Health & Fitness
Serious About Series Part Two - The Numbers Game
Some are as short as two books, while others are in the triple digits. We'll be looking at the numbers game as it pertains to series. Readers please share your favorite series!
Series as a literary concept date back many centuries. Series are always multiple volumes, yet it is important to note that “series” can be defined in two ways.
It can represent a number of books that feature the same character(s) in a self contained plot line that resolves itself at the end of that particular volume. An example would be The Murder She Wrote Mysteries. Series can also reflect a broad overarching storyline that continues to move forward in time as its volumes progress, such as the Harry Potter series.
Not all series are created equal. I’m not talking quality here, but the number of books!
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Two part series are rare, but Shakespeare produced Henry IV Part 1 and Henry IV Part 2.
It is said things come in threes, which make explain the popularity of trilogies. Steig Larssen’s Millenium Trilogy continues to occupy the New York Times Best Sellers List. For those not familiar with the trilogy, it begins with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
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If there is a title “Queen of Trilogies”, it would be Nora Roberts. She has written a grand total of eight trilogies. The complete listing is available on her website.
Moving on to quartets, there is The Raj Quartet by Paul Scott. It details the final years of the British rule of India. The novels were adapted and became the television mini series: The Jewel in the Crown.
Madeline Hunter’s Regency Quartet is a historical romance series set in early 19th century England. Volume I is Ravishing in Red.
In loftier numbers, there are series that are currently in the double digits that include J.D. Robb’s In Death series, Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Martha Grimes’ ,The Richard Jury Series and many more.
A few series break all records. The Perry Mason series by Erle Stanley Gardner spans 82 volumes. The Hardy Boys (1927-2005) and Nancy Drew(1930-2003) span 190 and 175 volumes respectively.
*Please note: The links in the titles of works will send the reader to the online catalog entry of the Port Jefferson Free Library. This will allow readers to see if the book is available and to request a copy.
Okay Port Jeff Patch readers- what are some of your favorite long running series? Please post below in the comments section.
