Comments on: The Blythes Are Quoted Now Available http://roomofbensown.net/2009/10/the-blythes-are-quoted-now-available/ Tue, 16 Nov 2010 04:09:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Benjamin http://roomofbensown.net/2009/10/the-blythes-are-quoted-now-available/comment-page-1/#comment-8200 Benjamin Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:34:57 +0000 http://roomofbensown.net/?p=583#comment-8200 It's actually a lot trickier when the author is no longer alive. The convention in this case is usually to do less editing than what authors generally receive today. Fiddling with the mechanics of writing--regularizing spelling, punctuation, grammar, to be consistent throughout--is certainly acceptable, just to make the text more readable, but once an editor starts making changes to structure or to content it gets dicey really fast, since the author isn't around to approve those changes. "Charlie Pye" is obviously a mistake, but it's one she makes on every version of the typescript that survives. If I had corrected it, I also would have had to correct "Roy Gardiner" (which should be "Gardner") and "Rosamond West" (which should be "Rosemary"). To my mind, these mistakes aren't simply a slip of the fingers on a typewriter--they show Montgomery's failing memory (or inattention to detail) as she grows older. Since these mistakes show so much about Montgomery's state of mind as she put this manuscript together, it seemed wrong to correct such a mistake simply for the sake of continuity. It’s actually a lot trickier when the author is no longer alive. The convention in this case is usually to do less editing than what authors generally receive today. Fiddling with the mechanics of writing–regularizing spelling, punctuation, grammar, to be consistent throughout–is certainly acceptable, just to make the text more readable, but once an editor starts making changes to structure or to content it gets dicey really fast, since the author isn’t around to approve those changes. “Charlie Pye” is obviously a mistake, but it’s one she makes on every version of the typescript that survives. If I had corrected it, I also would have had to correct “Roy Gardiner” (which should be “Gardner”) and “Rosamond West” (which should be “Rosemary”). To my mind, these mistakes aren’t simply a slip of the fingers on a typewriter–they show Montgomery’s failing memory (or inattention to detail) as she grows older. Since these mistakes show so much about Montgomery’s state of mind as she put this manuscript together, it seemed wrong to correct such a mistake simply for the sake of continuity.

]]> By: HermioneGranger http://roomofbensown.net/2009/10/the-blythes-are-quoted-now-available/comment-page-1/#comment-7981 HermioneGranger Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:44:18 +0000 http://roomofbensown.net/?p=583#comment-7981 Well that's just plain silly. If you're an editor then you should...edit....for small things like continuity. Charlie Sloane should not suddenly become one of the Pyes. JK Rowling has this same issue in some of her books and I always thought - geesh - they should have got at least one or two die hard fan to read them and catch stuff like that - then actually fix it. Well that’s just plain silly. If you’re an editor then you should…edit….for small things like continuity. Charlie Sloane should not suddenly become one of the Pyes. JK Rowling has this same issue in some of her books and I always thought – geesh – they should have got at least one or two die hard fan to read them and catch stuff like that – then actually fix it.

]]> By: Benjamin http://roomofbensown.net/2009/10/the-blythes-are-quoted-now-available/comment-page-1/#comment-2672 Benjamin Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:31:26 +0000 http://roomofbensown.net/?p=583#comment-2672 We debated about all this--it's an unusual book, of course, and as an editor you really hesitate to fiddle too much with a book when the author's no longer alive. In the end it was a mutual decision to let Montgomery's text speak for itself, which is why those errors were left and why the "Note on the Text" follows rather than precedes Montgomery's book. Look forward to hearing more of your impressions. We debated about all this–it’s an unusual book, of course, and as an editor you really hesitate to fiddle too much with a book when the author’s no longer alive. In the end it was a mutual decision to let Montgomery’s text speak for itself, which is why those errors were left and why the “Note on the Text” follows rather than precedes Montgomery’s book.

Look forward to hearing more of your impressions.

