Comments on: The Wind in the Willows: Colorful free Wowio edition http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:26:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Steve Bolton http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-800661 Steve Bolton Thu, 15 May 2008 22:00:43 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-800661 Ok, I am persuaded! But I had fun writing the first comment... :-) Ok, I am persuaded! But I had fun writing the first comment… :-)

]]> By: gnawingonfoot http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-800569 gnawingonfoot Thu, 15 May 2008 20:08:46 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-800569 From a linguistics perspective, it's still all the same words. Will you read it differently? Sure, it may no longer carry that pretty English charm that we Americans might associate with those goofy spellings, but isn't that charm an artificial construction associated with a notion of "otherness" to begin with? But then again, I kinda like that charm... From a linguistics perspective, it’s still all the same words. Will you read it differently? Sure, it may no longer carry that pretty English charm that we Americans might associate with those goofy spellings, but isn’t that charm an artificial construction associated with a notion of “otherness” to begin with? But then again, I kinda like that charm…

]]> By: Garson O'Toole http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-800351 Garson O'Toole Thu, 15 May 2008 15:56:48 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-800351 Steve Bolton asks “What next, Shakespeare in leet speek?” The spelling styles used in classic works are sometimes updated. For example there is an edition of <a HREF="http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/webcore/murphy/canterbury/" rel="nofollow">Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales that has been “put into modern spelling by Michael Murphy.”</A> The introduction to the modified text provides the following rationale:<blockquote>This edition is designed to make the text of a great medieval English classic more reader-friendly to students and general readers, especially to those who are not English majors and those not interested in becoming medievalists. It is NOT a translation. The words are Chaucer’s line for line. Only the spelling is modernized, as it is in Shakespeare texts. … With this text, readers have the language that Chaucer wrote, but without the frustration of trying to master the vagaries of Middle English spelling. The change in spelling is meant to allow the reader to enjoy Chaucer not merely endure him.</blockquote> The texts of Shakespeare’s plays and poems have changed over time. Shakespeare's texts with original spellings <a HREF="http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Annex/DraftTxt/index.html" rel="nofollow">are available online in facsimile editions</A>. I just checked one facsimile that gives “The History of Henrie the Fovrth” on one page and “The Historie of Henry the Fourth” on the next page. Steve Bolton asks “What next, Shakespeare in leet speek?”
The spelling styles used in classic works are sometimes updated. For example there is an edition of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales that has been “put into modern spelling by Michael Murphy.” The introduction to the modified text provides the following rationale:
This edition is designed to make the text of a great medieval English classic more reader-friendly to students and general readers, especially to those who are not English majors and those not interested in becoming medievalists. It is NOT a translation. The words are Chaucer’s line for line. Only the spelling is modernized, as it is in Shakespeare texts. …

With this text, readers have the language that Chaucer wrote, but without the frustration of trying to master the vagaries of Middle English spelling. The change in spelling is meant to allow the reader to enjoy Chaucer not merely endure him.

The texts of Shakespeare’s plays and poems have changed over time. Shakespeare’s texts with original spellings are available online in facsimile editions. I just checked one facsimile that gives “The History of Henrie the Fovrth” on one page and “The Historie of Henry the Fourth” on the next page.

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-799997 David Rothman Thu, 15 May 2008 09:25:02 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-799997 Steve, thanks for your nice notes. This-here issue of spelling does bother me even in a TeleBlog sense. We're an international blog and currently enjoy <em>better</em> Alexa rankings in Germany and the U.K. than in the States. Bobs up and down. Right now I suspect that about half our readers are from outside the U.S. Confession time. Just for the sake of consistency, I change U.K. and Canadian spellings to American ones in the regular posts when I have a chance. But, yes, I feel guilty about it. In your case, I won't--even if you write something for the featured part of the blog. What's more, I'd never criticize anyone for using correct spelling from Country X or Y; that would be very provincial and plain bad manners. Keep the feedback coming! As for the TWITW, again, I'd want the original spelling in an edition on which scholars would rely. I just think that these little details could matter to some readers of the popular edition. I'll welcome others' opinions; this is indeed a matter worthy of discussion. Thanks, David Steve, thanks for your nice notes. This-here issue of spelling does bother me even in a TeleBlog sense.

We’re an international blog and currently enjoy better Alexa rankings in Germany and the U.K. than in the States. Bobs up and down. Right now I suspect that about half our readers are from outside the U.S.

Confession time. Just for the sake of consistency, I change U.K. and Canadian spellings to American ones in the regular posts when I have a chance. But, yes, I feel guilty about it. In your case, I won’t–even if you write something for the featured part of the blog. What’s more, I’d never criticize anyone for using correct spelling from Country X or Y; that would be very provincial and plain bad manners. Keep the feedback coming!

As for the TWITW, again, I’d want the original spelling in an edition on which scholars would rely. I just think that these little details could matter to some readers of the popular edition. I’ll welcome others’ opinions; this is indeed a matter worthy of discussion.

