Penguin USA to release back-list titles as ebooks

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by hekkel

I'm currently reading Stendhals 'La Chartreuse de Parme', the Feedbooks version which contains the PG text I assume. Although I do appreciate Feedbooks and all, I find it quite annoying that the punctuation is completely crap in this edition. It is full of OCR errors. I wouldn't mind paying $8 on a version that has proper indentation and punctuation.

Perhaps you could correct it and upload it here for the benefit of others, as I've done for many of the PG Dickens books?

[Patricia]

I uploaded the Charterhouse of Parma here last September, together with a number of other Stendhals.
I spell-checked it. If you see any other errors then please PM me and I will issue a corrected version.

[hekkel]

Originally Posted by Patricia

I uploaded the Charterhouse of Parma here last September, together with a number of other Stendhals.
I spell-checked it. If you see any other errors then please PM me and I will issue a corrected version.

Thanks. However, I was referring to the French language version.

[hekkel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Perhaps you could correct it and upload it here for the benefit of others, as I've done for many of the PG Dickens books?

Could do that, but we're talking about almost 900 pages or text. And it looks like there are errors on every odd page. Maybe I can find some time to do it, one day.

Point is, I don't have that much spare time and rather spend it on reading. That's where my statement came from, I wouldn't care to pay someone else doing this kind of work. And that's why I can see a commercial market for properly formatted and corrected classics.

[MaggieScratch]

Don't be so sure that the "boughten" versions will be completely correct in formatting, etc. Though they normally are not crap.

[MaggieScratch]

Originally Posted by rixte

And my inner ebook lover heaves a giant sigh at the thought of releasing public domain books (even with extras!) at that price as a way to 'test the possibilities' of electronic formats!

We'll charge you 9 dollars for a few extras and then when you don't buy something you can pick up at PG for free, we declare the public uninterested in ebooks?

Speaking as a total Jane Austen nerd, this is clearly meant to appeal to a mass-market audience. My fellow JA nerds will expect good scholarly introductions and other high-level material to lure them. Of course, JA nerds in my experience have Luddite tendencies anyway. I try to indoctrinate in the digital way as best I can.

[Patricia]

Originally Posted by hekkel

Thanks. However, I was referring to the French language version.

Ah. Well there are two French language versions of the novel, plus a lot of Stendhal's other works, freely available at Gallica, the website of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France:

http://gallica.bnf.fr/

It is to be hoped that at least one of them will be better than your current version.

[Strether]

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

Speaking as a total Jane Austen nerd, this is clearly meant to appeal to a mass-market audience. My fellow JA nerds will expect good scholarly introductions and other high-level material to lure them. Of course, JA nerds in my experience have Luddite tendencies anyway. I try to indoctrinate in the digital way as best I can.

In my inbox this morning, a message from Amazon:

"Dear Amazon.com Customer,


As someone who has enjoyed classic literature on Kindle, we wanted to offer you the opportunity to download a free exclusive copy of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the first title in Penguin's new Enhanced e-Book Classic line.

In addition to the full length version of this timeless title, the Enhanced e-Book Classic features a filmography, book reviews from the time of the original publication, a chronology of Jane Austen's life, recipes, instructions on period dancing, social etiquette, and how to prepare a tea, a literary tour of famous Austen sites, and much more."

JA nerds go wild!

Jim

[zelda_pinwheel]

arg !!! is there any way for non-kindle owners to get this free book ???

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

arg !!! is there any way for non-kindle owners to get this free book ???

Do that email thing you do so well to Penquin and ask em. No, I don't know... that's just a cute avatar I picked.

BOb

[zelda_pinwheel]

well, email penguin, or amazon... although, sadly, i suspect that if this is amazon's doing they certainly won't want to encourage us "kindle alternative" users... not that i have a choice, given my address.

[wallcraft]

I wonder what Penguin will charge for Enhanced e-Book Classics.

The most expensive Kindle Pride and Prejudice (ZongoBooks.com Electronic Classics) lists for $5.99 and sells for $4.79. There is a even a (non-enhanced) Penguin Classics version here for $3.93. There are obviously many free versions available in MOBI format.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

I wonder what Penguin will charge for Enhanced e-Book Classics.

The most expensive Kindle Pride and Prejudice (ZongoBooks.com Electronic Classics) lists for $5.99 and sells for $4.79. There is a even a (non-enhanced) Penguin Classics version here for $3.93. There are obviously many free versions available in MOBI format.

...including a lovely illustrated one available here in several formats, thanks to HarryT. of course i have that one. but i still would like to have the "enhanced" version, with all the extra details.

[HarryT]

It would be great to have a version with a good introduction and notes.

[MaggieScratch]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It would be great to have a version with a good introduction and notes.

Yeah, if they could make the new Cambridge editions of the novels available as e-books...and not as spendy!

P.S. I have some connections at Penguin...I'll see if I can get a review copy in MOBI and will report back.

P.P.S. My understanding is that the enhanced Penguin editions will sell for about $8 MSP. Probably a little less retail.