Series Reading: In Order?

[Karen C]

As someone who loves to read one of the things I enjoy most is reading books that form part of a series. It doesn't matter whether its a trilogy or a series spanning a dozen books or more, there's just something really warm and inviting at being able to settle down with a new book and being able to revisit old and familiar characters. It's like catching up with old friends.

I realized recently that I have a fair few on the go and a fair few that I have held off from reading due to not having read the earlier books. Well, it got me thinking about the 'rules' of reading a series and wondered what your thoughts were.

Do you like reading books from a series or do you prefer standalone books? If you read books from a series do you HAVE to read them in order or does it not matter to you? What happens if you have some of the newer books in the series but are struggling to find the older ones, do you hold off reading them until you've managed to read the preceding ones or do you just jump straight in? How important is it to you to read them in order? And for all of the above, why?

 

[Sneezy]

My OCD kicks in rather severely here. Must. Read. In. Order.

Case in point here. I label Conscious Bob an enabler.

 

[Maine Colonial]

I enjoy reading series, but I'm not a stickler about reading in order; in depends on the series.

For Colin Watson's Flaxborough series of comic mysteries, it can be hard to track down some titles. But there doesn't seem to be a lot of character development from book to book, so it doesn't bother me at all to read those out of order. I don't think it's at all important to read Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple books in order, either. But it would be terrible to read the Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane books out of order.

I wonder what I would do if I'd never read any Reginald Hill before and decided to tackle his Dalziel/Pascoe series. That's a very long series and there is some definite character development. But when a series is very long, I'm not sure I'd want to start at the beginning. I might like to try out a more recent one to see if I like it. If I did, then I'd be willing to start at the beginning.

When I recommend a series to somebody, I often don't recommend starting with the first book, just because sometimes those are fairly weak. I pick out a good title in the series and have the person decide from that one.

I guess my OCD tendencies don't extend to series reading order.

 

[Sneezy]

I once had a minor panic attack when I realized I had read book three in a (now forgotten) series before I realized it was Book III.

Unfortunately, I am not kidding.

Don't get me started on the Star Wars and LoTR movie series debacles.

 

[Reads to Sleep]

You're cracking me up, Sneezy.

Great question, Karen.

I like to begin at the beginning of a series, even though I suspect the earlier books are weaker than later books, because I like experiencing a large picture unfolding over time. Some series contain elements of suspense in relationships or a story arc that's best witnessed as it's happening, as Maine Colonial pointed out. Margaret Atwood's dystopian trilogy is another example of books that really should be read in order.

That said, life is messy. I meet new people and learn about their lives out of order and bit by bit. I read postmodern novels that are wacky in their treatment of time and place. I console myself that reading series out of order is kinda like those things. Otherwise, I find myself postponing a good book until I can read its predecessors, and then I never get around to that good book.

 

[AquaMarine]

i think my obsession with reading a series of books started with *grimaces to say* Sweet Valley High when i was in 4th grade!! sigh.

but since then i've read LoTR. but not before i had read the Hobbit first. i found that important to do.

then i read Harry Potter with my son, in order.

anne rice, too. though those are the kind of books that can stand alone or be read in order. either way.

it's funny because i have to read a series in numerical order, BUT i read the last chapter first. silly, i know.

 

[anabigbookfan]

i think my obsession with reading a series of books started with *grimaces to say* Sweet Valley High when i was in 4th grade!! sigh.

but since then i've read LoTR. but not before i had read the Hobbit first. i found that important to do.

then i read Harry Potter with my son, in order.

anne rice, too. though those are the kind of books that can stand alone or be read in order. either way.

it's funny because i have to read a series in numerical order, BUT i read the last chapter first. silly, i know.

That is quite funny that you read the last chapter first. I know some people just really want to know the ending which is why I noticed some books occasionally don't put their last chapter as the climax because it will give the story away. Does it not ruin your experience of reading the book if you know the last chapter? Whenever I done it I tend to forget what I read in the last chapter but when I reread it again its like 'oh yeah I've been here before'

 

[regdog]

I read DragonFly in Amber and kept thinking I was missing something. When I finished the book and looked up more
books by Diana gabladon I realized I was reading the series out of order.

 

[AllTooWell]

I am one of the many people who must read them in order.

I have read many books that are apart of a trilogy/series. Like Twilight, The Hunger Games, House of Night series, the Mercy Thompson series, etc. I always think I will get tempted to read them out of order, so I don't allow myself to even purchase the next book until I am finished with the current one.

 

[SuperReaderGirl]

I love series, because then I don't have to say goodbye to the story/characters as quickly!.....Series can be super frustrating for me though if I start reading them before the author has completed the whole set. And yes, I always read in ORDER (& do not read the last chapter first, lol - though I have been known to skim a few pages ahead to see if a character I like is coming back soon).