Goodreads Librarians Group discussion

We Were the Mulvaneys
This topic is about We Were the Mulvaneys
544 views
Book & Author Page Issues > [INCOMPLETE] Incorrect description on We Were the Mulvaneys

Comments Showing 1-7 of 7 (7 new)    post a comment »
dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Drace (new) - added it

Drace (dracenines) | 7539 comments This particular edition of We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates (ISBN 9780452282827) has the wrong description listed. The correct one is as follows, taken directly from the back of the book:

The Mulvaneys are blessed by all that makes life sweet – a hardworking father, a loving mother, three fine sons, and a bright, pretty daughter. They are confident in their love for each other and their position in the rural community of Mt. Ephraim, New York. But something happens on Valentine’s Day, 1976 – an incident that is hushed up in the town and never spoken of in the Mulvaney home – that rends the fabric of their family life… with tragic consequences.

It is the youngest son, Judd, now an adult, who attempts to reclaim his family’s past by documenting their history and what seemed a special gift for happiness. The many secrets they kept from each other threatened to destroy them, but ultimately We Were the Mulvaneys celebrates the miracle that allowed a family to bridge the chasms that had opened up between them, and to reunite in the spirit of love and healing. Profoundly cathartic, this extraordinary novel unfolds as if Oates, in plumbing the darkness of the human spirit, has come upon a source of light at its core. Rarely has such an acclaimed writer made such a startling and inspiring statement about the value of hope and compassion.


Elizabeth (Alaska) That edition is using the default description. Why is it incorrect?


message 3: by Drace (new) - added it

Drace (dracenines) | 7539 comments Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "That edition is using the default description. Why is it incorrect?"

It does not match the description found on the Amazon or publisher websites for this edition or on the back of the physical book itself. It might be correct for other editions of the book, but not this particular edition.


message 4: by Drace (new) - added it

Drace (dracenines) | 7539 comments It's been two weeks, so I'm bumping the thread. Again, the description listed on this edition's Goodreads page does not actually match the description on the book itself or on the publisher's website.


Elizabeth (Alaska) Unless there is some information specific to an edition, the default edition works just fine. I don't see anything in the default description that doesn't apply.


message 6: by Drace (new) - added it

Drace (dracenines) | 7539 comments Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Unless there is some information specific to an edition, the default edition works just fine. I don't see anything in the default description that doesn't apply."

Even if the description on the page describes the book's plot, it is not the actual text printed on the book or on the publisher website. It might be accurate in the sense that it conveys what the book is about, but when it comes to cataloging specific editions, it is an inaccurate entry.


message 7: by rivka, Former Moderator (new)

rivka | 45177 comments Mod
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Unless there is some information specific to an edition, the default edition works just fine."

I agree.


back to top