Public Domain Readers discussion

Each month we will read a public domain book in a certain genre, about a particular subject, or by an chosen author. Report which book or story you've decided to read. Feel free to discuss what you're reading and the author's writing style. Don't forget to leave a review of your selected work.

June's chosen author is Louis Tracy.

I'm going to read The Silent Barrier. It's set in Switzerland and since I probably won't be going anywhere on vacation this summer, I might as well read about other places :)

For a reading challenge for another group I needed a book with a number in the title. I looked through Louis Tracy's works and found Number Seventeen. I've already read one of Tracy's books and thoroughly enjoyed it. This book has started out strong. I'll be back with more impressions.

I was right. Number Seventeen is another winner in my opinion. Mr. Theydon has quite the adventure. I highly recommend this story.

One of my favorite quotes is "there is always consolation for a writer in learning...what sheer drivel others can produce." p. 63 or 34%

Another quote is on page 152 or 81%. Theydon's older sister is teasing him about a certain beautiful rich young lady. "Don't tell me, Frank, that your flights have taken you to the elevated region in which millionaires' daughters figure as possible brides!"

He answers, "Now you are making me out a Mormon."

One of my favorite things about these old books is the level of vocabulary we don't usually see in today's literature.

I've read about half so far of The Stowmarket Mystery. It's quite an enjoyable yarn, lightly humorous at times, quite intelligent and with a few mysterious elements to intrigue you, even a hint at the supernatural, with a barrister who is a kind of Sherlock Holmes type character. The characters come through quite clearly, generally via the barrister's sharp observations. A little dated and 'incorrect' in its national and gender stereotypes, perhaps, with a 'Jap' a 'swarthy' Italian, some 'un-English' ways, 'feminine logic' and even the mention that Irish home rule would obviously be a disaster. Though it all kind of feels like it could be a little tongue-in-cheek, but maybe that's just my reading it from modern times. It's light and inoffensive, I would say, all the same. Basically a well-constructed detective and social tale, designed mainly for entertainment with a little mild edification. I imagine wealthy types with time on their hands sitting at the fireplace reading such stuff.

I don't usually keep up with groups monthly readings, it's just too time consuming, but I'm trying with this one because I want to support its growth. May I suggest Abraham Merritt, also known as A.E. Merritt as July's author, simply for the reason that I've read some of his book The Face in the Abyss and therefore am more likely to keep up and contribute next month too.

Mark, I've looked and could only find two books available by Abraham Merritt on Gutenberg. That's not much to choose from. How about a theme instead of a specific author for next month? It could be any science fiction book.

Whatever you like, I'm not going to seriously worry. Though on Gutenberg Australia there are 8 novels by him and 10 pieces of short fiction. But this is due to different copyright laws, which I hadn't really considered, and hadn't realised how much the U.S. law differs from many other countries (95 years after publication, in general, depending on certain things, see wikipedia), meaning only those two are in the public domain in the U.S., being published in 1919 and 1920. He died in 1943, so in the EU all his works became public domain Jan 1st 2014, and in Australia and Canada Jan 1st 1994, but in the U.S. the next one to become public will be in 4 years, so kind of useless to U.S. readers. It seems only fair that U.S. readers shouldn't be excluded when you make a choice here, even though in fact the U.S. law is about the strictest and much of the rest of the world will find they can read many works years or even decades before U.S. readers.

It's complicated too by how laws change, so often if something went out of copyright before a law made the term longer, it stays out of copyright. Like here in Russia. The term was 50 years after death, so his books are public domain here since 1993, but then the law changed in 2004 and made the term 70 years, but that didn't relate to any books already out of copyright, so his books remained public domain for those last 9 years up until 70 years from his death. But in some countries the change in law puts works back into copyright until the new term runs out. It can be confusing. But, yes, in the U.S. only two of his novels are out of copyright, in the EU (and others with the 70 year after death rule) they've all been available for 2 years, in Australia, Canada, Russia, and many others with the 50 year after death rule, they've been public domain for 22 years already.

I guess a thread in this group dedicated to the law would be appropriate, probably starting with this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

What about Jack London as July's author? There are moree than 20 of his works on Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc...

I like the idea of changing the emphasis each month. Should we stick with a science fiction book in July, and then a specific author or theme in August? I wouldn't mind reading one of Jack London's books.

I really don't mind. I was just selfishly nudging you to choose something I've already half read. As you like. You're managing this group for everyone in it and I'm as unreliable as anybody, and could easily not be active here soon enough, what with life and other ups and downs. Choosing sci-fi will mean I could talk about the Merritt book, but then what's the point in me talking about something others can't legally obtain for free? Whatever you think might appeal to the whole group. Maybe someone else will comment.

I'll happily accept all the suggestions and ideas that come my way. And I also hope that some of the members will voice an opinion.

Let's go with science fiction for July's genre. I might finally get around to reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

By the way, I hope you enjoy the rest of The Stowmarket Mystery.

Yeah, I've always meant to read that myself. I have a hardback version here somewhere. I remember reading the first page and thinking it was really well-written, and watching a movie version once and realising it was probably kind of based on his own experience, highly exaggerated, of course, of his 'duality' and the struggle between his 'animal impluses' and 'better nature', with related phases of opposing behaviour.

I finished The Stowmarket Mystery. My review can be seen on the book's page, though I was lazy and just used the comment I made above about it and expanded it a little.