I grew up in a family where, through my teenage years, I was expected to go to church on Sunday. It wasn't terribly painful.
John IrvingAnd Father said, โThere are no happy endings.โ โRight!โ cried Iowa Bob โ an odd mixture of exuberance and stoicism in his cracked voice. โDeath is horrible, final, and frequently premature,โ Coach Bob declared. โSo what?โ my father said. โRight!โ cried Iowa Bob. โThatโs the point: So what?โ Thus the family maxim was that an unhappy ending did not undermine a rich and energetic life. This was based on the belief that there were no happy endings.
John IrvingAmong adults โ and among orphans โ Wilbur Larch noted that delirious happiness was rare.
John Irving