Physicians of Vilnoc spoiler discussion space
...and typo reportage zone. I'd have sworn a mighty oath that there were no more of the latter left, but the typo fairy just laughs.
This is an open thread established for folks who have already read the story to talk about it freely with each other. (If you haven't already read it and don't wish your reading spoiled, leave this comments section for later. )
Anyway. The novella is now up at these vendors:
Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Physicians-Vil...
Barnes & Noble Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-p...
Cover art by Ron Miller:
Have fun --
Ta, L.
This is an open thread established for folks who have already read the story to talk about it freely with each other. (If you haven't already read it and don't wish your reading spoiled, leave this comments section for later. )
Anyway. The novella is now up at these vendors:
Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Physicians-Vil...
Barnes & Noble Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-p...
Cover art by Ron Miller:
Have fun --
Ta, L.
message 1:
by
Jerri
(new)
May 09, 2020 09:05AM
Loved the story. Time to start a careful, slower re-read. I didn't notice any typos, but I am not the best of proofreaders. I especially enjoy the bits at the beginning and end about Pen's personal life. Also, the use made of Pen's efforts to translate and multiply "Ruchia's" books about Demon studies. AND the idea of the loyal dog/demon/master relationship.
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Only found 2 on first read. Location 899 - "couldn't to this to enemy"
Location 962 - "an ever better sink". Think you want even but maybe not
On to the story. I wasn't especially bothered by the plague aspect except in the sense that it reinforces my bafflement at our current situation. Pandemics with thousands of deaths belong in the long past before modern knowledge and technology. My favorite parts were absolutely the way too short interactions of Pen and Des and the family. I'm delighted there's a baby but we don't even know what she looks like yet. What part of each parent does she favor? Warm Cedonian skin with curly electrum hair and lake blue eyes? I did enjoy the new sorcerer - positive but completely different than Pen.
I liked the new sorcerer too, and the betrothal at the end. I particularly liked the glimpses of the Rysulli and the character of the aunt. Killing that poor calf was particularly sad and I was saddened for both Penric and the calf, but the whole underlying premise that there is no such thing as a free lunch whether it is demonic healing or shamanic magic is something I very much like. It is not quite an even trade in the sense that it is Penric who pays the physical and emotional price of the demonic magic and when he is doing healing, it is someone else who reaps the benefits - without paying any price for it. I've also worked in large organisations and the whole management encouraging you to work yourself to the bone is something I've experienced - and they never really feel the impact themselves - as in the healers in Penric's past and the current ones in the Mother's temple at Vilnoc. Very well drawn.
I happened to notice a missing quotation mark, at around 19% of the way through, location 439: « "I suppose not. Though it's true »This didn't spoil the story for me. 🙂
Location 31 - Penric usually settled person - should it be "settled on person"?
@ all typo reports --First, thanks! I will attempt to collect the whole set before forwarding them to my Spectrum person for fixing the published files.
And, yeah. You wouldn't think the manuscript had been read by maybe 8 other people all with good proofing skills, but it was. The typical result, of any handful of proofers, is that each will find something, and almost none of what they spot will be duplicates of anyone else's finds. I don't know how many readers would actually be required to comb out all the errata from a work, guaranteed, but I know it's way more than 10.
Happily, I have that now...
I excuse myself on account of this crap: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epireti...
Ta, L.
Location 103 - "panels fore and aft his knees" - should it be "aft of his knees"?
Talli wrote: "Location 103 - "panels fore and aft his knees" - should it be "aft of his knees"?"Either can be correct; the original was intended.
Now you're getting over-sensitized... (Which happens, when one has been doing this for too long at a stretch.)
:-), L.
Karenhunt wrote: "Auntie Yema versus Auntie Yena"As a note, I suspect Yena will be better than Yema (I keep hearing Auntie Em from Wizard of Oz with Yema)
Loc 2002: Adelis's hand drifted to touch the touch the burn scars framing his eyes.I'm very much enjoying the story so far! Just thought I'd drop what I believe is a typo here before I forgot.
Karenhunt wrote: "Karenhunt wrote: "Auntie Yema versus Auntie Yena"As a note, I suspect Yena will be better than Yema (I keep hearing Auntie Em from Wizard of Oz with Yema)"
Yeah, it's supposed to be Yena.
Sigh, L.
Valfe wrote: "Loc 2002: Adelis's hand drifted to touch the touch the burn scars framing his eyes.I'm very much enjoying the story so far! Just thought I'd drop what I believe is a typo here before I forgot."
