The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[Renate]

So, I'm reading, "Die Arbeiter", Martin Becker. (That's a German definite article there.)

It's a story about a family and the youngest is speaking. He talks about his oldest sister, his older brother, his younger sister. He describes visiting his younger sister as an adult. And on page 90 he does a flashback on how his younger sister died in at childbirth.

The time that stood still in the hospital [as his sister died] should run again. In my version of our family history she lives. Despite everything.

Ok, fiction is made-up stuff, but I expect some guardrails. DNF

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by Renate

So, I'm reading, "Die Arbeiter", Martin Becker. (That's a German definite article there.)

Apropos of nothing at all really, but since the only language I've ever considered myself bilingual in was German (pre orthography reforms!), it's long fascinated me than in both Korean and Japanese "Arbeit" has been imported with a very specific, narrow meaning - part-time work, as in high schoolers working at convenience stores.

[Wiggo]

Originally Posted by Renate

So, I'm reading, "Die Arbeiter", Martin Becker. (That's a German definite article there.)

It's a story about a family and the youngest is speaking. He talks about his oldest sister, his older brother, his younger sister. He describes visiting his younger sister as an adult. And on page 90 he does a flashback on how his younger sister died in childbirth.

Ok, fiction is made-up stuff, but I expect some guardrails. DNF

I don’t understand.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Renate

So, I'm reading, "Die Arbeiter", Martin Becker. (That's a German definite article there.)

It's a story about a family and the youngest is speaking. He talks about his oldest sister, his older brother, his younger sister. He describes visiting his younger sister as an adult. And on page 90 he does a flashback on how his younger sister died in childbirth.

Ok, fiction is made-up stuff, but I expect some guardrails. DNF

For me, that would actually be the only even remotely interesting element in that book. But then I love reading about things that don't exist - fantasy (imaginary worlds), science fiction (space travel, aliens), time travel and so on. Realism is boring.

But of course one man's bread and so on.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Wiggo

I don’t understand.

The younger sister is imaginary (because in real life she's dead).

[Wiggo]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The younger sister is imaginary (because in real life she's dead).

Ahhh… I understood when she gave birth to a child

[DNSB]

“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”―Lewis Carroll

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Wiggo

I don’t understand.

My bad. I should have said at childbirth.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Rant: Here in Canada, the federal portion of the HST (or PST + GST, in some other provinces) doesn't apply to paper books. But it does apply to eBooks. Combined with some publishers charging a premium for the digital copy often makes things pricier.

And as an update to my original vent and rant... the federal government announced a "GST holiday" on a number of select items. Books are included.

But only printed books. Well, fudge.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

And as an update to my original vent and rant... the federal government announced a "GST holiday" on a number of select items. Books are included.

But only printed books. Well, fudge.

The UK abolished VAT on ebooks back in 2020. It just resulted in more money for retailers/publishers/authors, rather than a reduction in ebook prices.

https://taxpolicy.org.uk/2023/02/09/ebooks/

[ownedbycats]

As I understand it though, VAT is baked-in the price itself - here in Canada, it's calculated separately, so having the price increase by that exact amount would be a touch harder to hide.

Not that they probably wouldn't try...

[issybird]

For all the complaints about US sales taxes (which are by state/locality) added at the time of purchase, at least you know exactly what you're paying in tax. I live in a tax-free state myself so I admit there's a certain element of "I wuz robbed" when I buy elsewhere, but I know what to expect. It's also why two of my sisters have their online purchases sent to my house. And ending up with a rant, albeit not a reading rant: their carp tends to pile up.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by issybird

For all the complaints about US sales taxes (which are by state/locality) added at the time of purchase, at least you know exactly what you're paying in tax. I live in a tax-free state myself so I admit there's a certain element of "I wuz robbed" when I buy elsewhere, but I know what to expect. It's also why two of my sisters have their online purchases sent to my house. And ending up with a rant, albeit not a reading rant: their carp tends to pile up.

If I was buying something expensive like a TV, I would cross the border to buy it. This was back when I lived a lot closer then I do now.

[Redsea]

Frustrating for book lovers trying to budget their reading habit.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If I was buying something expensive like a TV, I would cross the border to buy it. This was back when I lived a lot closer then I do now.