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The Queen.


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Carol,

I had to rely on DVDs to get my Sherlock fix since I don't have access to PBS.  To the best of my recollection, the DVD of Sherlock 1 hit these shores in March 2011; at least, that's when I discovered it.  My Sherlock experience has been tied to the availability of the DVDs in America and not to the UK release dates, so if I'm 'off', that's why.  UK broadcast schedules were not relevant to me, but had I been able to teleport myself to London to watch the premieres 'at home' (Sherlock's home), I certainly would've.

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On 4/17/2021 at 5:00 AM, HerlockSholmes said:

Apparently The Queen doesn't like hearing the same tune over and over (she must tire of hearing the National Anthem🙂) so he plays a variation of tunes.

"God Save My Gracious Me; Long Live My Noble Me; God Sa . . .ve . . . Me!'

I think the Queen is at her core a humble and rather self-effacing person, considering who she is, so that must get old.  

When they broke into "God Save the Queen" at PP's funeral as the State Bentley made its entrance, it really struck me that on that day of all days, she might have not wanted to intrude on those proceedings.  But it's the National Anthem so it had to be played.

I am not versed in all the world anthems but I think God Save the Queen is one of the few that are an ode to a leader him/herself rather than the more amorphous odes to country or patriotism.  Q:  After 70+ years of singing 'God Save the Queen', a period during which 80% of all living Britons were born, do you think your countrymen are going to have a devil of a time switching over to God Save the King?  Particularly when it's a King that nobody is remotely excited about?  Poor Charles--after having waited so long for the Top Job,  the chances of him doing it more than a decade are increasingly slim.  He does not seem poised to be as long-lived as his parents.  He will be like the second longest-tenured Prince of Wales, Edward VII and have a short reign.  Even if it's 20 years, Mummy's record will still dwarf them all.

I am preferential to "Jerusalem" as an anthem but that is so closely tied to England rather than the UK as a whole, I can see why it was not picked.

Evidently the tune to the American anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner goes to a bawdy drinking song popular in England back in the day, and that has caused hilarity in some quarters.  This song is so notoriously difficult with its windy phrases, chewy words and octave change that it is a supreme test of vocal ability and stamina, not to be undertaken by the faint-hearted.  The former British subjects that settled these lands could not give up entirely on God Save the King, so they kept the tune and changed the words.

My country t'is of thee; sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing

Land where our fathers died; Land of the Pilgrim's pride

From every mountainside, Let freedom ring!

********

I expect that My Country T'is of Thee will shortly be cancelled as 'Pilgrim's Pride' is symbolic of the cultural appropriation and destruction of the indigenous peoples of North America by privileged white people, following in the footsteps of Columbus Day, and all Native American sports team mascots & names.  It can only be a matter of time until the the continent and this country must be re-named since Americo Vespucci is just another European (white) guy taking advantage of indigenous peoples.  'Panem' is up for grabs.

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7 hours ago, HerlockSholmes said:

Hi Hikari,

Ive been a member here for around 4 months less than I’ve been a member of Casebook (the JTR site) and I’m approaching 9000 posts on there. This is because on Casebook various topics and arguments/debates can drag on forever whereas this Forum is more chilled and lacking in confrontation. This is a comfortable sitting room for discussion as opposed to a bear pit.🙂

Its been a while since I’ve watched anything Holmes or Sherlock apart from my rewatch of A Study In Pink to see how many references to The Canon that I could spot. I do intend to have a look at episode 2 over the next few days. That said, my ‘drug’ has been House over the last few weeks but I’ve now watched it all so I don’t know what comes next? A new series of Sherlock doesn’t even appear to be approaching the horizon and I don’t have Netflix to watch The Irregulars (which I must say that I don’t like the look of.) There’s also Enola Holmes which I also haven’t seen. I stumbled on a short Russian Holmes story on Amazon Prime but it was one of the worst things that I’ve ever seen. Holmes and Watson were both stocky bearded men with ponytails and the acting was so wooden that the script must have been written by a carpenter. I got the impression though that the actors were reading and speaking a language (English) that they didn’t understand which might at least account for how wooden the performance was. I was hoping that I’d discovered a hidden gem......no.

