Series that go on and on and...

[mollinary]

Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey Maturin series for me. Came to them late, was completely sold on them, still am. The great advantage of such a long series of novels is by the time you get to the end of the last one, you've forgotten enough about the first to start again (or at least that works for me!).  I just find them so funny, and witty, and I keep finding new things to burst out laughing about. They are great stories, and wonderfully observed.  They have been my bedtime reading, a chapter a night, more or less, for the  last two years - and I am coming to the end of the series for the second time, and about to start again.  All I can say to the sadly deceased author is "I drink to you sir, in bumpers, three times three!".

Mollinary (aged 57 1/3)

[Maenoferren]

One deffinatly not borrowed, Sledging Elephants from Movives, Movies.

IanS

very true
one of my favourite autors and to be honest i dont care where he gets his ideas from

[Hertsblue]

Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey Maturin series for me. Came to them late, was completely sold on them, still am. The great advantage of such a long series of novels is by the time you get to the end of the last one, you've forgotten enough about the first to start again (or at least that works for me!).  I just find them so funny, and witty, and I keep finding new things to burst out laughing about. They are great stories, and wonderfully observed.  They have been my bedtime reading, a chapter a night, more or less, for the  last two years - and I am coming to the end of the series for the second time, and about to start again.  All I can say to the sadly deceased author is "I drink to you sir, in bumpers, three times three!".

Mollinary (aged 57 1/3)

Hear him, hear him! The other great feature of O'Brian's writing is his ability to capture early nineteenth century attitudes and mores. No revisionist modern-day PC - ism in his stories. 

[Legate]

"The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. I stopped reading at Book 10..."

A buddy of mine got about that far as well, and gave up.  I don't think an ending is in view even now.

[Captain J Aubrey]

I stopped reading the Horus Heresy with Descent of Angels. I started the series when it first came out. I was sorting my wedding out then. It's six years now... Surely it must end soon.

Completely agree with the Patrick O'Brian. I finished the Surgeons Mate at the start of the week. I been slowly buying them over the last year as I feel you can't rush those books. They are like a fine wine - made to be savoured. I need to get the rest though before the issue a new edition and change all the covers.

[Ben Waterhouse]

Patrick O'Brian for me also, along with the incomparable Flashman!

[Malbork]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Alan Mallinson's Hervey (light dragoons) series.

Starts at Waterloo and works its way back and forth from the Peninsula to S. Africa and the Greek War of Independence. The latter volumes have got a bit slow, but period detail is good and I find them easier to read than O'Brien's books (only managed one and a half  ); i reckon the latest, vol 10?, should be out in paperback shortly.

They are certainly not page-turners in the Cornwell style but repay a sunny afternoon in the garden with a beer or two.   

[Hertsblue]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Alan Mallinson's Hervey (light dragoons) series.

Read two or three of them but found Hervey a bit two dimensional. Same with Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series - his later medieaval books are much better. I enjoyed Azincourt.

If you're into whodunnits, I strongly recommend Lindsey Davis's Falco series. Not sure how "Roman" the plots are, but great fun.

[Ben Waterhouse]

Read two or three of them but found Hervey a bit two dimensional. Same with Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series - his later medieaval books are much better. I enjoyed Azincourt.

If you're into whodunnits, I strongly recommend Lindsey Davis's Falco series. Not sure how "Roman" the plots are, but great fun.

Au contraire, I found young Hervey's character a believable representation of his time and class, very unlike the chippy late 20th century Sharpe and his proto PIRA sidekick Harper....

[Malbork]

If you're into whodunnits, I strongly recommend Lindsey Davis's Falco series. Not sure how "Roman" the plots are, but great fun.

Thoroughly enjoyed the first 6 or so but I think things fell apart a little. I agree they are great fun even if the whodunntit aspect is a bit more Agatha Christie than Robert Graves.

Have to agree with Ben re Sharpe & Co.  The medieval and Wessex books are better IMHO. In this time period the Oathsworn series by Robert Low is worth a look for Viking lovers.

[Snowdogs]

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. I stopped reading at Book 10 and I'd probably have to start from the beginning to remember what has happened. Jordan has died but more books in the series keep appearing.

I cant remember how far I managed to get with them, but it bodes ill that there was no end in site before he died. I have a feeling the Game of thrones books will go the same way

[Aart Brouwer]

Proust.

As in Marcel Proust's A la recherche etc.

I know, I'll get my coat 

Cheers,
Aart