Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

Dngrswife just expressed an interest in reading the Poldark series... I wish I had known about a sale on them...

It was, I believe, a UK-only sale, so it perhaps wouldn't have benefited you.

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It was, I believe, a UK-only sale, so it perhaps wouldn't have benefited you.

Ah... yes, I've seen a couple of those happen recently.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

Ah... yes, I've seen a couple of those happen recently.

It was a "Kindle Daily Deal", so those are country-specific. You win some, you lose some .

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Seveneves thoughts

After Seveneves I needed something with a much different pace and went with Pines by Blake Crouch, Wayward Pines trilogy #1, a horror/thriller/suspense story that unfortunately didn't quite click with me. I enjoyed it but it never quite lives up to what I was hoping for. Now that I know the secret (or at least one of them) I haven't decided if I will read the next one or not. I may try to catch the mini-series instead.

Next up is The Einstein Prophecy by Robert Masello, my Kindle First selection from July.

[Almamida]

As my goal is to improve (a lot) my English, I'm reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
There's a lot more unknown vocabulary than I expected.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Almamida

As my goal is to improve (a lot) my English, I'm reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
There's a lot more unknown vocabulary than I expected.

If you read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, you'll improve your English rather than your American.

[Almamida]

Why, why... WHY ?
Forgot about this and didn't think they made an American version.
I borrow it from Amazon.com , don't know if I can find the Original Version.

Do I have to expect lot differences ?

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Almamida

Why, why... WHY ?
Forgot about this and didn't think they made an American version.
I borrow it from Amazon.com , don't know if I can find the Original Version.

Do I have to expect lot differences ?

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/about/book...rences-ps.html

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by meeera

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/about/book...rences-ps.html

Some of these differences seem a little arbitrary. What on Earth is the point of changing "shan't" to "won't", for example?

[Almamida]

Thanks. Didn't find the original version at Amazon.com
So I'll improve my American. Sad part, is I prefer some English words. For example, I wasn't able to figure what "Toothless Walnut" is. "Gummy Walnut" seems more comprehensible to me.

[HarryT]

Just finished "Sweet Danger", by Margery Allingham; the 5th book in the "Campion" series. Campion is employed by the British government to try to find the ancient heirlooms which will prove the British Sovereignty of the tiny (and fictitious) Balkan state of "Averna", which has suddenly become important in world affairs due to a fortuitous earthquake suddenly providing the previously land-locked state with a coastline and a natural harbour (improbable plot-lines, anyone? ). Tremendous fun, and highly recommended.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by Almamida

Thanks. Didn't find the original version at Amazon.com
So I'll improve my American. Sad part, is I prefer some English words. For example, I wasn't able to figure what "Toothless Walnut" is. "Gummy Walnut" seems more comprehensible to me.

I was able to buy both versions (for my kindle) through Pottermore.

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Some of these differences seem a little arbitrary. What on Earth is the point of changing "shan't" to "won't", for example?

Kids in the USA (8 to 10 years old) have probably NEVER heard the word "shan't". They would understand "shall not", though that would also fall strangely on their ears.

However, I think one value of Harry Potter is that it exposes the US kids to British institutions and therefore it doesn't make a lot of sense to transform the language from British to American. It's a shame, but Scholastic insisted on the title change and editing to be more in line with American speech patterns. I forget whether this was done with any of the subsequent books.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

Kids in the USA (8 to 10 years old) have probably NEVER heard the word "shan't". They would understand "shall not", though that would also fall strangely on their ears.

Thanks. In my school days we were taught that if you saw someone in a river shouting "I shall drown!", you'd jump in and rescue him, but if he shouted "I will drown!" you'd let him get on with it, because it meant that he wanted to do it .

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

Kids in the USA (8 to 10 years old) have probably NEVER heard the word "shan't". They would understand "shall not", though that would also fall strangely on their ears.

Which is absolutely ludicrous. A fifth-grader, seeing 'shan't' can very easily derive 'shall not' from the contraction, based on already learned rules of contraction.

I mean, it makes sense that certain British words and phrases may be confusing (where's the 'boot' on a car?); but many of these substitutions appear arbitrary, if not downright insulting to the intended audience.

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

However, I think one value of Harry Potter is that it exposes the US kids to British institutions and therefore it doesn't make a lot of sense to transform the language from British to American. It's a shame, but Scholastic insisted on the title change and editing to be more in line with American speech patterns. I forget whether this was done with any of the subsequent books.

Exactly. Granted, one tends to develop an (sometimes) unfortunate schizophrenic (in the classic sense of the word) sense of spelling, but overall, it results in a broader vocabulary and in my opinion a richer experience.