A Happy Ending... or is it?

[Gurthang]

Tolkien's books end. (obviously ) From a story standpoint, it is a happy ending. Sauron is defeated, Aragorn becomes king, Frodo finds rest in Valinor, Sam marries Rosie, and on and on and on... All is well and the story is, well, done. Happy ending, right?

I'm not so sure. Despite all the happy endings and the general 'good prevailed' feeling at the end of the book, happy was not exactly how I felt. I mean, sure, I was glad that the characters completed their quests, but other than that, I felt... well, empty.

That's right, a little happy, but more empty. It was very bitter-sweet to me. Sweet, because the tale was over and evil was defeated before the end. Very, very sad because it was, in fact, the end. It was almost like I had been there with them all along, walked with the fellowship on their way to destroy the Ring, and now they all just 'end'! It's not really a feeling that has to do 'with' the ending itself, but more about the fact that it 'was' the end. The epic was over. That wondrous tale that I had been very much a part of was done, and where was I to go now? It's me, standing on a dock, watching that last ship bearing Sam dwindle in the setting sun, and realizing... they're all gone; every last one. Empty.

Am I alone in this? Does anyone else share this feeling, this bitter-sweet, happy-empty feeling?

P.S. I can imagine this must have been how Frodo felt when he returned to the Shire. How can you go back after all that has happened?