This week's Booking Through Thursday question asks: If you read series, do you ever find a series "jumping the shark?" How do you feel about that? And, do you keep reading anyway?
First off, I was surprised that I'm in a minority...I actually got that reference. It's been a long time since I've seen "Happy Days," but I still remember the Fonz and the shark.
I do read series books. I don't know that I've ever read a series where it went seriously off the rails...but nearly all series have books that just don't quite meet the standard. As long as it's a one-off, then I can take a single book that's not up to par. But if the series keeps going downhill....then I'll probably quit. Occasionally, a series doesn't lose quality, I just get tired of the formula. I'm thinking of the popular "theme" series. Some authors carry their theme (needlework, scrapbooking, cooking, dog or cat involvement, etc.) very well. Others get into a formlaic rut and, while the first several entries in the series may be interesting, quirky, whatever, it soon becomes boring. Those are the series I most often abandon.
5 comments:
I think if a series moves too far away from what made it originally enjoyable, that's a good reason to leave it.
Example: The Anita Blake series. It seems like now all they are is excuses to have Anita hook up with various supernatural creatures.
I haven't had an encounter with downhill series, or is it because it is just now that I am expanding my genre. So far, I'm quite happy with my series selection and sticking to it. :)
I haven't really run into any books that have jumped the shark. TV shows, on the other hand, can't seem to help but become ridiculous parodies of themselves
It has only happened once that i had to abandon a series. Atleast not more!
I always read series to the end. If there's a bad book in a series, that doesn't bother me. Even with TV shows that I love - they can do a boring one now and again.
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