People have written about movies vs books or kindles vs paper copies, but what about series vs stand alone books? Which is better? Series, of course. By the end of this blog post, I guarantee you will feel the same.
First, I’ll take you back to your childhood. I’m sure you are familiar with the Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Geronimo Stilton, and Harry Potter. While those books are substantial, the fact that they had a whole story line and were full series made them even more attractive for young readers. Once kids read one book, they were hooked and kept going to the next. Additionally, when it was over, it was disappointing because you had to search for something new to read.
Even more importantly, many children’s books would stand a chance if they weren’t in a series. There isn’t enough substance in each book because they are meant for children, and there would be a lack of familiarity if the short books constantly changed. Remember, Elephant and Piggie, the Pigeon books, The Cat in the Hat, or The Crayons series? They wouldn’t be the same if they were only one book. The repetition keeps the name well-known and easy to follow for children. It also strengthens the plot and the adventures of each of the characters.
You might argue that series can get boring after a while, and you would be right to an extent. Some book series drag for far too long, but that only means they shouldn’t have lasted for 10+ books. A few books in the series still keeps the readers engaged and interested in the series. I’m not saying you can’t dislike a book series, but that part is up to personal opinion. Overall, finding a great book series keeps you hooked and entertained much longer than a single book ever could.
So, overall, why are they better? That is due to quantity and familiarity. There is simply just more substance in series. There is also a common theme throughout the series that keeps it safe or familiar. You also won’t have to spend as much time searching for a new good book. If you find a series you enjoy, you can stick with it until it is over. I hope this blog post persuades you to choose series over stand alone books.
I agree that series can often start strong but get weaker as they go. I think it's because it's hard to recreate what made the first book/s capture the reader in a way that isn't repetitive. This happened with my favorite elementary school series Spy School by Stuart Gibbs :( But, when you find a series that doesn’t fall off, it’s really awesome and lets you stay in the story in a way that's hard for a standalone to do.
ReplyDelete