Do you read omnibuses?

[ownedbycats]

Mostly just curious.

[Sirtel]

No. I don't read short stories at all, and even novellas are rare. It's a proper novel or nothing for me.

Edit: you seem to mean omnibus editions? Those I read gladly.

[Martinoptic]

Yes. I like both short stories and novel series as anthologies/omnibuses.
It might be interesting to add the question whether anthologies of shorts or omnibuses of long tales are preferred?
M

[Uncle Robin]

I'm a bit confused by the poll, so haven't answered. To me, an anthology is a collection of short stories, which I read occasionally of specific authors, like Wodehouse for example. But the poll options make me think of what I would call "boxed sets", and those I read often.

[Paperbackstash]

The poll didn't answer my preference, so just writing here. I do read them when mood strikes, especially with multi-authors and certain themes. I don't prefer them over novels. I tend to be much slower with anthologies too.

[ownedbycats]

Sorry, I meant omnibuses. I forgot the word.

[Pajamaman]

I voted I prefer them to individual books, because there was no simple Yes, I do option. I do kind of prefer them at the moment because they involve less effort and time. I don't often find novels I much like these days, so I may as well shorts I don't like. They're quicker and cheaper to not like much. And I might find an author I do like.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Sorry, I meant omnibuses. I forgot the word.

Oh, no. I voted for anthologies.

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Sorry, I meant omnibuses. I forgot the word.

Ah okay, makes more sense!

I have read them before but not much. I bought two sets of UF at a bookstore one year but they take up a lot of room. I have bought some deals digitally but break them up and count them as separate books on goodreads and in my yearly reading goals.

[haertig]

I prefer omnibuses when the alternative is a serialized novel. Prime example: "The Wool Onmibus". In this case (an many others) the omnibus is really just the complete novel, when the original publications were just bits and pieces, ... snippets of the entire story.

I said "prefer" above. Actually that is too nice a word. I will not buy a serialized novel in pieces (not intentionally anyway), no matter how good it is. So the so-called "omnibus" is the ONLY way that I'll buy it.

[gmw]

Generally I prefer the novels as individual files/publications. But it's not a strong preference so when the omnibus offers a significant saving I will buy that - so I took the second option. A couple of times I have split the omnibus after purchase, but generally don't bother.

My preference can be impacted by the nature of the books. As haertig mentions, novels that were split into serial publications I prefer put back together again.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by gmw

when the omnibus offers a significant saving I will buy that - so I took the second option.

As did I. I am not sure why Kobo sells a 3-4 book boxset at 20-30% of the price of one of its component books, but I've bought a few, so I guess it works

[davidfor]

I was originally picking "I purchase them, but split them into individual book", but, then I realised I only ever do that if they are cheaper. So went with, "Yes, but only if they're cheaper than buying individually". But, I always split them up when I start reading them. I sometimes start the omnibus because it was what I wanted to read at that time, but, will do the split when I am next at my computer.

[DrNefario]

I treat them as individual books, but don't actually split them. They remember where I got up to. Normally I don't binge a series, so it might be months before I come back for the next book. Right now, though, I am reading an omnibus from the library, so I kind of have to binge it. I am splitting it up by reading novellas in between books.

Why would anyone not read them?

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I treat them as individual books, but don't actually split them. They remember where I got up to. Normally I don't binge a series, so it might be months before I come back for the next book. Right now, though, I am reading an omnibus from the library, so I kind of have to binge it. I am splitting it up by reading novellas in between books.

Why would anyone not read them?

These echo my thoughts. I'll read them when they are more convenient (cost, availability, etc.) but I just treat them like individual books when I get to them. I'm not that picky with my library so there is no point for me to split them into separate files. I don't go out looking for them except to price compare.

When I purchase an omnibus the cost is all assigned to just the first book in the omnibus unless it is a series I know I like all of. for example, I split the Narnia books into equal portions but I assigned all of the cost to the first book in the Outlander series when I got that omnibus since I haven't read them. $1.99 for the first 7 books was too much to pass up when it sounds like I might enjoy them, so $2 for just the first is ok even if I don't like them. (Of course that was 6 years ago and I still haven't tried it. I should have held off.)