Series, series and more damned series! - Page 7

DustyDisks · 12-05-2011, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Exactly! I started reading that series Sophomore year of college, I think. I remember King threatening several times that he would never finish the Dark Tower (the series was actually called "Wizard and Glass" or something like that at the time). I was on book 4 when he made one of those statements and I never finished the series. Of course, I own the entire series but I've never finished it (damn OCD).

Out of all of his works, the tower series in some ways is the hardest to read, he imo used a totally different style than his other works, and that style was for me hard to settle into. The first chapters were always hard to grasp, by that I mean to get my head synced into the flow of words and meanings. And once the book started flowing for me , I would have to go back to the beginning and reread, because by then everything clicked.

He is the only author, that I think I can recognize by his styles of writing alone.

MrsJoseph, The only way to do justice is to read the whole series again. That is what I had to do, when the next book would manically appear on the shelf's, with dust filled years between his works.

OCD?

LOL!

I had a friend that kept all of his toenail, and fingernail clippings in a jar that he collected all of his life.

Now that is OCD!

ScalyFreak · 12-05-2011, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyDisks

OCD?

LOL!

I had a friend that kept all of his toenail, and fingernail clippings in a jar that he collected all of his life.

Now that is OCD!

That's not OCD. That's gross.

DustyDisks · 12-05-2011, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

That's not OCD. That's gross.

I agree, yuck. But he was a very structured person, he had his routines and stuck with them, used to drive his wife nuts trying to get him out of his quirks.

He used to refer to it as his "Nail" collection.

Sorry for the off topic , bend in the thread!

Skip_intro · 12-05-2011, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

That's another thing: Name one example of a (se|pre)quel that was written 10+ years after the "last" book in a series that didn't fail utterly to meet expectations

Well said. I still think of Earthsea as a trilogy. There may be books set in the same milieu, by the same author but I don't think of them as part of the same series.

I have another gripe with books I know are a series, brought into mind recently whilst reading The Strain. It's a well written book, but at the end, I just couldn't bring myself to read Book 2 as I knew there was a Book 3. This rendered Book 2 redundant, as I knew nothing would be resolved and no matter what, the story would continue beyond the end of it.

ScalyFreak · 12-05-2011, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip_intro

I have another gripe with books I know are a series, brought into mind recently whilst reading The Strain. It's a well written book, but at the end, I just couldn't bring myself to read Book 2 as I knew there was a Book 3. This rendered Book 2 redundant, as I knew nothing would be resolved and no matter what, the story would continue beyond the end of it.

If the story begins in Book 1, continues in Book 2, and ends in Book 3, how can the middle be redundant?

To me, what you just posted makes as much sense as skipping chapters 20-40 in a novel that has 50 chapters. Why bother reading the middles ones, since the story continues in chapter 41 and nothing is resolved in 40? That makes no sense. If the author envisioned the story as lasting through three volumes, then there shouldn't be anything redundant in there. Only a poorly written series has empty filler volumes.

DiapDealer · 12-05-2011, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Only a poorly written series has empty filler volumes.

I have yet to read a series that didn't have a volume's worth of filler. Including ones I ultimately enjoyed. So I understand the feeling of picking up a book just knowing that the plot is probably not going to be advanced at all (or at least not advanced a whole book's worth).

Loosheesh · 12-05-2011, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Exactly! I started reading that series Sophomore year of college, I think. I remember King threatening several times that he would never finish the Dark Tower (the series was actually called "Wizard and Glass" or something like that at the time). I was on book 4 when he made one of those statements and I never finished the series. Of course, I own the entire series but I've never finished it (damn OCD).

I started the Dark Tower series eons ago and got to The Waste Lands, then I stopped reading Stephen King altogether and forgot all about it. I was quite surprised to learn books were still being added to the series, decades later.

Nyssa · 12-05-2011, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

I started the Dark Tower series eons ago and got to The Waste Lands, then I stopped reading Stephen King altogether and forgot all about it. I was quite surprised to learn books were still being added to the series, decades later.

I never did try The Dark Tower (non)Trilogy. I am also very surprised that there have been add'l books.

My Stephen King phase was very short lived. I read It, The Shining, The Stand and The Dark Half (my favorite of the lot), but I gave up after not being able to complete Gerald's Game, The Tommyknockers, or Dolores Claiborne. I just couldn't get into any of them.

