Giant Novels/Long Delays..what do ya do?

Keyoke

Keyoke

King of the Lurkers.
Joined
Nov 3, 1999
Messages
1,059
So,

How do you guys handle long dealys between books in a series? I find that I will read the first book, say, Pandora's Star (scifi), but, it had been a year or more till Judas Unchained came out. When I started, I couldnt really remember plot threads, characters (So many), etc.

How do you handle? I am currently re-reading parts of Pandora's Star, and will pick up Judas Unchained again. The first time around, I barely gave it my attention since I couldnt remember much, and I do love his work.


But, the same can be said with GEeorge R R Martin...it's been yearrrrrs since I read his book, and I can barely remember the characters, sure, main events, but, still..

So, do you re-read? Make notes? Scower the net for synopsis?

Keyoke
 
I generally give the last book that was released a reread. When/if martin finishes ADWD i will give a AFFC a good reread. Some authors i do not have to do this with ( Erikson comes to mind here) as they release frequently enough my memory is still on task witht he plot
 
If it's a book in the middle of a series I usually just read read the synopsis. If it's the final book in a series I'll read the last book and then go through from the very beginning if I liked the series as a whole. I'm kinda not looking forward to the last Wheel of Time book. 12k pages. :(
 
Depends. Wheel of Time, ASoIaF and Malazan I plan on re-reading the series entirely prior to the final volume coming out (WoT I stopped reading after Winter's Heart and have just been buying the books and not reading them, ASoIaF & Malazan I read straight away).

For shorter series' like a trilogy I just go ahead and start the next book and figure I'll remember what I need to remember, I usually do even if only the main plot points.

In the last couple years, however, I have purposely been waiting until an entire series is out before starting it - I did this for Abercrombie's The First Law and read all 3 in a row. Of course there are exceptions to that where I thought it was a trilogy but it wasn't (Shadows of the Apt) or I'd heard so many good things about it I just had to read it (Lies of Locke Lamora).

The way I figure it, there are so many awesome books and series out there that I've yet to read that my time can be filled up reading those while I wait for new books to arrive in series' that I've already started. People can easily wait until an entire series has been published (yes even ASoIaF) before reading it if they want to.

In conclusion: To read or not to read, that is an individual decision made on a case by case basis. I chop and change at will, but I rarely re-read once a new book in a series is published unless it is the last one.
 
I always reread. Sometimes the entire series. I can't keep it in my head otherwise.
 
With a series, for instance MbotF, I will try to space it out to make sure I can remember everything for the final volume. I've been taking month to two month breaks between books. This also helps me enjoy the series better, I don't feel trapped.

With Martin's series, I'm definitely planning on a reread. There's just too much there, too many characters not to. Keeping that in mind, I've also decided to keep buying the books when they come out but wait till the last one's out to reread. Then again, this series is good enough that a couple rereads wouldn't be too bad. :)
 
I do not re-read, for a variety of reasons. With regard to remembering details, I find that subsequent volumes nearly always contain enough clues and references to previous events to jog my memory. I wouldn't say that I will never do a re-read, but to this point, I've not found the need.
 
If it's a big sprawling complicated series with multiple POV's or I really like the books I reread them just before the new one is due to come out. Rereads are mostly reserved for things like ASoIaF or WoT. Books like that you can often find something new to appreciate with each reread.
 
In the past, I've tended to try not to read a series until it has all actually been completed.

However, I've noticed this has created a bit of an annoying problem: I wait for years and years for the entire series to be completed, then find out when I ready book one that I actually don't like it. All of that waiting around for nothing!

What I try to do instead is to at least wait until book two is released, and book three is due a release date. Then, I'll try to plan it so that I can buy each book three or so months apart. This doesn't always work when I really, really enjoy a book - I end up unable to wait and just buy everything that's out immediately.

I don't re-read books simply because I don't have time. I have so many new books to read that I find it hard to find the motivation to go over one I've already read. Most of the time though, I've noticed that a good middle or end book will have either a really good summary of what's happened so far, or at least be written in such a way that the reader is reminded of important past events/details.
 
Raven of SD said:
I'm kinda not looking forward to the last Wheel of Time book. 12k pages....... :(
Click to expand...

If you're really not looking forward to the re-read then why bother? Surely an online synopsis would suffice.

I for one refuse to read an incomplete series. I read GRRMs "A Game of Thrones" when it was first released and loved it but never read the others. I'm dying to read them, but since it probably won't be finished until 2020 or later (if ever) I just cannot do it.

I stopped reading WOT time at Winter's Heart (still haven't finished)when I realized (finally) that the series had turned into a parody of itself and was no longer enjoyable. I just might read the new one though since the series will be finished pretty quickly.

GRRM and Jordan (rest his soul) are doing/did a great disservice to their fans with these unnecessarily bloated, neverending series.....and GRRM doesn't seem to even care! According to his blog he's done everything this year except work on the book!!!
 
Rarely do I ever reread a series. Usually there is some form of backstory in the new book to help jog your memory. Like Seak stated above, I tend to put books in between Erikson to keep my interest peaked in the story and also to enjoy it more as I feel I would burn out if I were to read the entire series (or those that are out) back to back.
 
Like others, I only read completed series. Of course, I recognize that if everyone did this, no series would ever be completed as the sales support to keep it going wouldn't be there.

I guess when it comes to books I'm kind of like those people who don't vaccinate their children because they feel confident enough that everyone else vaccinating their kids will protect theirs.

Looks like I'm a bit of a hypocrite since those people piss me off to no end.
 
Jebus said:
In the last couple years, however, I have purposely been waiting until an entire series is out before starting it
Click to expand...

This.

Although in some cases, I do buy the books as they come out, but with no intention of starting to read them until I know that the end of the series is in sight. (For example, I started buying the Malazan books a couple of years ago, but started reading just this fall - by the time I get through the 9 that are out, the 10th should be out and I can jump right into it.) This helps avoid the conundrum that igbomb finds himself in. It also helps my own bottom line, since if I wait until a series is done before I start buying the books, then the paperbacks will probably be a couple of dollars more than they are now, and the hardbacks even worse. Buying early = cheaper books; waiting until they're all out to read them = less frustration and annoyance with delays.

Ken
 
It depends on the series. When A Feast for Crows published, I re-read all of aSoIaF. As I've said before, the last WOT book I read was Winter's Heart and before that, I only re-read The Eye of the World. I plan on re-reading the whole series next year.

Sometimes, if I enjoy the first book of a series, I will just wait until the last couple come out and read them back to back.
 
I've never re-read books before continuing on with the latest. I've a good memory for remembering trivial crap, so it only takes a chapter or so before my memory is jogged... and yet I have often have trouble remembering what day it is. Of course, I do re-read books in a series when the mood strikes me, but that is just for fun and it is never the series in full (or up to the latest).
 
After being strung along with WoT (there were other series as well), I've decided that if a book doesn't get taken off the to-read pile until the series is finished.
 
In the last couple years, however, I have purposely been waiting until an entire series is out before starting it
Click to expand...

Which sounds nice, until you realise that if everyone did this no series would ever be completed, due to the publishers canning it for not selling any copies. Buying the books and stockpiling them to read when they're all out, fair enough.

It depends on the series. I usually find that I can't remember anything at all about a previous book in a series if it's been a few years since it came out, but usually after starting the sequel or next book in the series I find a lot of it comes back to me. Reading online summaries sometimes helps.

After my next book I'm planning my first ASoIaF re-read since 2003. Should be interesting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Sponsors


We try to keep the forum as free of ads as possible, please consider supporting SFFWorld on Patreon


Your ad here.

Latest posts

Back
Top