Beedle the Bard available on 4 December 2008! - Page 2

Nate the great · 08-15-2008, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hidari

I thought this was a forum for EBOOKS not PBOOKS....

I thought this site was a forum for mobile reading. Nowhere does it say that electronic equipment is required.

hidari · 08-15-2008, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I thought this site was a forum for mobile reading. Nowhere does it say that electronic equipment is required.

Fair enough. Perhaps we should have more forums for pbooks, shelves, glasses, contact lenses, chairs, beds, cars, subways, buses, trains, airplanes and other "items" related to mobility and reading.

hidari

hidari · 08-15-2008, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awi

read all 7 on my Iliad....

I imagine if Ms. Rowlings released a book on how to make a wooden chair it would sell a few million copies..

Nate the great · 08-15-2008, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hidari

Fair enough. Perhaps we should have more forums for pbooks, shelves, glasses, contact lenses, chairs, beds, cars, subways, buses, trains, airplanes and other "items" related to mobility and reading.

hidari

mattgb · 08-15-2008, 09:23 AM

I have never read a HP book nor ever do I intend to, sorry.

"Its fantasy Jim, but not as we know it!"

Dumbed down - fine for kids I guess but don't kid yourself this is not high quality literature. Not that there is anything wrong with pulp fiction (I read loads of it that is clearly 'labelled' as such).

BTW - This is of course IMHO, but flame if you must

Monty Grue · 08-15-2008, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattgb

I have never read a HP book nor ever do I intend to, sorry.

I read the first three (p-books) for my book group when there were only three. I thought the first was kind of cute, the next two less good than the previous ones in descending order. A year later my book group did book four (p version) and it was less impressive then the first three. I eventually read book five (p again) on my own, but it was such struggle against overwhelming mediocrity that I'll not bother with the rest. How and why these book became the gold standard of reading is beyond me. Maybe I'm too old. I don't have kids and I don't read kids books in general. I just could really care about very silly magic at boarding school.

That said, it is rather counterintuitive for the publishers not to release legal ebook versions.

hidari · 08-15-2008, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattgb

I have never read a HP book nor ever do I intend to, sorry.

"Its fantasy Jim, but not as we know it!"

Dumbed down - fine for kids I guess but don't kid yourself this is not high quality literature. Not that there is anything wrong with pulp fiction (I read loads of it that is clearly 'labelled' as such).

BTW - This is of course IMHO, but flame if you must

Put the words in my mouth.....

HarryT · 08-15-2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattgb

I have never read a HP book nor ever do I intend to, sorry.

"Its fantasy Jim, but not as we know it!"

Dumbed down - fine for kids I guess but don't kid yourself this is not high quality literature. Not that there is anything wrong with pulp fiction (I read loads of it that is clearly 'labelled' as such).

BTW - This is of course IMHO, but flame if you must

I'm slightly curious to know how you can pass judgement on it without having read it?

No, it's certainly not "great literature" (and nobody's ever claimed that it is), but it is well written, and a good read.

Have a go at it - you just might be surprised.

nekokami · 08-15-2008, 10:31 AM

I started them while I was traveling for work and ran out of reading material in the middle of the week. That was back when only the first two books were available in paperback. It was a struggle not to purchase the third in hardcover, but I really didn't want to have to carry it back on the plane. I read a library copy when I got back home and then bought it in paperback when it came out. I've bought the rest in hardcover (paying extra for the recycled paper versions from Canada).

I think they're quite readable, but not only do I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy, but I also read a lot of "young adult" fiction. There are authors writing in similar genres who I think are better writers (Diana Wynn Jones comes immediately to mind), but the books are pretty good. The fourth was probably my least favorite.

I agree with HarryT that if you haven't tried them, there's no point in criticizing them. If you have tried them and didn't like them, fine-- no book pleases everyone.

llasram · 08-15-2008, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, it's certainly not "great literature" (and nobody's ever claimed that it is), but it is well written, and a good read.

Have a go at it - you just might be surprised.

