As Good As Dead
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (64169)
United States
April 4, 2010 10:56pm CST
I have mentioned in the past that I have a famous ancestress. Penelope Stout was her married name, and the one that all her decedents come from (including yours truly.)
My sister brought a book with her that our uncle got for Christmas of her story.
As Good As Dead the Penelope Stout Story is the title.
It is rather a novelized telling of her story, but is, on the whole, a factual telling of the story.
Now... the publisher acceded to the author's wishes and didn't edit this book. That is a screaming shame, since the writer used several words wrong through out the book.
The worst was using the word "site" for "sight."
I found this link:
http://www.amazon.com/As-Good-Dead-Penelope-Stout/dp/1424109035
Someone there noted that exact flaw to which the writer answered!
Just proof that spell check doesn't catch misused words, even if they are "correct."
None the less, it is a good book and a good study of a brave woman and a difficult time in the early settlement of America, in this case what has now become New Jersey.
So, have you read any good books lately? (actually, this is the latest of a long line of good ones...)
7 people like this
13 responses
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
5 Apr 10
hi ElicBxn thats really neat your own ancestor and her story fantastic. I am starting to read the Da Vinci Code but have not got to far yet. It seems to be really interesting and I will eventually get it read.I am one for mystery stories such as Sue Graftons alpabet series with Kinsey Milhone the private eye. also love Lillian brauns series the cat who as they are so much fun to read.
4 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51817)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
5 Apr 10
I'll be starting on The Da Vinci Code as soon as I finish this month's Reader's Digest magazine...
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
5 Apr 10
I've read all those, and love them. I even belong to a Cat Who online yahoo group - its very disappointing that the 30th book hasn't come out yet - and may not ever. 
But LJB is almost 100 yrs old. We are guessing that she's just been unable to finish it because of her advanced age.
I hope after she passes the family will either pick up the series or let someone else write.
But LJB is almost 100 yrs old. We are guessing that she's just been unable to finish it because of her advanced age.
I hope after she passes the family will either pick up the series or let someone else write.1 person likes this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
5 Apr 10
hi elicbxn I did not realize that she was that old, I knew she looked elderly in her pictures, wow maybe she could not finish it. sad I hope
too that her family will pick up the series or get someone else to take it on.I really loved those books, so much fun. I am surprised nobody has thought to make a movie of one of those as I bet a lot of fans would go see it.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169453)
• United States
5 Apr 10
It is a shame that she did not have an actual proofreader at least who could have caught this error. It makes her look bad as well as the publisher. Most recently I have read some more Tony Hillerman mysteries, written in various New Mexico locations, with Navajo law enforcement characters and situated on reservations, with lots of cultural details.
4 people like this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
5 Apr 10
hi garden and Elic me too I really like his novels, and I
have also read most of them. I worked for years in the tustin
library shelving books so got to know where all the good
authors were, and what I really liked best, never had any time
at work to read, but usually took an armful of books home almost every two or three weeks. lol lol lol.
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28954)
• Canada
5 Apr 10
I've been mostly studying for the past five or six weeks, and need to catch up on some reading, including some magazines that I subscribed to at Christmas time, and dind't get around to reading because I've been studying too much. LOL
Interesting though, that you have a famous relative. It's amazing what we can uncover with a little research.
haha
2 people like this
@coffeeshot (3783)
• Australia
5 Apr 10
Wow it would be so interesting to be able to read about an ancestor. To my knowledge I am not related to anyone famous or known in history. The book I'm reading at the moment is Little Women. I think it is sweet and makes me appreciate my life. It also teaches the importance of family.
Oh and yes I can't believe how many mistakes are in books and publications these days! Just goes to show that we should not rely on computers and we should go back to more reliable methods of spell checking!
3 people like this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
5 Apr 10
I've been doing outdoor work and indoor work and working to pay bills. So I haven't read any good books lately. Unless you want to count cookbooks. I went through a bunch to find diabetic ones to let my brother's girlfriend borrow.
2 people like this
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
5 Apr 10
Hi Eleic,
That must be something to know that you have a famous ancestress and to have the book as well, I will try and buy it over here or through the link you put up, its sounds very interesting, no I have not read any good books for a long time, I suppose being on the computer 24/7 takes away all the things I used to do, lol.
Tamara
4 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
9 Apr 10
Hi Elic
I read every Night in bed
I just finished a book called Charlie by Susan Lewis and I really enjoyed it I like all her Books and have read most of them and still loads more to read lol
I love reading and have loads of books lol I buy them all from Ebay
I hear ya @BarBaraPrz (51817)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
5 Apr 10
I recently read The Celestine Prophecy, but while sort of interesting, I wouldn't call it "good".
Before that, I read Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, again interesting but not "good".
And before that, I read The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan. Now that one, I would call "good", "excellent" even.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51817)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
5 Apr 10
Yes, she really held my attention with that story.
2 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
5 Apr 10
I guess nonone is perfect, lol. I love to read. I read only fiction tho. lOVE A GOOD MYSTER, I remember u like sci.fi. I am on a second book by a new author i found. The first i read i thought it was real good but don't care for this one as much. The name of it is 'exposed' by 'ALEX KAVA'. I use to like bioes when i was young so would probably enjoy the one by Stout.
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
5 Apr 10
I read quite widely, and love SF, but there is the fact that this is family that gets me to read it - and its a very easy read I might add, a mere 143 pages.
I do like mysteries, but I really kind of prefer them to be series, like the Stephanie Plum or Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee mysteries.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
6 Apr 10
Sorry, the name is not famaliar to me at all.
1 person likes this
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
30 Aug 10
I have not heard of this person untill now. I don't know who she is or what she is about. Yes spelling errors occur in even in porfessional edited books. i have not been able to read any good books latly becae i have been busy with so many other things.
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
31 Aug 10
I am not sure if I have heard of rex stout. I may have or I may not have. it must be cool to be related to a famos person.
1 person likes this
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
6 Apr 10
How cool it would be to read a story about your ancestor! The closest I come, is the author Joseph Wambaugh that writes about police departments is a distant cousin of mine. He writes about the police because he used to be a cop, and I guess that is what he knows. I have read a few of his books, and although that isn't my favorite type of story, they are usually pretty good.
In England they sometimes spell and use words in other ways than we do in the USA so maybe that is why they weren't caught. Also if it was written a long time ago, the English language was a little different. Maybe they were correct then!
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
9 Apr 10
Then I guess the spell check just missed them!
1 person likes this
