Sue’s Comments (group member since Jan 21, 2020)

Sue’s comments from the The Obscure Reading Group group.

Perhaps from the problems with my translation/printing in my ebook, I wasn’t so clear on the details of the death of the father or Lia’s “escape.” Or I might have misread his guilt to indicate greater complicity in events that weren’t well described in my copy. I think Efix would have felt guilty no matter what the original course of events because he couldn’t speak of them. So he accepted his poverty with no wages. The role of being a beggar then came naturally to him, as long as he could be honest about it…and with other honest beggars. What a sad life. Of course we know that he liked Lia and Noemie both at various times, didn’t he.

Also, to me he seemed attached to the estate land as much as the people at the end. Even when he was away, he kept looking for his home mountain.

I enjoyed your synopsis, Plateresca, and essentially agree with it. Efix is so important to this novel and, as we learn, is not only a reporter but an important actor in the history of the area. His sense of guilt underlies so much of what he does. Yes he is nice, but he has this secret guilt that has led to some of the continuing sadness of many people. It’s like a Greek tragedy…no one can escape. Efix is used by the sisters but he also was a part of the disappearance of their other sister, Lia. As for their father, I doubt they missed him in many ways but his death may have added to their withdrawal from the world. So many layers of loss, sadness, guilt.

I wondered about that too. Although I found parts of this beautifully written, my reading was hampered by a terrible translation and printing. I guess I got what I paid for!

It’s difficult for me to totally assess the story because my reading was chopped up at times because of those problems but overall I liked it. It did seem, above all, to be a tale of fate, colored by superstition specific to that area, and so much fear. No one was happy in that small village and even outside it, the only happy moments seemed to be at the festivals. Was this due to poverty? Lack of opportunities available for anyone? Was it the effects of the superstitious beliefs? I noticed occasional mention of men (I think it was men) who had left for America. Were many young women being left in Sardinian villages with no prospects?

I don’t think it will make any difference at this point. I have a feeling he thinks he’s done his job. As I said to him, though, no one looking for this book is going to look beyond that first entry and it still doesn’t link through the book’s page which has some 400+ copies, at least not through Nook.

He hasn’t responded to my message from yesterday so I have had it with him. If I knew some other way to complain I would but I guess this is just the way things are.

Anyway, I started reading tonight so that’s better than dealing with that guy.

It’s been fun chatting with you. Thanks for the support.

Well! I finally found what this guy has created and it makes no sense. If you look the page for the book up, and I did it on chrome just in case, there’s a little note below the titles that says show all titles. I clicked on that…something I rarely if ever do. And near the bottom of 13 or 14 titles was this ebook.

I took a screenshot and told him what was wrong with what he had done. (He told me he could/would not help me without a screenshot). I guess these guys don’t understand actual language as I kept asking him to test the site himself.

Thanks for that information, Kathleen. I’ve used the different versions on my iPad but wondered if it looked any different to people on other devices. I appreciate that it doesn’t. He wants screenshots from me that I have already sent him. I think I will just have to give up since he keeps asking me to find things that don’t exist.

Well he has written back again, blaming me for not having an updated app or website. Suggested I try Chrome if I’m using IOS, etc. well I just did try looking at the website using Chrome on my iPad and there is no ebook listed at B&N. Being a totally separate person from me on a different system, have you looked recently to see if you can find the book through Goodreads, Plateresca? Just in case there IS an issue related to my using my iPad.

Isn’t it! Hard to see it as anything other than Amazon creating a cheap alternative to counter B&N’s Nook book which the GR librarian steadfastly refused to do. Instead he added this telling me it was what I had asked for. I kept telling him that it was for kindle not nook which I had already bought and that the kindle edition was a different price and cover. Little did I know that they were creating a new Amazon book with my information.

Well, guess I’d better return the kindle copy even though it’s easier to read.

Well now I know what’s been happening during all those emails. Amazon or Ismaaeel decided to have their own low cost copy of this book. I just bought it to check if it’s real and it is. Now I have both. I’m thinking Ismaaeel was being deliberately confusing and confused with me while this was set up. Is this legal? I think it has all the same information as the B&N copy from a quick look.

I know GR is owned by Amazon but this is ridiculous.

Oh well, now I have two copies. Better return the kindle copy even though I like reading on the kindle.

That is supposed to be the Nook book, Ken. The guy I was working with here at Goodreads worked up a page for a kindle book that doesn’t exist as far as I can work out. That’s what I was trying to point out to him. This is the full description, picture etc that I sent him for the Barnes & Noble ebook but he somehow didn’t notice that this says kindle.

And he said there is a working link on the book’s page to the nook book. There isn’t. After he cut me off, I tried sending him more evidence. If he doesn’t respond, and he probably won’t, I guess I will try again. Hopefully he won’t respond.

Well, if worse comes to worse, those who have this edition can see if there is another ebook already on GR list that fits the bill or use the kindle version as their edition even though it’s incorrect.

Thanks for your support. Plateresca. Have to admit this has frustrated me because it should be so easy for someone who works with computers all the time, like the librarians at GR.

Well my last response was to say that I had not provided enough information and he was ending the communication. I then sent him more proof that the changes he said were made have not been made. If he does not respond, I plan to begin again with the screenshots I have and hopefully I will get another person. Apparently this one only tested the links on the test screen he created not on the book’s GR page which doesn’t have the B&N Nook book as of this morning. I guess I can recheck to see if he ever did the real thing.

I have never run into anything like this before In trying to add a new edition of a book. Now it’s become a bit of a cause for me.

You won’t believe what I have been going through to get the Nook copy added to Goodreads. Email has been going back and forth since my last message. I don’t know if they are being purposefully obtuse or what. Probably they would prefer that no one knows that B&N undercuts Amazon’s Kindle price by $8.00.

Good luck with your continuing recovery, Darrin. I have found that concentration for reading can take a while but it comes with time and rest.

You’re welcome. It’s in the works now and hopefully will be added soon.

I have just submitted some information to try to get the Nook edition added to Goodreads book list as it wasn’t there when I looked tonight.

If you have a device that can load the nook app, $1.99 is definitely a great price.
I looked up used prices at bookfinder.com and , if I remember correctly, the cheapest was about $13.95 plus shipping for any available copy anywhere.

I just added the nook app back to my iPad and bought the book. Thanks so much for this info. I’m trying to be extra good for the next few months at least. Just had a new air conditioner put in my car last week! So eek! Even the pennies look good right now.

That’s interesting, Plateresca. I used to have the Nook app on my iPad but never used it so I deleted it. I think I will add it back for this.

When I looked for the book through the Goodreads page which has a library checker, the closest public library was New York Public Library and there were 5 or 6 colleges and universities in Massachusetts that have it. I don’t know how easy it is to obtain a book from them. I think I will do the B & N route. Thanks for this. I saw they had the print but not this.

My library consortium doesn’t have it and I haven’t planned to buy it. Have to see if it’s available any other way.