Disappointed?

I just finished reading a book (that will remain nameless).  It was long and somewhat drawn out.  Just as one character progressed, he or she would be dropped to introduce yet another new character.  You would then be presented with a whole life story of this new person in quick summary form.  I will admit they were interesting stories, but it felt like a long novel full of short stories.

I have come to appreciate flashbacks, the back and forthing continuously going on in many novels.  But this book did it in such annoying fashion!  Not only were you going back, you were changing characters, settings, themes and directions as well.  It didn't feel like you were building a larger story, but just constantly putting on the brakes, stalling the motor and needing to restart the engine.

So, I finished reading it last night.  And I was kind of mad at the ending, but not in the way you might think.  I really, really liked the ending!  I was all set to thoroughly hate the book.  I was ready to dismiss the whole thing.  But now I can't!  I've never been so disappointed or annoyed to like a book before.

I'm not sure how to feel.  I'm not sure whether to recommend the book to others or not.  And I'm annoyed at having such a quandary.

I suppose if I had been the author I would not have included quite so many side stories.  In fact many of those stories could have been developed into their own books, and they had the potential to be great stories all on their own.  But the point is, I'm not the author, and he choose to do it this way for a reason, just as I will choose to do things in my books for a reason.

You may or may not agree with the choices I will make for my books, just as I didn't agree with the choices he made.  In the end, I guess I really want you to like my books, but I especially want you to like the ending, to be satisfied by it.  Because in reality my favorite books are the ones with the most satisfying endings.