History Literature / EndlessLove

* BigScrewedUpFamily: Jade refers to the Butterfields as "my [[PrecisionFStrike fucked-up]] family" and it's easy to see why. Besides their permissive attitudes towards sex and drugs, arrogant Hugh and {{Cloudcuckoolander}}-ish Ann are raising three somewhat problematic children. Their oldest kid, Keith, is hotheaded and bossy, and clashes with his more levelheaded younger brother Sammy. Jade is aimless, wishy-washy, and extremely fickle, getting involved with David despite ''his'' issues.

* HateSink: Hugh, especially in the 1981 adaptation when you have Creator/DonMurray (aka [[Film/ConquestOfThePlanetOfTheApes Governor Breck]]) in the role, also Keith in the same adaptation.

* RevengeBeforeReason: Hugh and Keith, who becomes vengeful against David for [[spoiler:burning their house down]] in the 1981 adaptation, to a point [[spoiler:both are dissatisfied at David's sentencing that Hugh scoffed at it as ridiculous and believed he deserved worse. It's because of his vengeful nature is what led to Hugh's death]].

* HateSink: Hugh, especially in the 1981 adaptation when you have Creator/DonMurray (aka [[Film/ConquestOfThePlanetOfTheApes Governor Breck]]) in the role.
* {{Jerkass}}: [[LoveObstructingParents Hugh Butterfield]], in both movie versions, especially in the 1981 adaptation when you have Creator/DonMurray (aka [[Film/ConquestOfThePlanetOfTheApes Governor Breck]]) [[LargeHam when he starts to ham it up]] as an BoyfriendBlockingDad. [[spoiler: He receives a HeelFaceTurn in the 2014 adaptation]].

* {{Jerkass}}: [[LoveObstructingParents Hugh Butterfield]], in both movie versions, especially in the 1981 adaptation when you Creator/DonMurray (aka [[Film/ConquestOfThePlanetOfTheApes Governor Breck]]) [[LargeHam when he starts to ham it up]] as an BoyfriendBlockingDad. [[spoiler: He receives a HeelFaceTurn in the 2014 adaptation]].

* {{Jerkass}}: [[LoveObstructingParents Hugh Butterfield]], in both movie versions, especially in the 1981 adaptation when you Creator/DonMurray (aka [[Film/ConquestOfThePlanetOfTheApes Governor Breck]]) [[LargeHam when he starts to ham it up]] as an OverprotectiveDad. [[spoiler: He receives a HeelFaceTurn in the 2014 adaptation]].

* {{Jerkass}}: [[LoveObstructingParents Hugh Butterfield]], in both movie versions. [[spoiler: He receives a HeelFaceTurn in the 2014 adaptation]].
* JerkassHasAPoint: However, in contrast to his wife due to her being a toxic MrsRobinson, Hugh is in comparison a far more sensible parent and an OnlySaneMan.

* {{Jerkass}}: Hugh Butterfield, in both movie versions. [[spoiler: He receives a HeelFaceTurn in the 2014 adaptation]].

* UnreliableNarrator: From the get-go, this is the case with David, who's obviously intelligent and very perceptive, but also tells the story in the most self-serving way possible. In fact, he doesn't even acknowledge how much some of his actions cross the line (like essentially stalking the Butterfields after he's released from the hospital).

A bestseller that was also well-reviewed, even getting named a finalist for the National Book Award, the novel has had two [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptations]]. The first one, released in 1981, was directed by Franco Zeffirelli, with Martin Hewitt as David and Creator/BrookeShields as Jade. It was a fairly big hit (one of the top 20 grossing movies of 1981, in fact) and generated a major BreakawayPopHit with the title song, sung by Music/LionelRichie and Music/DianaRoss, but was roasted by critics; Creator/LeonardMaltin called it "a textbook example of how to do everything wrong in a literary adaptation." The second, released on Valentine's Day 2014, was directed by Shana Feste, with Creator/AlexPettyfer and Gabriella Wilde. It got even ''worse'' reviews than the first film, and just barely broke even at the box office.

* CrazyJealousGuy: David is this and [[LampshadedTrope admits as such]] but in a [[PlayingWithATrope different way to usual]] - rather than murder somebody, he commits arson, he himself asking if he did it out of jealousy.

* ExperimentedInCollege: Jade does this, via her RelationshipRevolvingDoor with her college classmate Susan Henry.

* RedOniBlueOni: The Butterfields are Red, the Axelrods are Blue, particularly the parents. Hugh Butterfield is an alternative medicine practitioner, Ann Butterfield is a (mostly unsuccessful) writer, and are very openly emotional and passionate. Arthur Axelrod is a communist-leaning lawyer, and remains emotionally distant with his wife Rose. But both marriages end up falling apart.

* AccidentalMurder: The novel's turning point happens when David is walking down the street in New York, [[spoiler: Hugh Butterfield, Jade's father, spots him, then tries to chase him down, but gets hit by a car and dies on impact.]] Technically David isn't at fault for the death, since it was the other person who instigated the situation, but he was violating his parole by even being in New York in the first place.

* ShotgunWedding: Hugh Butterfield married Ann after she got pregnant.

* BigScrewedUpFamily: Jade refers to the Butterfields as "my [[PrecisionFStrike fucked-up]] family" and it's easy to see why. Besides their permissive attitudes towards sex and drugs, arrogant Hugh and {{Cloudcuckoolander}}-ish Ann are raising three somewhat problematic children. Their oldest kid, Keith, is hotheaded and bossy, and clashes with his more levelheaded younger brother Sammy. Jade is just sort of aimless and wishy-washy, getting involved with David despite ''his'' issues.

* ExperimentedInCollege: Jade does this, via her RelationshipRevolvingDoor with her college classmate Susan Henry

* KarmaHoudini: Jade doesn't appear to have faced any legal consequences for [[spoiler:harboring David while he was violating his parole]].

* SmallRoleBigImpact: Ingrid, Hugh's girlfriend [[spoiler:witnesses Hugh getting killed while he chases David, informs Ann about the death, then later reveals to Jade that David indirectly caused Hugh's death, which prompts Jade to turn David into the police for violating his parole]].

** That said, Jade definitely falls victim to WhatDoesSheSeeInHim as well, given that [[spoiler:renews her relationship with David, the young man who nearly killed her and her entire family]].

* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: David never gets to say goodbye to his father, Arthur, due to Arthur dying of a heart attack while he's locked up.

* TwentyMinutesIntoThePast: The novel was published in 1979, and opens with David torching the Butterfield house in 1967.

* WhatDoesHeSeeInHer: A very particular point of the book is that Jade isn't developed much as a character. We're never exactly sure of how physically attractive she might be (one character calls her [[DamnedByFaintPraise "the best-looking flat-chested girl I ever saw"]]), and personality-wise she doesn't seem particularly charming or alluring. Scott Spencer does this very deliberately, so that we'll keep asking "why her?" when we read about the extremes David goes to for Jade.