Thanks,
David

]]> By: Steve Bolton http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-799972 Steve Bolton Thu, 15 May 2008 09:01:17 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-799972 - er I meant, cannot give consent. Blog if any deceased authors do manage to consent ... - er I meant, cannot give consent. Blog if any deceased authors do manage to consent …

]]> By: Steve Bolton http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-799969 Steve Bolton Thu, 15 May 2008 09:00:20 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-799969 David I hadn't thought about contemporary novels being handled in that way but it makes sense - I expect the authors sign-up to it in some way when they agree to foreign publication. And I hadn't even thought about translation to other languages which is far more of a radical departure from the original. Somehow it feels worse done to the works of a deceased author who may not be able to give consent. I would like to think that Americans can handle UK English without problems, in the same way that we can tolerate US spelling. And I don't think the book being Ad-Supported Mass Audience really justifies the vandalism (emote emote) I believe it is useful for people to see how the language has changed in a relatively short time - are these anachronisms really a barrier to comprehension? (And thanks for not upbraiding me for my misspellings, UK or US - I enjoy the blog a lot and support your campaigns against ebabel) David

I hadn’t thought about contemporary novels being handled in that way but it makes sense - I expect the authors sign-up to it in some way when they agree to foreign publication. And I hadn’t even thought about translation to other languages which is far more of a radical departure from the original.

Somehow it feels worse done to the works of a deceased author who may not be able to give consent.

I would like to think that Americans can handle UK English without problems, in the same way that we can tolerate US spelling. And I don’t think the book being Ad-Supported Mass Audience really justifies the vandalism (emote emote)

I believe it is useful for people to see how the language has changed in a relatively short time - are these anachronisms really a barrier to comprehension?

(And thanks for not upbraiding me for my misspellings, UK or US - I enjoy the blog a lot and support your campaigns against ebabel)

]]> By: Rob Preece http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-798865 Rob Preece Wed, 14 May 2008 13:26:27 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-798865 I'm with Steve on this. As a child, I read Wind in the Willows and don't remember being offended by English spellings. Because BooksForABuck.com is open to authors (and customers of course) from different countries, one of the choices I had to make was whether to standardize on American style/spelling. I decided not to do so. My English and Australian authors are free to use British spelling. I'd be interested to hear from school teachers and librarians on whether they think this book needs to be made more accessible to the American reading population. Not to take anything away from Wowio's effort to provide attractive artwork for a wonderful book. Rob Preece Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com I’m with Steve on this. As a child, I read Wind in the Willows and don’t remember being offended by English spellings. Because BooksForABuck.com is open to authors (and customers of course) from different countries, one of the choices I had to make was whether to standardize on American style/spelling. I decided not to do so. My English and Australian authors are free to use British spelling.

I’d be interested to hear from school teachers and librarians on whether they think this book needs to be made more accessible to the American reading population.

Not to take anything away from Wowio’s effort to provide attractive artwork for a wonderful book.

Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-798838 David Rothman Wed, 14 May 2008 13:01:45 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-798838 A tricky issue, Steve. Normally I'd say, "Go with the original." But here we're talking about an ad-supported book intended for a mass audience and not for scholarly reference. I use the term "ad-supported" a bit loosely since the book, as I recall, contains only one ad---for Wowio itself. Wowio, moreover, has leveled with people about what it was doing, and if the changes contribute to the readability of TWITW for a potentially large U.S. readership, then this could be helpful. Plagiarism? Not quite. The byline remains the same. Now--the closing argument. Many and perhaps most U.K. novels published in the States get Americanized spellings, and keep in mind that, alas, for now at least, Wowio is a U.S.-only service. I'd love to hear how others feel, especially librarians and publishers. Meanwhle thanks for sharing your own thoughts, Steve. David A tricky issue, Steve. Normally I’d say, “Go with the original.” But here we’re talking about an ad-supported book intended for a mass audience and not for scholarly reference. I use the term “ad-supported” a bit loosely since the book, as I recall, contains only one ad—for Wowio itself.

Wowio, moreover, has leveled with people about what it was doing, and if the changes contribute to the readability of TWITW for a potentially large U.S. readership, then this could be helpful. Plagiarism? Not quite. The byline remains the same.

Now–the closing argument. Many and perhaps most U.K. novels published in the States get Americanized spellings, and keep in mind that, alas, for now at least, Wowio is a U.S.-only service. I’d love to hear how others feel, especially librarians and publishers. Meanwhle thanks for sharing your own thoughts, Steve.

David

]]> By: Steve Bolton http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-798813 Steve Bolton Wed, 14 May 2008 12:26:28 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/12/the-wind-in-the-willows-colorful-free-wowio-edition/#comment-798813 incorporates updates in punctuation and conversion from British to American spelling? Gah! So this is no-longer Kenneth Grahame's book you are talking about, it is some plagiariased book 99.9% based on the Wind in the Willows! Surely Teleread does not support or condone such vandalism by wowio? What next, Shakespear in leet speek? incorporates updates in punctuation and conversion from British to American spelling?

Gah! So this is no-longer Kenneth Grahame’s book you are talking about, it is some plagiariased book 99.9% based on the Wind in the Willows! Surely Teleread does not support or condone such vandalism by wowio?

What next, Shakespear in leet speek?

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