Comments on: Entertaining a Saga

By: Barbara Martin

Barbara Martin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:30:03 +0000

I’m a bit late for the discussion, but I do like sagas. Especially those written by Wilbur Smith. He has a family series The Courtneys in Africa, and an old world Egyptian saga about the Pharoahs.

By: Lynn Dean

Lynn Dean — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:09:46 +0000

Jumping in a little late here, but when I think of sagas, I think of Louis L’Amour’s Sackett family.

By: Michelle Ule

Michelle Ule — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:28:27 +0000

Bill’s comment about the Dune books put me in mind of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series–where they set out to build a new world on a planet (later books set in earlier times).

McCaffrey published the original Dragons of Pern and then wrote books about different continents on the planet using offshoot family members.

I think her books may be sagas because they tie together with an overriding “saga arc” — conquering the new world and confronting the Thread crises. The final book in the series/saga finishes with later generations finally vanquishing the Thread menace. That’s why I would the Pern books taken together as a saga.

As to your Blessings books, Lauraine, you can see that Etta defines them on Wednesday as a series. But who am I to argue?

And does it really matter as long as we get a good read?

And do you suppose we read more sagas as teenagers because we had more time to do so?

By: Lauraine Snelling

Lauraine Snelling — Wed, 26 May 2010 01:46:40 +0000

All I can say about sagas that are ongoing now is: I’m now on book sixteen of the Bjorklund books as readers are calling them, and the town of Blessing ND that I created by and for the Bjorklund family. I am on the second generation. the series started in 1880 and am now in 1904. While these are not huge books,they are near the 100,000 word range. lots of history and have a good following of faithful readers. The first series of six, second of three, third of four and I’m writing the last book of three in the fourth. Had no idea the first two books would turn into this longevity. Blessings, Lauraine

By: David Todd

David Todd — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:40:18 +0000

Sagas (or epics, which ever) are definitely my favorites. Give me Wouk and Michener any day.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:36:28 +0000

Bill’s right in that there are a number of readers in today’s society who don’t have time or the patience to read long novels or sagas. But I maintain that good books prevail regardless of their lengths because even if only half a chapter is read per day, people who are engrossed in a story will make time to read a good book.

We talk about not assuming things about our readers–like they’re stupid by writing down to them, etc. I think it’s a wrong assumption to cut the corners and produce shorter novels. I think if you look at the ABA, the larger percentage of bestselling novels are longer. People still read bigger books, don’t all need staccato, verb-rich text, and truly still do appreciate amazing prose and the detail it usually includes. I refuse to believe I’m all alone in this. (And my young teenage granddaughters would read 1000 page novels if given a good story. So there! )

By: Bill Giovannetti

Bill Giovannetti — Tue, 25 May 2010 13:21:25 +0000

The Dune books fit the definition of “saga,” it seems to me. A huge story in a unique story-world, spanning generations, planets, and a gazillion pages.

I wonder if contemporary readers lack the patience for a saga.

Do you think a saga is planned or discovered? Was it intentional from the first book, or did the author/publisher/reading public realize that the story-world was so rich it begged further exploration?

By: Marti Pieper

Marti Pieper — Tue, 25 May 2010 11:30:02 +0000

The first saga I remember reading was Canadian author Mazo de la Roche’s JALNA novels. I’m not sure exactly what drew me in, but the adventures of the Whiteoak family hooked me during my middle teen years. I read the books as fast as I could find them on the library shelves. Today’s reviews consistently mention the books’ “soap opera qualities.” But someone else must have liked them–more than 12 million sold before they went out of print in the 1970s. The saga has also inspired a play, a movie, and a television series; some of the novels have been re-released. I may need to revisit these to discover why I loved them so much!

By: Judy Gann

Judy Gann — Mon, 24 May 2010 22:12:06 +0000

I love sagas according to Nicole’s definition– generational family stories. I read Francine Rivers latest book, Her Mother’s Hope. First heavy hardback book I’ve every taken on an airplane trip. (Made the mistake of starting it before my trip and couldn’t put it down.)

As Nicole said, Her Mother’s Hope, coupled with the sequel fits the definition of a saga.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:26:35 +0000

The current “series books” often are not well done in that they cheat the reader by making the first one a total setup for the next one when both would be better books combined. Being a reader (and a writer) I resent that.

The good series novels usually tell complete stories with overlapping characters. (The Patrick Bower thrillers by Steven James; Kristen Heitzmann’s Secrets, Unforgotten, Echoes to name a couple.) They take long enough to employ real character development and detail/history/locales.

Based on my dictionary’s definition of sagas, I still maintain that long novels (narratives) don’t have to include a bunch of history but can take place in contemporary settings featuring the focus on the lives/situations of its characters in particular circumstances.

Think Pretense by Lori Wick which did show the developing lives of two sisters from childhood. Think Rush of Wings and The Still of Night by Kristen Heitzmann.