Is a common belief that many film sequels are worse than the original. Popular movies are so often destroyed by a follow us. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Lost Skull? Grease 2? What was the point in ruining these franchises? Unlike many people, I'm not looking forwards to Finding Nemo 2. That film was such a big part of my childhood and now the money grabbing villains at Disney and Pixar are wanting to bring it all back and brutally murder my childhood memories. Honestly, Dory was my favourite character in the whole film, but I don't want to watch “Finding Dory”. The fish is forgetful. By the time you find her, she wont know who you are so why bother going through all the effort to find her just to end up heart broken? Perhaps I am just being cynical about the outcome, but I'm sure someone out there agrees with me.
However, at the moment I'm not actually focusing on terrible film sequels. Last year, I wrote a review for a book called Throne of Glass. If anyone read that (it's on the website, if not), they will know how much I loves that. I saw a real talent in Sarah J. Mass. For the first time, I pre-ordered a book and waited months for it to arrive at my door. When it eventually arrive, I was buzzing with excitement. I opened it straight away, took myself off to my bedroom and got settled for several hours of reading in which I thought I would pretty much finish the book. This was several months ago, and I still haven't gotten past chapter one, despite attempting it quite a few times. I was thoroughly disappointed in the book, which got me thinking... Is it only films that have bad sequels?
However, at the moment I'm not actually focusing on terrible film sequels. Last year, I wrote a review for a book called Throne of Glass. If anyone read that (it's on the website, if not), they will know how much I loves that. I saw a real talent in Sarah J. Mass. For the first time, I pre-ordered a book and waited months for it to arrive at my door. When it eventually arrive, I was buzzing with excitement. I opened it straight away, took myself off to my bedroom and got settled for several hours of reading in which I thought I would pretty much finish the book. This was several months ago, and I still haven't gotten past chapter one, despite attempting it quite a few times. I was thoroughly disappointed in the book, which got me thinking... Is it only films that have bad sequels?
I'm going to start by looking at The Hunger Games. The first book of the trilogy captured my heart and sparked a new love for an amazing series. Catching Fire only got better, making me fall completely in love with the characters and the amazing world that Suzanne Collins created. After two fantastic books, I couldn't wait to feast on Mockingjay. I wouldn't say I was disappointed in the book as a whole, but it wasn't all that it promised to be. Now don't get me wrong, it isn't a bad book. It's a great book, it just isn't a good as its predecessors. Although I was happy with the ending, Peeta being one of my favourite characters (sorry Gale) I was glad that he found happiness, but it did seem a little rushed. The way Collins chose to end the book appeared a bit too perfect. I'd have thought that a book that was trying to break out of the cliché Twilight drama would change things up a little from the perfect relationship to end the book. Again, I was a massive fan of Gale but I hate that we don't truly know what happened to him. I know it's said that he stayed in District 2 but there are so many theories about how he ended up. I wish we could have found out for sure what happened to him. Maybe this is just my controlling, super organised self hating the unknown, but I really want to know what happened.
Another final book in a trilogy that didn't live up to expectations is The Amber Spyglass of Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials. Not only was this book disappointing, it was incredibly confusing. The Golden Compass was a truly beautiful novel, while The Subtle Knife evolved the world I grew to love. The Amber Spyglass, however, brought about so many different worlds that I found very difficult to follow. Maybe if I reread them now, I would find the third book much better but I was put off with the first failed attempt and I am yet to return.
The world that J. R. R. Tolkein created when he wrote Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit is one of those fantastical things that seems to real despite the impossibilities. I don't think anyone can argue with the greatness of his novels. Tolkein was an amazing man who inspired so many people with his abilities. The world of Middle-Earth became his own, and he knew all of it's past, present and future. When the world had to face the harsh reality of his death in 1973, many tears were shed by the Hobbits and the elves of earth. No one thought that his son Christopher would find the scribbled notes of the legend that is Tolkein and take it upon himself to turn them into several disappointing books. The notes Tooling Junior worked from were sketchy, just the scribbles of an amazing mind, but he worked through this, publishing books that should have been magical but were just nightmarish.
Not all book sequels are bad, though. What springs to mind before anything else is Harry Potter. In my opinion, the first chapter of the first book is terrible. I took me ages to eventually become a Potterhead because I couldn't get past that first chapter. But J. K. Rowling only made the world better and better. Each book was an improvement on the last, earning the best seller status it attained. Although the final part of the series in the form of “19 Years Later” can be said to be a little disappointing, I think this is only because of individual opinions on what should have happened, rather than the quality of the book.
I think that it is just the life of a bookworm to be disappointed in what was set to be a beloved book every so often. Yet among the bad books, there are novels that we will treasure in our hearts forever.
Another final book in a trilogy that didn't live up to expectations is The Amber Spyglass of Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials. Not only was this book disappointing, it was incredibly confusing. The Golden Compass was a truly beautiful novel, while The Subtle Knife evolved the world I grew to love. The Amber Spyglass, however, brought about so many different worlds that I found very difficult to follow. Maybe if I reread them now, I would find the third book much better but I was put off with the first failed attempt and I am yet to return.
The world that J. R. R. Tolkein created when he wrote Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit is one of those fantastical things that seems to real despite the impossibilities. I don't think anyone can argue with the greatness of his novels. Tolkein was an amazing man who inspired so many people with his abilities. The world of Middle-Earth became his own, and he knew all of it's past, present and future. When the world had to face the harsh reality of his death in 1973, many tears were shed by the Hobbits and the elves of earth. No one thought that his son Christopher would find the scribbled notes of the legend that is Tolkein and take it upon himself to turn them into several disappointing books. The notes Tooling Junior worked from were sketchy, just the scribbles of an amazing mind, but he worked through this, publishing books that should have been magical but were just nightmarish.
Not all book sequels are bad, though. What springs to mind before anything else is Harry Potter. In my opinion, the first chapter of the first book is terrible. I took me ages to eventually become a Potterhead because I couldn't get past that first chapter. But J. K. Rowling only made the world better and better. Each book was an improvement on the last, earning the best seller status it attained. Although the final part of the series in the form of “19 Years Later” can be said to be a little disappointing, I think this is only because of individual opinions on what should have happened, rather than the quality of the book.
I think that it is just the life of a bookworm to be disappointed in what was set to be a beloved book every so often. Yet among the bad books, there are novels that we will treasure in our hearts forever.