life gets fairly chaotic, I'll take a walk outside. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/i-m-always-looking-to-find-order-within-the-chaos-and-sometimes-when/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) > [Science does not enter a chaotic society to put order into it anymore, to simplify its composition, and to put an end to controversies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-latour/science-does-not-enter-a-chaotic-society-to-put-order-into-it-anymore/) [Bruno Latour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-latour/) > [“Our world is increasingly complex, often chaotic, and always fast-flowing. This makes forecasting something between tremendously difficult and actually impossible, with a strong shift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mcafee/our-world-is-increasingly-complex-often-chaotic-and-always-fast/) [Andrew McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mcafee/) > [“Chaotic Of Echoes The Lands Darkest Hours Of Lions Architect the Garlots of War The Precognitions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-ballantine/chaotic-of-echoes-the-lands-darkest-hours-of-lions-architect-the/) [Philippa Ballantine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-ballantine/) > [There is a big lesson in experiencing uncertainty and calamity with a sober focus - the most chaotic moments are the ones from which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-stiles/there-is-a-big-lesson-in-experiencing-uncertainty-and-calamity-with-a/) [Tara Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-stiles/) > [ the ordinary man's experience is chaotic, irregular, fragmentary. \[He\] falls in love or reads Spinoza, and these two experiences have nothing to do with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/the-ordinary-man-s-experience-is-chaotic-irregular-fragmentary-he/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [Malcolm X broke with the N.O.I. in March 1964, and in that last 11 chaotic months, he spent most of the time outside of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manning-marable/malcolm-x-broke-with-the-n-o-i-in-march-1964-and-in-that-last-11/) [Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manning-marable/) Browse all 450 Chaotic quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I want an ending that's satisfying. I'm more of a classical writer than a modernist one in that I want the ending to be coherent and feel like an ending. I don't like when it just seems to putter out. I mean, life is chaotic enough.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-want-an-ending-that-s-satisfying-i-m-more-of-a-classical-writer/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chaotic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-want-an-ending-that-s-satisfying-i-m-more-of-a-classical-writer/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/jeffrey-eugenides-462_chaotic_i-want-an-ending-that-s-satisfying-i-m-m_2828065.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/jeffrey-eugenides-462_chaotic_i-want-an-ending-that-s-satisfying-i-m-m_2828065.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/jeffrey-eugenides-462_chaotic_i-want-an-ending-that-s-satisfying-i-m-m_2828065.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I want an ending that's satisfying. I'm more of a classical writer than a modernist one in that I want the…” — Jeffrey Eugenides", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I want an ending that's satisfying....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-want-an-ending-that-s-satisfying-i-m-more-of-a-classical-writer/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-want-an-ending-that-s-satisfying-i-m-more-of-a-classical-writer/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```