Journal 54

What did you think of the latest Journal?
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Courtenay
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Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
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Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Journal 54

Post 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: )
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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John Pickup
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Favourite book/series: Barney mysteries
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Re: Journal 54

Post 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.
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Courtenay
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Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
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Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Journal 54

Post 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!
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Enikyoga
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Re: Journal 54

Post 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.
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