The Cat Who Wasn't Available in eBook Format

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Talldog

So, the paperback came in yesterday, but I can't find the power button.

You must charge it first, silly!

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

You must charge it first, silly!

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you keep buying eBooks of a series that is incomplete, then you are sending a message to the publisher that it is OK not to have a complete series as eBooks.

There is the exception when the author changes publishers. But if that is not the case, don't buy any of the series until ALL of the books are available as eBooks.

The alternative, i.e, the withholding of purchases of books from an incomplete series, sends the publishers the message that there isn't as much demand for that particular series in ebook form as they previously estimated.

The only effective solution in such circumstances is to contact the publisher, and to hope that the person contacted is in position to act on that grievance.

[Talldog]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

You must charge it first, silly!

I didn't even think of that. I feel like a doofus.

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

The only effective solution in such circumstances is to contact the publisher, and to hope that the person contacted is in position to act on that grievance.

I did click the "Tell the publisher" link, but based on what poohbear said, I don't think it will do any good.

[jgaiser]

Thanks to this thread, I picked up the first book The Cat Who Could Read Backwards and am reading it at the moment. About 1/3 of the way and I'm still not sure whether I like the book or not. Very drawn out introduction to characters.

[LuvReadin]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

and am reading it at the moment.

Backwards?

Originally Posted by jgaiser

I'm still not sure whether I like the book or not. Very drawn out introduction to characters.

Which unfortunately is rather a theme of the books - each one seems to assume the reader's never read any of the others. Which is good if you haven't, but if you have, it gets a little wearing. However, as mystery stories, they are actually quite good.

[Talldog]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Thanks to this thread, I picked up the first book The Cat Who Could Read Backwards and am reading it at the moment. About 1/3 of the way and I'm still not sure whether I like the book or not. Very drawn out introduction to characters.

I agree that the first one did start out slowly. Give it until the end of this one before you decide.

Also, as the books go on, the cats take on larger roles in the stories.

[BeccaPrice]

I enjoyed the first several Cat Who books, but round about... was it something with a Banana in the title?... I got sick of them. the overall story arc wasn't going anywhere, and there is just so much a cat can do to carry thin to no plot.

[LuvReadin]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I enjoyed the first several Cat Who books, but round about... was it something with a Banana in the title?... I got sick of them. the overall story arc wasn't going anywhere, and there is just so much a cat can do to carry thin to no plot.

The Cat Who Went Bananas? That was actually one of the worst I've read - so many plot lines left dangling, no proper resolution, and worst of all a plot (the play) that allowed Qwill to indulge to the full the pretentiousness that had been building up over several of the previous books. Even Polly seemed to have completely lost any redeeming features.

There was a rumour doing the rounds of other book/readign forums that because of her age (think she was in her 90s or thereabouts around that time), LJB might have been either losing the plot herself, or possibly had a ghostwriter helping out. It certainly would explain the change in writing style and quality.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by LuvReadin

There was a rumour doing the rounds of other book/readign forums that because of her age (think she was in her 90s or thereabouts around that time), LJB might have been either losing the plot herself, or possibly had a ghostwriter helping out. It certainly would explain the change in writing style and quality.

That unfortunately happened with a number of big-name authors. Agatha Christie's last few books are almost unreadable. Sometimes you have to know what it's time to stop.

[DebbyS]

Her last published book (2007) was The Cat who had 60 Whiskers and unfortunately I found it a poor read with a scattered plot (though I think she was trying to mix things up, send Quill in a slightly different direction), and I wound up giving it back to our library sale room unscanned. Someone (her editor) should have made a special effort to make it amazing, since she was obviously in poor health and it could (and was) her last work

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by DebbyS

Her last published book (2007) was The Cat who had 60 Whiskers and unfortunately I found it a poor read with a scattered plot (though I think she was trying to mix things up, send Quill in a slightly different direction), and I wound up giving it back to our library sale room unscanned. Someone (her editor) should have made a special effort to make it amazing, since she was obviously in poor health and it could (and was) her last work

I'm not picking on you really, but I had to laugh about the highlighted spelling. I've only finished the first book in the series, but the first sentence in the book reads:

Jim Qwilleran, whose name had confounded typesetters and proofreaders for two decades, arrived fifteen minutes early for his appointment with the managing editor of the Daily Fluxion.

[LuvReadin]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That unfortunately happened with a number of big-name authors. Agatha Christie's last few books are almost unreadable.

Oh, I don't know - I thought hers kept up quite well. She did have the sense to kill off her characters before she died herself, though.

[Talldog]

Originally Posted by LuvReadin

Oh, I don't know - I thought hers kept up quite well. She did have the sense to kill off her characters before she died herself, though.

Although the novel Curtain, where Poirot died, was published in 1975, it was actually written more than 30 years earlier and kept locked in a vault.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Talldog

Although the novel Curtain, where Poirot died, was published in 1975, it was actually written more than 30 years earlier and kept locked in a vault.

Yes, I was about to say exactly that myself .

Christie's last WRITTEN novels, such as "Postern of Fate" and "Passenger to Frankfurt" are pretty dreadful, IMHO.