Quote:
Originally Posted by issybird
I've now started Sharpe's Trafalgar, read by Patrick Tull, and this clearly is going to be sheer pleasure.
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I've got to backtrack a bit. Cornwall's credibility has taken a huge hit, as he's committed one of my pet peeves. Despite his much vaunted research and knowledge,
he gets titles wrong. For me, this is an unforgivable offense.
There's a character called Lord William Hale. This means he's the younger son of a duke or a marquis. But then he's referred to as a peer. Uh, no. If he were a peer, he'd be Lord Hale; Lord William is a courtesy title and he's a commoner. Then, Lord William's wife is referred to as Lady Grace. Again, no. Her title is Lady William. Lady Grace means that she's the daughter of an earl, marquis or duke. If Lord William were a peer and Lord Hale, she'd be Lady Hale. Sigh.
When an author gets the form of titles wrong, it takes me right out of the story. This isn't hard, and someone who has immersed himself in the period should have figured it out. Did I say I find this unforgivable?
I always wonder what happened in the editing process also, that it wasn't fixed.