Reading is my only Holmes link. Recently I read one of David Marcum’s volumes plus Alex Prior’s excellent collection plus I now have Lindsay Faye’s The Whole Art Of Detection. I’ve read the first 2 stories which are very good (as expected after Dust And Shadows.) Ive also read the latest Rathbone biography, a brilliant illustrated book on Brett’s career and a new book on Doyle and the Edalji case which I can highly recommend. 

The Holmes/Sherlock absence looks likely to persist for some time but I have no suggestion on a new ‘drug’ I’m afraid. My brother recommended a series called Stranger Things but I haven’t checked it out yet. Has anyone seen it? It’s apparently a fantasy. He recommended it after I told him that I’d been watching the excellent Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

Stranger Things has been quite the rage here.  I have not seen it as it didn't seem to be my cuppa; paranormal stuff leaves me pretty cold, but fans like it for the sense of 1980s nostalgia.  I gather it's kind of like a Steven Spielberg/Stephen King mashup, so if you liked some of those 1980s films like ET and It, you might get into this show.  It stars Enola Holmes's Millie Bobby Brown, who was only 12 or 13 at the start.  

I'm trying to think of shows with a similar feeling to Sherlock or House.   You might enjoy Endeavour (aka 'Young Inspector Morse').  He is a cerebral detective and the 1960s production design is pretty fab.  Morse is the creation of Colin Dexter, who was an avid Sherlockian.  We've also talked about Zen, starring Rufus Sewell.  That was three films only . . I think there were plans for more but it turned out that filming in Roma got too expensive.  My impression from the books is that Zen is also an homage to Sherlock Holmes.  If you're willing to read anything else written by Michael Dibdin, those seem pretty good.

I really enjoyed the Marple series of films done by Geraldine McEwan, though those might be a tad cosy for you.  Miss McEwan (RIP) is my favorite Miss Marple.   Hercule Poirot leaves me a bit cold but he's definitely more Sherlock-like in his methods.  The major fun of these films is seeing all the major stars of British stage and screen popping up in supporting roles.

I enjoyed Ken Branagh's take on Wallander on the BBC, but, as beautiful as the locations in Ystad, Sweden are, those stories can get very grim.  The long-running Swedish television Wallander starring Krister Henricksson is closer to Henning Mankell's detective as written . .more brain work, less running around with guns.  This Wallander is a classical music buff with a fondness for alcohol and aloofness.  I think of him as the Scandinavian Morse.  So, rather Holmes-like.

 

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41 minutes ago, Hikari said:

I enjoyed Ken Branagh's take on Wallander on the BBC, but, as beautiful as the locations in Ystad, Sweden are, those stories can get very grim.  

Yeah, I tried to watch that a few times, but too grim for me.  I like my crime leavened with a bit of humor, apparently. :smile: 

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3 hours ago, Arcadia said:

Yeah, I tried to watch that a few times, but too grim for me.  I like my crime leavened with a bit of humor, apparently. :smile: 

Arcadia,

In that case, I recommend New Tricks.  Have you seen it?   If it's possible to die laughing, then Mssrs. Armstrong, Waterman and Bolam will do you in and you will like it.

Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman) of the Met spearheads a public relations disaster for the force when she shoots a dog during a police raid while attempting to rescue a hostage.  This doesn't sound funny so far but stick with me.

In punishment (to be fair, the dog was charging her  . .) Sandra gets demoted to the basement of Scotland Yard (literally) as the CO of a new initiative, a cold case squad comprised of retired officers.

Sandra:  Retired detectives . . Does this mean they have their own teeth?

She consults with her former mentor,  DCS Jack Halford (James Bolam), who will be her right-hand man on this team.

Jack (sorting through photos of potential candidates):  Dead.  Dead. Dead. Dead . . well, nearly.  Alive, but don't leave him alone with your kids.  Dead.  Would be if I got my hands on him . . . Looks like you're going to have to advertise!

They collect Gerry (Dennis Waterman) and Brian (Alun Armstrong) and the hilarity begins.  I avoided this show for ages based on promo clips because I thought it was going to be unbearably slapstick and twee, like Benny Hill . . it's not.  There is a serious crime procedural running alongside the comedic team camaraderie stuff; it's deftly blended by great scripts and the most talented ensemble cast on television.  They all handle drama and comedy equally well.