Skip_intro · 12-05-2011, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

If the story begins in Book 1, continues in Book 2, and ends in Book 3, how can the middle be redundant?

I think what I'm failing to say is that Book 2 has no suspense for me. The bad guys will survive, the good guys will always cut the red wire with seconds to spare as all threads will be wrapped up in Book 3.

In a 'standalone' book, I will read through the chapters of 'when suddenly nothing happened' - Adam Roberts, I'm looking at you - as in most cases the plot will pick up and move toward a decent ending.

Perhaps it's just the fact that I see this as a 400 page plot spread over 1200 pages that's colouring my opinion?

ScalyFreak · 12-05-2011, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip_intro

Perhaps it's just the fact that I see this as a 400 page plot spread over 1200 pages that's colouring my opinion?

Probably.

The way see it, a 1200 page series had better include a 1200 page plot. Though frankly, a good 1200 page series has multiple plots taking turns being in focus, with one big picture being the main story throughout. The secondary characters in book one are more important in book two, and things like that.

DustyDisks · 12-05-2011, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

Probably.

The way see it, a 1200 page series had better include a 1200 page plot. Though frankly, a good 1200 page series has multiple plots taking turns being in focus, with one big picture being the main story throughout. The secondary characters in book one are more important in book two, and things like that.

Wheels within wheels within wheels, etc,etc until everything comes together is always good. But keeping up with a lot of sub plots can sometimes make one work the grey mater, to keep the whole in focus.

ScalyFreak · 12-06-2011, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyDisks

Wheels within wheels within wheels, etc,etc until everything comes together is always good. But keeping up with a lot of sub plots can sometimes make one work the grey mater, to keep the whole in focus.

...which is only a good thing. Books should make us think.

Skip_intro · 12-06-2011, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyDisks

Wheels within wheels within wheels, etc,etc until everything comes together is always good. But keeping up with a lot of sub plots can sometimes make one work the grey mater, to keep the whole in focus.

Man, the Song of Ice & Fire books stretched that to the limit. I almost had to resort to plotting things on a map...

DustyDisks · 12-06-2011, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip_intro

Man, the Song of Ice & Fire books stretched that to the limit. I almost had to resort to plotting things on a map...

True!

Series, that are like that, almost and in some cases does force the reader to go back and reread the previous work. Just to get re synced with the whole again. And that is always good, because it seems the reread is always richer, than the first time around.

mewmartigan · 12-06-2011, 08:22 AM

My mom and I were talking about this just the other day. We both enjoy series as long as they are good and we like the characters. Its great to see the characters continue on.

However, most of the books I have read in the last few years have been part of a series. I just finished reading a stand-alone book and it was like a breath of fresh air. I didn't finish and wonder what happens next!

I agree that part of the problem is publishers...its very similar to remakes and sequels in Hollywood. Its always a safer bet, money wise, to make something that is already well liked. Even badly reviewed and unecessary sequels make good money.

Books are probably the same way....if Book 1 did well, "hey, why don't you write another? we know it will sell well and its less of a risk on our part. Not only that, but later on we can repackage the same books as a box set and make more money!".

It drove me nuts that everytime a new Harry Potter book came out, the would sell a new box set.....why buy the 4 book box set when you know that there are 7 books?

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12-06-2011, 08:22 AM	#105
mewmartigan Guru Posts: 852 Karma: 8242060 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Kindle Oasis (2019)	My mom and I were talking about this just the other day. We both enjoy series as long as they are good and we like the characters. Its great to see the characters continue on. However, most of the books I have read in the last few years have been part of a series. I just finished reading a stand-alone book and it was like a breath of fresh air. I didn't finish and wonder what happens next! I agree that part of the problem is publishers...its very similar to remakes and sequels in Hollywood. Its always a safer bet, money wise, to make something that is already well liked. Even badly reviewed and unecessary sequels make good money. Books are probably the same way....if Book 1 did well, "hey, why don't you write another? we know it will sell well and its less of a risk on our part. Not only that, but later on we can repackage the same books as a box set and make more money!". It drove me nuts that everytime a new Harry Potter book came out, the would sell a new box set.....why buy the 4 book box set when you know that there are 7 books?

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