Errors

[lakegirl]

How do other readers react to errors in the text of a book?
e.g. the butler referred to as Smith suddenly appears as Jones, and the main suspect who lives at Rose Cottage now seems to reside at Primrose Cottage.
Is this due to careless writing or poor proof reading?

[mightywease]

I always find it really unsettling and it makes me lose a bit of confidence in the publishers in that I would would tend to view it as poor proof reading rather than careless writing. Or should I say that what might have been careless writing or lack of concentration on the authors part should have been picked up by the proof reader.

I generally get over it in a fictional book but I hate it in a factual one. I bought a guidebook to Amsterdam last year and it referred to Rembrandt living in his house in Amsterdam over 500 years ago. Last year was the 400th anniversary of Rembrandts birth. That mistake really annoyed me!

[bednobs]

i get brielfly irate, think "i'm going to write a letter about that" and then promptly forget it usually

[jenstar]

The all-time classic example is in Robinson Crusoe where he swims out to the wrecked ship naked and fills his pockets!

[pingping]

brilliant jenstar! I haven't read Robinson Crusoe, but love classics. is it a good read?

[sir.prize]

Even William Shakespeare had his lapses . . . . .

He wrote of cannon in the reign of King John (cannon were unknown until about 150 years later); clocks striking the hour in the days of Julius Caesar; and printing in the days of King Henry II.

and . . . .

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle � According to the author, Dr. Watson suffered a war injury. In A Study in Scarlet the injury was to Watson�s shoulder, but in The Sign of Four, it has moved to his leg.