Argh...
Obviously, I shouldn't rush to get my corrections in.
L.
I enjoyed the story so much I only saw one little error, straightened it out and galloped on.Thank you, Lois, ever so much.
PS I have my pre order in for the audio of "The Orphans of Raspay" but hope it won't take so long for this new one. I know, write to Recorded Books.
Very much enjoyed the story. Somewhat disappointed in myself for gobbling it up too quickly.The fleas were a good distraction from the real solution. But after they were introduced, Penric's sacred pets were mentioned soon after. I kept expecting one of his rats to be needed as a known-uninfected subject for experimentation.
Perhaps the science was not yet up to the introduction of experimental guinea pigs? Though they never did confirm whether rats were capable of being infected with the same disease. And at the pace the rest of the story unfolded, there was scarcely time to pause and experiment.
Loved it!I saw two typos, but was enjoying reading too much to stop and make a note. Now I am annoyed at myself, because I can't even remember one, and can't find the other.
The one I can't find was near the beginning and was something like "at General Arisaydia something something etcetera" that should have been "as General Arisaydia..."
If I could search on my Kindle Touch, I could probably find it, but I can't find any way to perform such a search. Gah!
J.M. wrote: "I saw two typos, but was enjoying reading too much to stop and make a note. Now I am annoyed at myself, because I can't even remember one..."Oh, good! Someone else found the one I couldn't remember: an ever better sink>an even better sink...
J.M. wrote: "Loved it!I saw two typos, but was enjoying reading too much to stop and make a note. Now I am annoyed at myself, because I can't even remember one, and can't find the other.
The one I can't find..."
Hm. I couldn't find any "at General Arisaydia" in the original ms. If you relocate it or remember anything more, with an accurate word string (it's surprising how short a phrase one needs to nail them), shout out.
(However, with 290 hits for "at", a bit more is needed.)
This thread is an interesting demo, yet again, of how different eyes spot different things, and glide right over others. Which is how the little buggers slip through in the first place.
L.
One thing I really enjoyed about the book was the gentle reminders of many of the early Pen/Des tales, just enough to bring a smile of recognition, not overdone to feel forced. But also, the mention of things that happened to Pen/Des that haven't made it into an official tale, reminding the reader that lots of things have happened to them, and we the readers don't know about all of them, but some are hinted at. Makes it feel like a fragment of fictional biography, not just a story.I am currently reading it for the second time, much more slowly this time.
Lois wrote: "J.M. wrote: "Loved it!I saw two typos, but was enjoying reading too much to stop and make a note. Now I am annoyed at myself, because I can't even remember one, and can't find the other.
The one..."
It might have been “General Arisaydia. Especially if” would read better as “General Arisaydia. Especially as”
Herb wrote: "Lois wrote: "J.M. wrote: "Loved it!I saw two typos, but was enjoying reading too much to stop and make a note. Now I am annoyed at myself, because I can't even remember one, and can't find the ot...
it might have been “General Arisaydia. Especially if” would read better as “General Arisaydia. Especially as"
Nope. That one is exactly as intended.
Only actual errata wanted at this stage.
Ta, L.
I really enjoyed it, very satisfying. Thank you!Typos (I think):
Missing "for" before italicised "person" in 4th paragraph??
Same scene
Adelis is more likely have come,
("to" is missing)
Same scene
"Sluffing" about the house - did you mean that? Shuffling?
"He dabbled at the red wet at his side"
(location 2116, 88%) - supposed to be "welt"? I can’t tell.
That’s it.
Herb wrote: "Lois wrote: "J.M. wrote: "Loved it!I saw two typos, but was enjoying reading too much to stop and make a note. Now I am annoyed at myself, because I can't even remember one, and can't find the ot..."
Second try for this one how about The at in “Adelis would hardly be consulting Penric, with such urgency at that, on military affairs.”
Herb wrote: "Herb wrote: "Lois wrote: "J.M. wrote: "Loved it!I saw two typos, but was enjoying reading too much to stop and make a note. Now I am annoyed at myself, because I can't even remember one, and can'..."
@ 27 -- Nope, that sentence is as intended, at that.
Thankfully.
L.
Kerry wrote: "I really enjoyed it, very satisfying. Thank you!Typos (I think):
Missing "for" before italicised "person" in 4th paragraph??
Same scene
Adelis is more likely have come,
("to" is missing)
Same s..."
@ 26 --
Sluffing and red wet are intended. The other two are, sigh, real typos -- the missing word in the first instance is "on" -- and the second instance, no one else saw (or anyway reported). Although the fix might better be to drop the...
