Hello, Saloners!
A couple of weeks ago I posted about the book Blind Justice, by Bruce Alexander. It had been quite a while since I read a murder mystery. I don’t know why; I used to read mysteries all the time. But after a while I guess I got bored with solving the mystery, and now I only read them if there’s something else intriguing about them besides the whodunit aspect — such as, in the case of Blind Justice, the historical setting and the real-life characters. I was so intrigued, in fact, that I went on to read the second in the series, Murder in Grub Street.
Well! If it’s been a long time since I read a mystery, it’s been even longer since I read a series! I forgot how fun it can be to have that mix of old and new: characters you already know, but in a new situation. The one big drawback to continuing in a series is when authors feel the need to give a recap of everything, to provide too much exposition and explanation and background. Murder in Grub Street did have a fair amount of recapping, which I pretty much skipped. But that was its only flaw. The highlights were:
- Lots more about the publishing industry — the 13yo orphan narrator’s typesetting ability was actually important to the plot
- A colorful character, a little too-obviously inspired by the Artful Dodger, who speaks in Thieves’ Cant
- A very gory murder
- A weird religious cult
- An orthodox rabbi who tells parables
- A possible love interest for Sir John
- A glimpse inside Bethlem Royal Hospital, aka Bedlam
Yes indeed! The next book in the series is called Watery Grave, and I have it on hold already.
How do you feel about reading a series? Do you get bored with the same old characters after a while? Do you have a favorite series?
4 Comments
I rarely read books in a series. I find that sequels often disappoint me.
I do await the fifth book in The Lightning Thief next week eagerly, however!
I understand the series thing especially this week as I am enjoying the new Laurie King book. Felt like I had to wait soooooo long for this one that I do not want it to end. These look really interesting also. Hmmm. Maybe next month. Happy reading!
When I read a series, I don’t get bored. In fact, I find it just the opposite, because it gives the writer a chance to explore the character more in-depth.
I get a lot of pleasure from series fiction. As a child I had many favourite series that I read and re-read. And as an adult I’m partial to mystery series, and lately I’ve been been drawn into the realm of fantasy series too by the inimitable Terry Pratchett. They can make for good comfort reading because, to a considerable degree, you know what to expect. But at the same time, if it’s a good one, there’s a sense of moving forward, a promise of depth (agreeing with Fred here), that prevents it from being so safe a read as to be boring. The thing I have to watch out for is getting carried away with a new-to-me series and reading too many of the installments in quick succession. It’s not how they’re meant to be read and it’s bound to lead to burnout. So here, as in all things, I’m striving for balance!
On the recommendation of a friend, I just picked up “Reading Series Fiction: From Arthur Ransome to Gene Kemp” by Victor Watson. Here’s a snippet from the back cover description: “A young student once told Watson that reading a new novel was like entering a room full of strangers, but picking up a book in a series was like walking into a room full of friends. This is the premise behind Watson’s (Homerton College, Cambridge, UK) critical study of series fiction in children’s literature. He argues that series — traditionally disdained in scholarly circles — played an enormous role in forming the reading habits of 20th century children and in fact are central to modern children’s literature. Authors covered (most of them British) include Arthur Ransome, Hugh Lofting, Enid Blyton, Malcolm Saville, Mary Norton, Lucy Boston, and Gene Kemp.” It sounds promising, doesn’t it?