I don't do sequels. I do not like watching movies that have sequels. I will watch James Bond movies...but I don't think of them as sequels- but rather separate movies that all have the same main character, the same goes for the Pink Panther series. All of the rest though, I have no use for.
With the exception of the Robertson Davies trilogies, the same can be said for books. Harry Potter and his friends are not something that I need to read about for 5 or 6 books. However this week, I read a really interesting book called "March", by Geraldine Brooks. This book builds a story around the absentee father character from Louisa May Alcott's book "Little Women". I suppose you can think of it as a sequel-written by a different author, as it does have a bit of the same feel as the original, and there are common characters. The book delves into Mr March's transcendental philosophies, as well as his relationships with slaves- and his struggle to help free them.
Besides teach me about the civil war (most of which I learned from the movie Gone With the Wind), and further educate me on philosophies that are not always followed in this part of the world-this book helped me to change my opinion of sequels. Not only was I glad to be in the head of Capt. March, but now I want to know more about why crusty Aunt March was so against him going to war, and I want to know how Mr Laurence made his money, and how John Brooks came to become Laurie's tutor - instead of doing something else.
**Picture Source- flickr