No, wait. That sentence is as intended. Huh. Although it still might be better to drop the "have", dunno. One would definitely not want to-to-two all in the same clause.
I'm not sure how long to wait till sending my errata list into my e-helper for uploading corrections. The longer I wait, the more people will buy the uncorrected draft, and may not know the trick for getting the corrected one, but the sooner I send it in, the more likely there will be some late typo report drift in. And I don't want to make her do the job twice.
Maybe one more day...
Ta, L.
Lois wrote: "J.M. wrote: "Loved it!I saw two typos, but was enjoying reading too much to stop and make a note. Now I am annoyed at myself, because I can't even remember one, and can't find the other.
The one..."
I made a third and final pass looking for this and found nothing.
I love the Pendric Series. I have wished for a sequel to “Paladin of Souls” for a long time. Pendric is a great substitute!
Location 313. Des is speaking then Pen says shut up Des but it's within the same set of quotes. I checked another instance where both spoke and they were separated.
I picked this up with enthusiasm and then started it with some trepidation because I wasn't sure I wanted to read a pandemic story right now. But despite the presence of magic this felt firmly grounded in rationality and the scientific method, which I found soothing and exactly what I needed right now after all. I enjoyed spending time with these characters again and making new acquaintances. Thank you for another great read.
@ 31 --Nope, that one's intended, too. A brief moment of confusion, shared by Pen's auditors (though less by Adelis, who's used to it) while each wrestles for control of the same mouth speaking.
L.
I also saw the typo (or not) at location 61, “Adelis is more likely have come to see you two than me." More likely _to_ have come? But I agree that another "to" does not improve the sentence. Maybe "Adelis more likely came to see you two"?
Spoilers: On the question of whether plague was too fraught a subject for the current time of pandemic -- I actually found it comforting. Here's Penric, even when it is most fraught for him, _dealing_ with it. His eventual revelation about the disease is looking back, at its origin, while we've known what causes ours since near the beginning, and need a forward-looking revelation/development like a vaccine, but the arc is similar -- you just go on dealing with it as you can (with doctors, hospitals, demons, cleaning, social distancing, sorcerors), until something changes enough so it can be defeated. And seeing that arc, however fictional, completed successfully, fulfills an emotional need for hope. (Also posted on email list.)
@27“Adelis would hardly be consulting Penric, with such urgency at that, on military affairs.”
Thanks, Herb. It was really bugging me that I couldn't find it. That was the one. I see that Ms. Bujold wanted it the way it is. But it's a relief to know I wasn't imagining it. :)
I'm going to send in my typo report to my e-helper soon -- if anyone else has spotted anything, trot 'em out.After that, keep 'em a secret...
Ta, L.
Lois wrote: "I'm going to send in my typo report to my e-helper soon"I'm on a second read-through, looking for any. None that haven't already been spotted so far.
A possible for you, at location 1045:"Had population of their chambers turned over at least once by now?"
Is it missing a "the" between the first two words?
Apparently no one else was bothered by "Penric whom" which I reported on the other mail list.Frank
Location 1405:"Pen addressed his plate."
The start of this paragraph is indented too far, it seems, compared to other paragraphs.
Frank wrote: "Apparently no one else was bothered by "Penric whom" which I reported on the other mail list.Frank"
I do not find a Penric whom in the ms. Can you provide a longer search string?
L.
Lois wrote: "Frank wrote: "Apparently no one else was bothered by "Penric whom" which I reported on the other mail list.Frank"
I do not find a Penric whom in the ms. Can you provide a longer search string?
L."
Pretty sure he means this one:
The groom from the abattoir and a wiry, leathery-faced man Pen whom recognized as the fort’s cavalry master, Captain Suran, stood before him.
Kosigan wrote: "Location 1405:"Pen addressed his plate."
The start of this paragraph is indented too far, it seems, compared to other paragraphs."
Aha. I see how that one slipped through. I routinely do a search for extraneous spaces fore and aft my paragraph marks, and clean them up, but the prior para to that one had a hard return/line break mark, which that search did not include. Thus the string of extra spaces at the start of the next para went undetected.
Shall have to remember that next time. Good one.
Ta, L.
Lois wrote: "Frank wrote: "Apparently no one else was bothered by "Penric whom" which I reported on the other mail list.Frank"
I do not find a Penric whom in the ms. Can you provide a longer search string?
L."