]]> By: Wendy http://roomofbensown.net/2009/10/the-blythes-are-quoted-now-available/comment-page-1/#comment-2631 Wendy Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:19:03 +0000 http://roomofbensown.net/?p=583#comment-2631 Benjamin, thanks so much for the quick response. I just looked at the Notes on the Text and was glad to see that instances where I thought I must have been remembering wrong were also just errors (because I'm that vain, I guess). I'm intrigued by the choice you made, which I'm guessing was a challenge. I know some of my friends who are extreme sticklers for accuracy will want to know about the errors before they read... I expect to post about the book on my blog sometime in the next few weeks. Benjamin, thanks so much for the quick response. I just looked at the Notes on the Text and was glad to see that instances where I thought I must have been remembering wrong were also just errors (because I’m that vain, I guess). I’m intrigued by the choice you made, which I’m guessing was a challenge. I know some of my friends who are extreme sticklers for accuracy will want to know about the errors before they read… I expect to post about the book on my blog sometime in the next few weeks.

]]> By: Benjamin http://roomofbensown.net/2009/10/the-blythes-are-quoted-now-available/comment-page-1/#comment-2622 Benjamin Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:34:50 +0000 http://roomofbensown.net/?p=583#comment-2622 Hi Wendy, Yes, both these oversights are Montgomery's, and there are several more. As I mention in the afterword and in the "Note on the Text," I standardized Montgomery's spelling, punctuation, and hyphenation to make the text more readable (the typescript contains lots of variants in terms of British/American spellings, ellipses, missing words, and the like), but I deliberately did not correct substantive errors in the text, including the ones that you mention, all of which appear in all three versions of the book in typescript form. Ultimately, what you are reading is a version of the text that is as close as possible to the typescript Montgomery finished and submitted to her publishers, with her mistakes and oversights left intact. Glad you're enjoying the book--look forward to reading further impressions. Best wishes, Benjamin Hi Wendy,

Yes, both these oversights are Montgomery’s, and there are several more. As I mention in the afterword and in the “Note on the Text,” I standardized Montgomery’s spelling, punctuation, and hyphenation to make the text more readable (the typescript contains lots of variants in terms of British/American spellings, ellipses, missing words, and the like), but I deliberately did not correct substantive errors in the text, including the ones that you mention, all of which appear in all three versions of the book in typescript form. Ultimately, what you are reading is a version of the text that is as close as possible to the typescript Montgomery finished and submitted to her publishers, with her mistakes and oversights left intact.

Glad you’re enjoying the book–look forward to reading further impressions.

Best wishes,

Benjamin

]]> By: Wendy http://roomofbensown.net/2009/10/the-blythes-are-quoted-now-available/comment-page-1/#comment-2609 Wendy Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:52:25 +0000 http://roomofbensown.net/?p=583#comment-2609 So, Ben, I'm about a third of the way through and have a question that's going to come off as overly critical, but really, it's just a question: I've noticed two errors so far (at least, they're errors IMHO). How much copyediting did you do? Did you decide to present the text exactly as LMM turned it in, or is it, um, more of an oversight? (Errors: reference to Charlie Pye, which, while possible, I think was meant to be Charlie Sloane; reference to kids acting out death of Edith Cavell, which didn't happen until WWI, not when Nan and Di were children.) Really enjoying the book so far, and I thank you for it. So, Ben, I’m about a third of the way through and have a question that’s going to come off as overly critical, but really, it’s just a question: I’ve noticed two errors so far (at least, they’re errors IMHO). How much copyediting did you do? Did you decide to present the text exactly as LMM turned it in, or is it, um, more of an oversight?

(Errors: reference to Charlie Pye, which, while possible, I think was meant to be Charlie Sloane; reference to kids acting out death of Edith Cavell, which didn’t happen until WWI, not when Nan and Di were children.)

Really enjoying the book so far, and I thank you for it.

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