Well, I don't know how anyone else feels about this but .... I had read Caleb Carr's The Alienist and I was seriously impressed. The book was suspenseful, well-written, the atmosphere was well crafted, etc., etc. Then, I read his follow-up, The Angel of Darkness. It was a MAJOR disappointment -- it seemed like such a rehash of the first book.

Anyway, I had such high hopes for the second book and I was badly disappointed. I guess you could say I wasn't exactly fair to the author. Of course, others might have liked his subsequent books.

Oh, and I had a somewhat similar experience with Umberto Eco. I loved his The Name of the Rose and I followed that up with the equally excellent (though godawfully convoluted) Foucault's Pendulum. But his efforts since then .... I think they were good but they didn't seem to live up to those first two that I read. (I'm going to start on his homage to comic books next) Yes, I guess I'm not TOO fair to him either since my expectations were quite high.

In a way, I think you're correct -- if we, as readers keep expecting an author to keep outdoing himself or herself, then is there anyway for such an author to live up to our expectations?

For this same reason, I'm kind of afraid of Carlos Zafon's next book. I loved his Shadow of the Wind and I don't want to be disappointed!

I think prolific authors may suffer from this more than those who don't publish every year or even every other year (imagine the anticipation we have for those authors who only produce something every five to ten years -- of course, their income is probably suffering for it). The quality is bound to be up and down when you're cranking out the titles one after the other. I also think some authors are the victim of how they are marketed/branded (something they have little or no control over; and not all authors can sell what they want to write, so...) Personally, I love it when authors branch out and show me they can write more than just one type of novel (example: Dan Simmons). I don't like reading the same book over again (different characters/same plot), so I'm willing to cut an author some slack if he/she doesn't thrill me with a subsequent offering. It's whether that pattern continues that may affect whether I'll bother repeatedly.

There is also the publisher's pressure issue to keep in mind. Author's who publish their first novel to great acclaim, have worked on that publication for as long as they felt they needed. Once they sign a contract with a publisher, they have a time frame within which to produce a new book. I don't suppose this works well with some authors.
I am a David Jame Duncan fan. I read "The River Why" and loved it. Years later he published a novel titled "The Brother's K" which I liked even better. He has been working on a novel for a least the past ten years....as far as I can figure. He obviously either, didn't sign a contract or, he refuses to be pressured into finishing something. Probably very productive as far as his writing goes but very hard on his fans.

Does Zafon have a new book coming out in the near future ? I had heard he was working on one but since then I've heard nothing.

Jeannie

Well, the scuttlebutt that I've read seems to say that he's working on something and that Shadow of the Wind is the first of a trilogy.

I guess he's REALLY working hard at it. I mean, having a first book (well, first adult book, he's written young adult fiction) that sold in the millions and was translated into a ton of languages is .... ummm.... a heavy burden. No pressure Carlos. None at all. ;-)

I've heard that, too, Dynomutt. I think it was last year that I heard Zafon's next book might be forthcoming this year, but I still see no date for it, so... he must still be working on it.

I'm eagerly awaiting the 2nd book from the author of "The Historian." But odds have it that I will be disappointed, given my too-high expectations. I may have a long wait, as it took her a decade to write and research her first.

When "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood first came out, I was really captivated by her characters and perceptions. Then, thereafter, when I tried to read her subsequent work, I was constantly disappointed.

--Oh, and I had a somewhat similar experience with Umberto Eco.

I have Foucault's Pendulum on my night stand to read next. I'm glad to hear you liked it. I really liked the Name of the Rose. So I tried Baudalino, but I couldn't finish it.

Well, you're not alone. I couldn't finish Baudalino either! Oh, but one thing about Foucault's Pendulum -- don't be daunted by the seemingly convoluted plot and the weird, esoteric groups and characters.

thanks for the warning.