Goodreads Librarians Group discussion

This has been a thorn in my side since starting Goodreads forever ago.

There are some scholarly forms of literature which have abridgements that are popularly read. As a scholar I don't consider them the same book as far as one person tracking what he or she has read.

The particular book in question in 1001 Nights. There is the massive, scholarly volume with all the tales, in the Burton Translation, the Mathers Translation, the Haddaway Translation and the most recent Lyons Translation.

Then there are the countless abridgments containing well-known (Ali Baba) tales, favourite tales or all the tales along a certain theme. As someone who knows the English translations of the full work--and many of the abridgments very well, I do not consider the abridgments to be the same as the whole work.
For example, I wouldn't consider reading the four Gospels of the New Testament to be equal to having read the entire Christian Bible.

I'd like to go through and create separate books, but I'd like to know where the Goodreads policy stands on that.

And it's why adding Librarians Notes (not comments) is helpful.

I generally believe abridgments should be combined with the full work, but I wouldn't consider the 1001 Arabian Nights versions described in the first message as abridgments, but rather more like different short story collections. Perhaps, that's nitpicking over what an abridgment is, but it seems consistent to me. I certainly agree that the smaller story sets should not be combined with the full work.

I think that TINTMYLF is correct in pointing out that the word "abridgment" is possibly not the best term for this situation.

For instance, I would combine an abridgment of Gone With The Wind with the main book.


But I wouldn't combine a book solely about The Wife Of Bath's Tale with a complete edition of The Canterbury Tales.

And this brings me to another question. Where do we stand on audio books? Because last night I did several combinations under Edward Rutherfurd. According to the guidelines I read, audio versions of a book are to be combined with the various texts (hardcover, trade, mmpaperback). So I would consider that those long books with their audio versions in two volumes: ie. Sarum on Audio Cassette Vol I and Vol 2 to be combined with the whole book.

But now I've been told that is not the case and that each audio book volume should be separated out. I confess that I don't see the logic in that.

That's not because they're audio books; it's because they are only parts of books. They could be combined with parallel parts.

I haven't been to one in many a year, but TINTMYLF has to be my new Con name!

ROFL!

It does have a certain ring to it. However if you sound it out....it can be unfortunate.

tint-milf

I'm not seeing the problem. ;)

I had already sounded it out...that was part of the appeal :-)

Rivka, 'milf' has an interesting connotation, think the movie "American Pie", or see the Urban Dictionary uncensored definition here: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define...

Carolyn wrote: "Rivka, 'milf' has an interesting connotation"

I know. ;D