Do you think a series can ever be too long?

[XxMonsterLoverxX]

As much as I love a good series, I can't help but think that eventually, series can get to be boring. As much as I want to keep learning about the characters and the story, it does stop being interesting. The House of Night series, for instance. I'm so tired of it. 13 books later and it probably should have ended a long time ago. I lost interest after about the third book, but kept reading just because.

[sophiachic]

Some series yes, they go off on to another plot totally different from the actual plot.

[K-katastrophe3]

The only time I ever feel like a series is too long is when the author loses sight of what keeps the readers interested. If the same problem continues through multiple books, never getting resolved and only accumulating more and more obstacles, one tends to lose the want to keep reading. There was only once that I found such a problem with the series being too long, so it is not as if every series is like that. I think if the author knows what they are doing and keep the stories interesting, keep the reader on their toes and fully enthralled into the series, then there is no way it is too long.

[sophiachic]

I have read series that were long yes.

[katiedid659]

I enjoy a series when there is too much story for just one book but I don't care for series that is just same story different day. So my answer is yes, a series can be too long if the story won't carry it.

[ReadMePlease]

Only if it just carries on the stories and doesn't have true and singular meaning.

[Caz1+]

I was going to say no although I have been reading the house of night and was really enjoying the series although the last few books have been pretty boring and I think this is because they are dragging the series out and perhaps they should have ended it sooner

[Scorsee]

I used to feel like it wasn't possible---but after reading "A Series of Unfortunate Events" it just became too long...by the 13th book I didn't feel as tied to the characters or the overall plot's outcome.

[sophiachic]

Oh Yes yes yes.

[M-Allmon]

Definitely! When I start looking for a new book to read, one of the first things I do now is look to see if it's a series. And if it is, I look to see how many books there are, and what it's going to cost me to read them. Is it just me or is everything a trilogy now? I was hooked on The House of Night series, and Sookie Stackhouse but it jut became all too much. Everything gets kind of repetitive and boring after a while.

[Jennifer-Hamilton]

We often hear the saying - too much of a good thing. I think when it comes to a series this often the case, you love the series in the beginning, and the more you get, the more you seem to enjoy, until you realise that the characters have become distant to you. No longer do you see the characters in the same light, the sense of enjoyment that you had has lessened as the series continued as the plot and characters have often stagnated.

At the same time though there are series that could go on forever with no fear of stagnation, with eternal love for the writing and the characters. A series is made up not just a number of books churned out one after the other, but the characters, the situations they are in, and the writing are important building blocks that when fresh and full of depth allow a reader to engage with them easily.

A series is only as good as each individual book, and if a single book begins to branch away from the series, or is just not as good quality it can ruin a series. Sometimes as people say it is better to quit when ahead.

[Jennifer_Heinrichs]

Definitely! I thought the House of Night series just keeps dragging on. Don't get me wrong, I will continue to read it, but I am definitely ready for the conclusion of that series. I am sure there are more series I feel that way about, but I can't think of them off the top of my head. That being said, I also believe a series could be too short. Some make me feel like, "What?!?! That's all your going to give us!"

[AlishaCostanzo]

Yes! The Anita Blake series has done this. Too much sex and not enough story.

[yalonde]

Awhile ago if you asked me this questions, I would have said no. It completely depends if I am enjoying the series. For instance, The House of Night books started off good. I was hooked from the beginning, but then the main character began to annoy me the further along I came in the series. I finally lost count of the number of books in the series and stopped reading any new books from the series. I think the reason I became so restless with this series was because of the main character and the main bad person (she got away with everything).

[acasto]

I think a series can be too long, but some long series are really great. In elementary school I read the Warriors series. There was one series of 6 books when I started, and I liked them, then another set of 6 came out and I couldn't get through the whole thing because it was all the same story over again. Now there is a third set of 6 and two similar series about bears instead of cats. Definitely too long! On the other hand, Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites is my favorite series in the whole world. It currently has 12 books, though I've only read 11. It is the only series that I reread. I have read most of the books I have 3 to 5 times!