The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[Colonel Cathcart]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

?

Peter Falk was not in The NeverEnding Story.

But Falkor is.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by issybird

The novel's set in 1940 and the author was born in 1952 and has a Ph.D. in history. No excuse.

I know better and I'm younger and Yank.

I thought of this rant just now, reading a book set in the Regency, by a UK-born and raised author with an MA in History. She keeps refering to a character about to receive a baronetcy as "being ennobled" and that character addressed the Prince Regent as "Your Majesty"

[maddz]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I thought of this rant just now, reading a book set in the Regency, by a UK-born and raised author with an MA in History. She keeps refering to a character about to receive a baronetcy as "being ennobled" and that character addressed the Prince Regent as "Your Majesty"

Eek! That’s awful…. Mind you, that’s modern education for you.

[JSWolf]

Another rant is when you've put some eBooks on your wish list and when you go to buy any of them, you find what you were going to buy is no longer available.

Some Open Road Media eBooks have been vanishing from different stores. See Books from publisher Open Road gone from Kobo (US) store?.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Another rant is when you've put some eBooks on your wish list and when you go to buy any of them, you find what you were going to by is no longer available.

Some Open Road Media eBooks have been vanishing from different stores. See Books from publisher Open Road gone from Kobo (US) store?.

My Kobo wishlist was decimated by this. (In the literal 1/10 sense.)

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Colonel Cathcart

But Falkor is.

Maybe it's Peter Falkor

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I thought of this rant just now, reading a book set in the Regency, by a UK-born and raised author with an MA in History. She keeps refering to a character about to receive a baronetcy as "being ennobled" and that character addressed the Prince Regent as "Your Majesty"

Getting titles wrong might be my peeviest pet peeve of them all. The lack of understanding, the lack of research, the writing about something of which the author knows nothing, the willingness to make it up.... And most shocking of all, as here, are people who should have known better as well as books put out by major publishers which obviously had only cursory editing at best. Oh, for the days of Waugh and Wodehouse and Anthony Powell!

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by issybird

Getting titles wrong might be my peeviest pet peeve of them all. The lack of understanding, the lack of research, the writing about something of which the author knows nothing, the willingness to make it up.... And most shocking of all, as here, are people who should have known better as well as books put out by major publishers which obviously had only cursory editing at best. Oh, for the days of Waugh and Wodehouse and Anthony Powell!

Ain't it de troot?

It really is surprising, but then again, perhaps not as the Quality is so diminished these days. LOL.

Hitch

[issybird]

I was going to let this one go, but what the heck; I'm on a roll.

Originally Posted by issybird

Using "high tea" to describe afternoon tea. It's worse in a British author who really should know better (as in my current read), but whatever the nationality it shows that someone didn't do his research/isn't all that familiar with the situation he's writing about.

I persevered, but at the point where a public school, Cambridge scholar made a basic error in grammar of the "for Harry and I" type in the dialogue, I was done. Not only was the pain extreme, I could only imagine the offenses still to occur further along.

My frequent plaint is that kids aren't taught grammar anymore, and they aren't, but as noted above, the author's (even) older than I am!

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by issybird

I was going to let this one go, but what the heck; I'm on a roll.



I persevered, but at the point where a public school, Cambridge scholar made a basic error in grammar of the "for Harry and I" type in the dialogue, I was done. Not only was the pain extreme, I could only imagine the offenses still to occur further along.

My frequent plaint is that kids aren't taught grammar anymore, and they aren't, but as noted above, the author's (even) older than I am!

Well, the American concept of "High Tea" seems to derive from...you know, honestly, I have no idea. I remember when the Ritz-Carlton, here in Phoenix (Scottsdale-ish) put together some "high tea" thing, mid-afternoonish, and it became the go-to for TLTL (The Ladies that Lunch) and it was laughable.

I was invited to one such event/lunch/tea/whatever-you-want-to-call-it and I asked them what they thought they'd 'get" if they went pretty much anywhere in the UK and asked for the same. Talk about deer in the headlights...

And don't get me started about "Harry and me." Just...don't. Or Harry and I in the wrong place or...it's endless. If you desire real, masochism-addressing pain, turn on any news station, cable, satellite, you name it and actually listen to what those people SAY aloud for 30 minutes. You'll reduce yourself to tears.

Hitch

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Well, the American concept of "High Tea" seems to derive from...you know, honestly, I have no idea.

My guess is that it's somehow related to "high Mass" as opposed to low, but that assumes that anyone still knows what a high Mass is. Or was.

And don't get me started about "Harry and me." Just...don't. Or Harry and I in the wrong place or...it's endless.

The irony, of course, is that the "for Harry and I" crowd no doubt sneers inwardly at the "for Harry and me" users.

If you desire real, masochism-addressing pain, turn on any news station, cable, satellite, you name it and actually listen to what those people SAY aloud for 30 minutes. You'll reduce yourself to tears.

The noise of a tv reduces me to tears regardless of content, therefore it's almost entirely eschewed, so that's an an added pain I've been spared. News is for reading, and while that's not proof against solecism, at least the broadsheets get it better than most.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by issybird

My guess is that it's somehow related to "high Mass" as opposed to low, but that assumes that anyone still knows what a high Mass is. Or was.

Hmph. Never gave that one any thought. Good conceptualizing.

The irony, of course, is that the "for Harry and I" crowd no doubt sneers inwardly at the "for Harry and me" users.

Either way, probably wrong in the instant. LOL.

The noise of a tv reduces me to tears regardless of content, therefore it's almost entirely eschewed, so that's an an added pain I've been spared. News is for reading, and while that's not proof against solecism, at least the broadsheets get it better than most.

Mr Wonderful runs for the hills when he hears "could care less" and "begs the question" issuing from the Dumbbox. I've been known, on difficult days, to lose my stuff and yell at it. lol. ("It's not ASKS THE QUESTION, you MORONS!") Alas, for the days when Bill Buckley still lived amongst us. Politcis aside, love or hate, at least he understood and mastered the vernacular.

sigh.

Hitch

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I thought of this rant just now, reading a book set in the Regency, by a UK-born and raised author with an MA in History. She keeps refering to a character about to receive a baronetcy as "being ennobled" and that character addressed the Prince Regent as "Your Majesty"

If by "noble" you mean a Peer, like (most?) Knights they aren't. A simple search also reveals what I didn't know, a Baronet is not a sort of Baron, but invented by James I of England (James 6th Scotland) to raise money.

"Your Majesty" when the Prince is a Regent? Hmm, Tricky, maybe technically only a Monarch. Definitely your Highness for actual Princes, even if ruling a principality. Or maybe your Royal Highness. Some of these things vary by country. Debretts have a website now.

Even if the author had only read Georgette Heyer!

[Quoth]

I know what the difference is between High and Low Church in the Church of England, but I've not heard of High and Low Mass. Also a typical Irish Catholic Mass and one in Evesham, England differed only in the form of the rest of the service, not the bell, incense and distribution of the Host. My Belfast Catholic friend was convinced I'd directed him to a Church of England, because they had hymn books and the congregation sang from them. AFAIK they don't in most Irish & NI Catholic churches, but not being of that persuasion I've only rarely visited any.

[Hitch]

Maybe High Tea is a cuppa Earl Gray and a small plate of chewables?????

Hitch