MOVED from MAIN - "sequels" to the classics

[a_svirn]

> Alla:
> 
> Hmmm, I am moving this from main to talk about the multitude of 
> sequels to the classics that I had seen in the bookstores as well.
> 
> My guess will be that some of those sequels are in the bookstores 
> because either book is in public domain now if that is the correct 
> way to state things (no estate to continue renewing copyright) or 
the 
> estate approved the sequel. 
> 
> I believe and I can be wrong that the first sequel so to speak 
> to "Gone with the wind" called Scarlett by Alexandra Rippley was 
> approved by the estate of Margaret Mitchell.
> 
> Coincidentally I happen to own this book and couple others as well. 
> The reason I am writing this is not to ask any copyright questions, 
> but to ask whether anybody who read them was really impressed by 
> their literary merits.
> 
> I mean, they are in essence printed fanfics, but supposedly they 
> could be really good.
> 
> I bought Scarlett because I was DYING to see happy ending between 
her 
> and Rett and I got it. I do not know if I can say the book was 
great, 
> but I thought it was not bad either, well enough written, etc.
> 
> I also bought Mr. Darcy's daughters, but was so unimpressed that I 
> gave the book away.
> 
> I skimmed through Mr. Darcy takes a wife, but really was not that 
> interested.
> 
> Is that a relatively recent phenomenon ?
>

a_svirn:
Well, I am not sure, really. I presume, it is fairly recent, but I 
may be wrong. 

I did read a very decent continuation of a popular series once –
 "Thrones, Dominations", it was also approved by the estate of 
Sayers, and it is actually a "collaboration", so to speak – they 
found an unfinished manuscript by Sayers and offered another author 
to finish it. Which she did, and pretty good job it was, I think. 
Though, of course, I forever wondered which part is Sayers's and 
which the continuator's.  

But as for those Darcy books, I leafed through the first one (about 
taking a wife), and it looked like *very* primitive fanfic.   

a_svirn