An open book with blank pages and a red ribbon bookmark rests on folded dark teal fabric.

Original artwork, not a still

Harry Burns

When I buy a new book, I read the last page first. That way, in case I die before I finish, I know how it ends. That, my friend, is a dark side.

— When Harry Met Sally... ‧ 1989

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Reading the ending first turns a small reading habit into a joke about death. The speaker wants the story settled in case they don't live to finish it. Calling this a dark side adds self-mockery to a practical solution for an unusually gloomy concern.

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