Q's Views

Okay, so I'm wading my way through the long list of American novels that I've assembled. I'm finding it hard to dedicate as much time to reading as I would like. I'm finishing up a project at work so maybe I can pick up the pace.

Currently reading - Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreisser.

Not knocking my socks off. But entertaining enough. In reading a little about Dreisser, I found that he had a trilogy about a rich man modeled after some actual person. I've actually picked up one of the volumes, The Financier, and I plan to read in the post USA revisit of the novelists I missed in round one. [Tip of the hat to Virgil for reminding me to include Willa Cather and Jack London]. But this isn't about that. My favorite writer that I've discovered in this journey, Frank Norris, was writing a trilogy when he died. The Octopus and The Pit were the first two installments. The Octopus is about the people who grew the wheat and The Pit is about the market that sell it. Makes sense.

OK, here's the point.

Come closer so I can whisper. No, no, closer. There's people over there who read novels in the fantasy genre. It's okay. They have their own private club. Over there. See it. Yeah.

I've read my share of these novels and I'm left with a thought -- Why did Tolkien's editor have to break up The Lord of the Rings into 3 pieces? It's one story. Now it seems that every writer in this genre can't help themselves from writing a saga. Dragon's Toe Nail: Book 1 in the Not in My Cave Saga.

Really? What are you saying? I have a story that's so big it can't possibly fit in one volume. Really? We can handle good stories bound in one volume. Look at the number of people who list War and Peace or Don Quixote or Les Miserables among their favorite novels. No, what you've said to me Mr. Can't Write a Story in One Novel is this, "I have this idea for a story, but I don't know how it ends." Besides the more door stops you generate to tell the neverending story builds the old bankroll.

At least Tolkien's story had an end. Throw ring in fire. Save world from evil. And he wrote it with suspense that they just might make it and even if they make it it might not be in time.

I've found that if you actually read one of these sagas to the end, the end is usually unsatisfying and cheapens the journey to get there.

So if you read this and find me offensive to your fantasy fandom, answer me this Batman, what is the best single volume fantasy work you've ever read?
That's what I thought.