Premature Publication or Poor Proof Reading?

[Toraspanda]

I've just started re-reading HP and the Deathly Hallows, and come across a monster of a sentence! (my bold type)

"Though it was often predicted in later years that he was on the point of taking the job, however, he never had Ministerial ambitions"

I can't believe I didn't notice it on a first reading, it's so barbarously bad. I suppose I was in such a hurry to find out how the series would end that I skimmed instead of reading properly.

I wonder if this was missed because there was so much pressure to get the thing published that short cuts were made and certain tasks not properly performed.

Anybody else got any glaring errors to point out in recently read books?

 

[JDP]

I've just started reading the ASOIAF books by George RR Martin. They're absolutely fantastically written, but one sentence leapt out of the first book as being very out of character for the text. It went something like this:

'Ser Alliser walked away as if he had a dagger up his butt.'

This just aint in keeping with the tone of the rest of the book. Backside, maybe (at a stretch), but butt?!?

 

[HoopyFrood]

One mistake that stood out like a huge, glaring beacon was in The Dark Tower, volume seven. There's a character in it that has had both legs amputated just below the knees...but at one point during the novel, she is described as "leaping to her feet".

I know that's quite a generic sentence that is often used...but in this case, it's such a huge mistake!

Stephen King, I expected better from you

 

[Toraspanda]

Er, I was actually talking about glaring grammatical errors!

 

[Joel007]

Yes there are often spelling - and even more often grammatical - errors in published books. There are only so many times you can proofread them, and even then mistakes can be made at the printing stage. Usually the errors become more obvious towards the end of a book, as the proofreaders get tired. Sometimes if I know I'm going to re-read one of my books I'll mark down the mistakes in pencil so I don't get annoyed by them the second time around. But, what more can we do... delay the deadlines even longer?
Human error is a fact of life, I suppose the pedants among us will have learned to live with it.

 

[The Ace]

Oh come on, Joel. We all know Chris got your sniper rifle when you changed avatar.

 

[Joel007]

He just added it to his collection, I already had two of that model anyway.

 

[Lirineth]

Me, no english speaking good.

English, not me language

Me ask how better write this

"Though it was often predicted in later years that he was on the point of taking the job, however, he never had Ministerial ambitions"

Me like to learn writing good.

 

[manephelien]

'Though' and 'however' cancel each other out a bit.

Either:
"Though it was often predicted in later years that he was on the point of taking the job, he never had Ministerial ambitions"
Or:
"It was often predicted in later years that he was on the point of taking the job, however, he never had ministerial ambitions"

Although I must say that the latter, while grammatically correct, sounds clumsy. I much prefer the first alternative.

 

[McMurphy]

I admit that I must snicker at the Harry Potter case of bad proofreading in the hardcover version as much as the next reader, but I was under the impression that hardcover editions have a long history of having the occasional grammar or spelling error---all of which are normally worked out by the time the paperbacks are shelved.

But, then again, Rowling does believe she is God's gift to all of us average, simple-minded readers so I find the egg on her face sunny-side-up.

 

[Erin99]

Er, I was actually talking about glaring grammatical errors!

Well, I don't know about glaring, but on my first read through of HP7 I did notice something on page 345 of the UK edition (easy to remember!):

'I don't think so,' said Ron. 'It's a damn' sight harder making stuff up when you're under stress than you'd think...'

That extra apostrophe threw me - and it still does. Then again, I'm fussy.

 

[manephelien]

Yeah, it's archaic. I have seen it before, however, as it's actually an abbreviation of "damned sight."

 

[Nesacat]

I just read Hag's Nook by John Dixon Carr and the book was peppered with the most ridiculous errors. Genders were switched so his became hers.

Singular becomes plural and words were broken where they ought not to be, for example, andt he.

It was a very frustrating read, especially the mistakes with gender and the oddly broken words. And yes, that was a hardback too.

 

[j d worthington]

Yeah, it's archaic. I have seen it before, however, as it's actually an abbreviation of "damned sight."

It's not really that archaic, as it is still used fairly frequently (though always in dialogue with published writing ... in a letter, of course, it would be monologue....). As it's an elision of a final syllable, it's still quite acceptable....

 

[Erin99]

I've never seen that before! Ooh, see, I'm learning new stuff all the time.

 

[dustinzgirl]

One mistake that stood out like a huge, glaring beacon was in The Dark Tower, volume seven. There's a character in it that has had both legs amputated just below the knees...but at one point during the novel, she is described as "leaping to her feet".

I know that's quite a generic sentence that is often used...but in this case, it's such a huge mistake!

Stephen King, I expected better from you

When Susana was Mia she had legs. She had legs in half of Susana's Song and Dark Tower series.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Yes, but this part was when she was definitely Susannah. I've looked, but I can't quite find the part, but I'm quite sure it's around the section where Eddie is shot.

 

[dwndrgn]

McMurphy:

But, then again, Rowling does believe she is God's gift to all of us average, simple-minded readers so I find the egg on her face sunny-side-up.

While we are all entitled to our opinions, this seems to me to be a bit of an overreaction. While I wouldn't say she is the best author out there by any means, I can't imagine why one grammatical error (which could, in fact, be the fault of an editor, proofreader, copyeditor...etc.) would cause you to attack someone in such a tone. Do you have some sort of personal grudge against her?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Finding and correcting grammatical errors is really the job of the copy editor. The proofreader is basically there to catch mistakes that creep in during production.

(With the John Dickson Carr book that Nesa mentions, that's old enough that it would have been type-set by hand, which would suggest sloppy typesetting and careless proofreading. Well ... unless it was a new edition, in which case someone probably scanned in the text. Scanning introduces so many errors, it really requires very, very careful proofreading.)

After the copy editor has has his or her say, the author has to approve the changes. Sometimes big name authors resent any editing at all, and stet just about everything that isn't a typo or formatting.

And when the copy editing is heavy-handed and over-collaborative, lesser authors can get irritable, stop trusting the copy editor, and get over-enthusiastic about changing things back, too.

So in most cases it's hard to tell whose mistakes you're seeing.

 

[Erin99]

While we are all entitled to our opinions, this seems to me to be a bit of an overreaction. While I wouldn't say she is the best author out there by any means, I can't imagine why one grammatical error (which could, in fact, be the fault of an editor, proofreader, copyeditor...etc.) would cause you to attack someone in such a tone. Do you have some sort of personal grudge against her?

I agree. And though she isn't the best technically proficient writer, she has brought reading to a whole new generation. How many kids will go on to read other books now HP has finished? In the generation of Playstations and consoles, I'd say she's achieved a lot.

And considering where she came from - being on benefits - I say good luck to her and long may she be able to keep her children and family out of the harsh life that is "living on government handouts".