Or at least read the first one, especially if you have fond memories of Roald Dahl. Not quite as subversive, but sufficiently reminiscent for a nice nostalgic thrill

.

Surfergirl · 08-15-2008, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barcey

I think that J.K. Rowling doesn't like e-books because they're better magic then the books in her stories. A paper book that bites people just isn't impressive when compared to a 7 oz device that absorbs an entire library and maxes out your credit card.

Brilliant!!!

Shaggy · 08-15-2008, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I'm sure you're wondering about the ebook edition. Due to the author's paranoia about digital piracy, there will be no legal ebook of this work.

It's not so much paranoia about piracy (maybe that's the publisher's view), but the author has said before that she doesn't feel that electronic books are a proper way to experience her stories, and that she feels they need to be read on paper in order to be correctly enjoyed. So she's not paranoid, just a luddite.

hidari · 08-15-2008, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaggy

It's not so much paranoia about piracy (maybe that's the publisher's view), but the author has said before that she doesn't feel that electronic books are a proper way to experience her stories, and that she feels they need to be read on paper in order to be correctly enjoyed. So she's not paranoid, just a luddite.

and way behind the times.....

nekokami · 08-15-2008, 11:47 AM

Well, I suggested actually sending her an ebook reader a while back, so she could see the state of the art, but a lot of people seemed to feel that someone that wealthy should buy her own (even though it's patently obvious that she won't). I suggested a Sony Reader with a red cover featuring a Gryffindor shield, and a nice assortment of young adult classics and science fiction and fantasy. I thought her daughter might get some use out of it, anyway. Teleread even picked up the story, before the whole idea drifted into obscurity.

Barcey · 08-15-2008, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Ms. Rowling has the absolute right to control the eBook publication (or non-publication) of her works. We may not agree with her decision not to permit eBook publication, but the decision is unquestionably hers to make and we should respect that.

Why, by the way, are we discussing this as "News"? The announcement about the publication of this book was made a couple of weeks ago - one could hardly visit Amazon and avoid it!

Now now....

If two moderators are going to have a difference of opinion in these forums I was hoping it would be a YouTube video of Patricia and Zelda in a vat of jello. This kind of professional conduct is totally uncalled for and frankly kind of ... [yawn].

btw, I didn't know that Nate went to a bookstore yesterday so it was news to me.

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08-15-2008, 09:23 AM	#20
mattgb Member Posts: 17 Karma: 96 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-505	I have never read a HP book nor ever do I intend to, sorry. "Its fantasy Jim, but not as we know it!" Dumbed down - fine for kids I guess but don't kid yourself this is not high quality literature. Not that there is anything wrong with pulp fiction (I read loads of it that is clearly 'labelled' as such). BTW - This is of course IMHO, but flame if you must

08-15-2008, 10:31 AM	#24
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I started them while I was traveling for work and ran out of reading material in the middle of the week. That was back when only the first two books were available in paperback. It was a struggle not to purchase the third in hardcover, but I really didn't want to have to carry it back on the plane. I read a library copy when I got back home and then bought it in paperback when it came out. I've bought the rest in hardcover (paying extra for the recycled paper versions from Canada). I think they're quite readable, but not only do I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy, but I also read a lot of "young adult" fiction. There are authors writing in similar genres who I think are better writers (Diana Wynn Jones comes immediately to mind), but the books are pretty good. The fourth was probably my least favorite. I agree with HarryT that if you haven't tried them, there's no point in criticizing them. If you have tried them and didn't like them, fine-- no book pleases everyone.

08-15-2008, 11:47 AM	#29
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Well, I suggested actually sending her an ebook reader a while back, so she could see the state of the art, but a lot of people seemed to feel that someone that wealthy should buy her own (even though it's patently obvious that she won't). I suggested a Sony Reader with a red cover featuring a Gryffindor shield, and a nice assortment of young adult classics and science fiction and fantasy. I thought her daughter might get some use out of it, anyway. Teleread even picked up the story, before the whole idea drifted into obscurity.