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Re: Journal 54

Posted: 03 Aug 2014, 18:35
by Courtenay
Lucky Star wrote:That is what I have always thought too. It seems to have happened quite a lot with her major series'. The price of being too good a writer I suppose.
Good point (and drat the spoilers - I haven't read all the Barney books yet!!).

Mind you, even writers who set themselves a definite limit and stick to it don't always manage to maintain an increasing or even consistent level of excitement and originality. With Harry Potter, for example, I felt that the plots started out excellent and got steadily better over the first three books, with Prisoner of Azkaban being the best of the lot. But Goblet of Fire floundered (far too long, for a start), and though Order of the Phoenix picked up the pace again a good deal, I felt the last two books (especially the final one) just went into a downward spiral of over-lengthiness, over-complicatedness, cliché, tedium and pointlessness. :roll:

That was only seven books' worth over 10 years, so I'd say Enid did pretty well to produce as many brilliant and memorable books as she did over a far longer period with a much greater output!

(scurries to hide from potential legions of offended and enraged Potter fans :mrgreen: )

Re: Journal 54

Posted: 03 Aug 2014, 19:32
by John Pickup
Sorry about the spoilers, Courtenay.
I also think that Enid only intended to write four Barney books and, in hindsight, she should have stuck to that intention.

Re: Journal 54

Posted: 03 Aug 2014, 19:43
by Courtenay
That's OK, John - I'm probably the only forum member who hasn't read all the Barney Mysteries! :lol: I read The Rockingdown Mystery years ago, and I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it, but obviously didn't feel inspired at the time to go on with the rest of the series, as I never did.

I'd guess it was again pressure from her many fans that induced Enid to write more Barney books after what should have been the final one, as it was with the Famous Five. She isn't the first or the last author to have wanted to end a series and then felt obliged by popular demand to revive it. Most famously, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle attempted to kill off Sherlock Holmes, only to be needled into resurrecting him!

Re: Journal 54

Posted: 20 Oct 2014, 04:48
by Enikyoga
Courtenay wrote: With Harry Potter, for example, I felt that the plots started out excellent and got steadily better over the first three books, with Prisoner of Azkaban being the best of the lot. But Goblet of Fire floundered (far too long, for a start), and though Order of the Phoenix picked up the pace again a good deal, I felt the last two books (especially the final one) just went into a downward spiral of over-lengthiness, over-complicatedness, cliché, tedium and pointlessness. :roll:
Agreed!!!
Stephen I.