Later: Ah. It's Pen whom -- leathery-faced man Pen whom recognized as the fort’s cavalry master
Got it.
L.
...personally, I will be so glad when "whom" is finally dropped from the language.
The previous Penric novels, I gobbled up really fast. After the first few pages, I decided to take it more slowly with The Physicians.No typos from me, sorry - I have enough difficulties with the turn of phrase, English being a Fremdsprache to me, to be bothered.
It is a devilishly good book, addressing all the important, and recently very real points of life with a desease. It is a huge relief to me to be told something real, as opposed to the flood of frank nonsense in the last weeks... months. Makes me feel less mad and confused, but quite comfortably centered by the time I read the last sentence.
I know this is a typos and spoilers page, and not a place to write "reviews". This is not a review. This is a thank you note to Lois, since she seems to be reading. An excellent result, Ms Bujold! And I am saying this as someone who is not very much a fan of Penric - he behaves old, for understandable reasons (I am rather a fan of Des, who also behaves old, but I like it better).
Also, I know that The Physicians was not written from the occassion of the current virus outbreak, Lois was clear on this. And it is clear that Penric would have ended up healing people, again, from his story so far. Nevetheless, perfect.
Brzk wrote: "The previous Penric novels, I gobbled up really fast. After the first few pages, I decided to take it more slowly with The Physicians.No typos from me, sorry - I have enough difficulties with the ..."
The typos issues are actually a sideline of this thread, and one I'm about to wind up very soon. It's really meant for readers to talk to each other about the work/s without having to tiptoe around spoilers.
So more substantive comments are welcome.
That said, "The Physicians of Vilnoc" is getting very little PR push from me; so real reviews, out and about on the net in appropriate places, are most welcome. They may be the only way other readers will learn the novella exists. Amazon and Goodreads always seem to get plenty, and besides, you must already know about the novella even to be looking at them, so reviews or remarks on other blogs or sites might cast a wider net.
Ta, L.
Thoughts. Des has friends. Mostly in-laws, or sorta in-laws, but still friends. How unusual is that, for a chaos demon? (I can just imagine people hearing talk about 'Madam Desdemona,' or possibly 'Aunt Desdemona' in the case of the Corva sisters, and then getting indirectly Penric'd when they find out who she is.)
Having the disease reservoir be horses instead of rats, and spread by flies instead of fleas was well-played.
"Eating" might be a better metaphor than Pen allows, for Des shedding chaos. After all, eating is the process by which men turn food into shit.
I like demons' evolution too, Sablesword! (not that I've witnessed evolution first-hand, or demons). A demon-dog is excellent! Much more fine is to have an intelligent, talking and speaking demon, who is his own man/woman. I don't know where to start - we can talk about so much! We can talk about demons exiting chaos and entering life, we can talk about the nature of the five gods, we can talk about hearing voices in one's head, historically, or how happy demons produce happy deeds. We can talk about what happens to deamons when they cannot be contained in a single person's mind any more, if they ever reach this point. Or we can talk about Desdemona in particular who is unique in her universe and in ours. I was very pleased when, knowing nothing about how the disease spreads, if it is a disease at all and what might be the cause, etc, etc., Pen senisbly decided not to go home, to wash regularly, to not spread contamination, whenever possible, to talk to people - all very good thoughts. And there was not one moment of hesitation if the few who have taken ill deserve to be saved - to Pen it was absolutely clear that young or old, townsfolk or army, nice ot indifferent, they all have to receive treatment. I don't think that this was part of the ethics instilled in him in Martensbridge. This is just common sense - if they are ill, who else can take ill? whose relatives are these people, what is the value of human life? if we can avert a pointless death, let us avert it. (A neigbour told me recently that since Covid-19 is most direly affecting aged people with preexistung conditions - in his mind this is apparently true - then we shouldn't bother because they'd have lived 1-3 years on average if they are recovered... or something along these lines. As opposed to the health of the "economy". I decided not to start the lengthy discussion needed to correct all of this.)
Also, how is it possible that in a medieval world there is a clear chain of authority, people take on responsibility without a single sound of protest, there is an organised supply channel for, say, food for those who must tend to more important needs, the flow of communication is uninterrupted, albeit slow, people take on risk for the greater good - also without much protest, and in our universe we are hoarding macaroni and go to protests demanding that kindergartens open up again? Very very entertaining book, this one. I also like The Prisoners, and The Fox.
Ok, scratch that first sentence above, or at least the vocative. Read my rambling as only related to Lois's text, not as referring to any prevoius comments. (Some issues have arisen).
