I've been following Reading is Fun Again for a little while now and have been intrigued by her Thoughtful Thursday linkup. This week I decided to jump in and participate! Thinking about books and book related issues has never been anything I've had to do. I've always read and I've always read a lot but I've never had to read FOR anything. My time in college was mostly math and computer stuff so my lit classes were very few and far between. To be honest I didn't really care for them. An hour long discussion on the symbolism of a particular passage always drives my very literal left brain a bit nuts. So now I'm going to do Thoughtful Thursday to think about different book issues.
The question of the day is:
"Do you continue with a series even after the original author has stopped writing for it? (This could be for any sort of reason including death, the original author has lost interest in the series, or even that the publisher fires the author but continues using the original author's name.)"
My answer is most likely yes as long as the spirit of the characters and the stories are kept intact. My primary example of this actually isn't book related it's movie related. I'm a huge Anne of Green Gables fan and I've always loved the mini-series that was on Disney (was it Disney?) back in the late 80s. I actually own Anne of Green Gables and the 2nd movie as well and have watched both of them so many times I've lost count. The 2nd one in particular has very little relationship to any of the Anne books. There are completely made up characters, there are characters that have been completely cut, situations are dreamed up BUT the spirit of the book is still very much there. Anne is still Anne and her actions are still Anne-ish. The feel of the book is still there. And the ending - oh the ending... I feel the need to go rewatch it now.
Then I came across the 3rd one. I was in college and my brain was tired from finals or trying to make a program do something it didn't feel like doing and I came across a NEW Anne show. I was thrilled. Here was the perfect antidote to my tired studyworn brain. Until it came on. Suddenly Anne's in the middle of World War 1. But I shrugged it off. The time period's not right since Anne's children were the ones who were involved but the 2nd movie made some massive changes and I love it. Then Anne starts talking. It seems Anne is flirting with a doctor and she and Gilbert are estranged. That was the end of it for me. The whole flavor of the book was completely different and it made in unwatchable for me. Does that make sense?
If I'm reading a series and it's a cozy that suddenly gets a major makeover and suddenly it's dark and gritty or vice versa there's a chance I'm going to drop it because most likely what I liked about it in the first place is gone. It doesn't matter about the author it matters about the individual book.
Pamela makes some good points about feeling like cheating on the author which I don't disagree with especially if the reason the author is no longer writing is on the scandalous side. If it something like that it probably would affect my reading of those books and I'm now wanting to do a little research to see what's going on with some of my favorite series.
So what do you think? Are you loyal to the author or the tone of the books themselves? Are you in the know or oblivious to the author/publisher gossip like me?
I can't say I've run into this very often in terms of books. Maybe the Nancy Drew books, when I was growing up? I didn't really know the author was multiple people until much later in life--for me, the books were more about the character and her adventures.
ReplyDeleteI know there are a few series in which children have taken over writing for their parents. I don't have an issue with that. Like you said, I'd probably be happy as long as there are no major changes in terms of tone or character overhauls.
I'm not really aware of any either other than of course Nancy Drew. I'm curious as to how frequently it happens without it becoming public knowledge though.
DeleteI definitely don't mind the children taking over their parents. I know J reads Michael Shaara's books and has also read his son Jeff's books since Jeff took over the series. While he prefers Michael he says Jeff has been able to keep the same basic style that he liked in the first place.
I'm with you on the third Anne movie. It didn't fit at all for me. Loved movies 1 and 2. I've only made it through the first 2 books. I have to get back to those.
ReplyDeleteIf you enjoyed the first 2 Anne books you should definitely read Anne of the Island and Rilla of Ingleside. Those were 2 of my favorites. Anne of Ingleside is just okay in my opinion. That 3rd movie - that's basically a rant waiting to happen for me!
DeleteI couldn't stand the whole idea of the third Anne movie, so I never watched it. I did love the first movie, liked the second but wished they hadn't made so many changes. I adore the books!
ReplyDeleteAs for the original question... I find that the new author is never quite the same as the original author, no matter how hard they try to match styles. (Of course, it's different when the authors are contracted for a series like Nancy Drew, and given strict style guidelines.) Todd McCaffrey writes well, but his vision of Pern feels slightly different than his mother Anne's, almost as though he's writing an alternate-universe Pern. (Pern: the reboot?) I have to admit that I haven't tried Felix Francis's solo books yet, but I've certainly seen mixed reviews. Loving Dick Francis's mysteries as I do, I'm a little nervous to try Felix's. Jill Paton Walsh did an excellent job completing Dorothy Sayer's unfinished 'Thrones, Dominations', and I liked both 'A Presumption of Death' and 'The Attenbury Emeralds'. The latest, 'The Late Scholar' (due out soon), didn't quite jell for me, though. So... whether I like the newer author's contributions to a series depends on how good they are AND how well they match the original author's voice -- but they're never really the same. You can almost always tell.
I watched about 5 minutes of the 3rd Anne. It was bad - really really bad. I love the 2nd BUT I have to think of it as a separate book. I'd love to see the actual Anne of the Island in book form.
DeleteI think I'm lucky that most of the authors I read haven't had much change up. I haven't read much Dick Francis in years though I did always love his books and I was unaware his son had continued with them. I also didn't know about Dorothy Sayers/Jill Paton Walsh. I will definitely have to keep that in mind. I'm wanting to do a big Sayers read/reread next year.
I read the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books growing up and didn't realize that they were written by an assortment of authors. Like Lark, I don't enjoy Todd McCaffrey's version of Pern as much as his mother's. His style and focus are different and feel off to me. I'm a bit happier with Felix Francis taking on his father's work but it helps that those aren't a series. The first few solo books by Felix were wobbly but he's finding his stride.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I prefer to stick with the original author as it's hard for a new one write it the same and what I love is usually changed or gone.