Two shows with a similar aesthetic:  crime dramedy featuring a strong female squad leader over a team of sometimes bumbling men: Blue Murder (UK) and The Closer (TNT).

Vera, starring Brenda Blethyn, can be dark sometimes but there's humor to be had in this squad, too.

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14 hours ago, HerlockSholmes said:

Ive been a member here for around 4 months less than I’ve been a member of Casebook (the JTR site) and I’m approaching 9000 posts on there. This is because on Casebook various topics and arguments/debates can drag on forever whereas this Forum is more chilled and lacking in confrontation. This is a comfortable sitting room for discussion as opposed to a bear pit.🙂

Sounds like we're doing a good job, then.  Thank you!

14 hours ago, HerlockSholmes said:

I stumbled on a short Russian Holmes story on Amazon Prime but it was one of the worst things that I’ve ever seen. Holmes and Watson were both stocky bearded men with ponytails and the acting was so wooden that the script must have been written by a carpenter. I got the impression though that the actors were reading and speaking a language (English) that they didn’t understand

Sounds a bit like he Klingon-language "Hamlet" that I came across online!
 

14 hours ago, HerlockSholmes said:

To get my next promotion Carol could...

 

14 hours ago, HerlockSholmes said:

I...

 

14 hours ago, HerlockSholmes said:

do....

 

14 hours ago, HerlockSholmes said:

this? 😃


You could.  But we wouldn't love you.


 

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It’s nice to post somewhere where you don’t feel that you’ve spent an hour mud- wrestling a giant eel Whilst someone hits you with a baseball bat Carol.👍

I certainly won’t try my post-boosting tactic then.😃

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15 hours ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

Sounds a bit like he Klingon-language "Hamlet" that I came across online!

:wacko: Why would anyone.... oh never mind. 😵

😄 

18 hours ago, Hikari said:

Arcadia,

In that case, I recommend New Tricks.  Have you seen it?   If it's possible to die laughing, then Mssrs. Armstrong, Waterman and Bolam will do you in and you will like it.

Oh yes! Back when I had access to PBS, I quite enjoyed that one. I didn't see it from the beginning so I never understood why Pullman was with them, so thanks for that! Great cast. I'd watch it again if I could, although I don't think it would ever transport me to the level of adoration I felt for Sherlock. It's more of an ensemble piece, for one thing. But hey, nothing wrong with that!

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3 hours ago, Arcadia said:

It's more of an ensemble piece, for one thing. But hey, nothing wrong with that!

Nothing whatsoever!  I often wish that Gene Roddenberry (or perhaps more to the point, William Shatner) had realized that we fans saw the original Star Trek that way.  We had no quarrel with Kirk, Spock, and McCoy being the top three, and Scotty in fourth place, but we would have enjoyed seeing the other supporting roles fleshed out a bit more.  I don't think ensemble shows had caught on yet, but being the first never stopped Roddenberry from doing a bunch of other things.

Not sure what all that has to do with the Queen, though!

 

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On 4/20/2021 at 5:11 PM, Hikari said:

Stranger Things has been quite the rage here.  I have not seen it as it didn't seem to be my cuppa; paranormal stuff leaves me pretty cold, but fans like it for the sense of 1980s nostalgia.  I gather it's kind of like a Steven Spielberg/Stephen King mashup, so if you liked some of those 1980s films like ET and It, you might get into this show.  It stars Enola Holmes's Millie Bobby Brown, who was only 12 or 13 at the start.  

I'm trying to think of shows with a similar feeling to Sherlock or House.   You might enjoy Endeavour (aka 'Young Inspector Morse').  He is a cerebral detective and the 1960s production design is pretty fab.  Morse is the creation of Colin Dexter, who was an avid Sherlockian.  We've also talked about Zen, starring Rufus Sewell.  That was three films only . . I think there were plans for more but it turned out that filming in Roma got too expensive.  My impression from the books is that Zen is also an homage to Sherlock Holmes.  If you're willing to read anything else written by Michael Dibdin, those seem pretty good.

I really enjoyed the Marple series of films done by Geraldine McEwan, though those might be a tad cosy for you.  Miss McEwan (RIP) is my favorite Miss Marple.   Hercule Poirot leaves me a bit cold but he's definitely more Sherlock-like in his methods.  The major fun of these films is seeing all the major stars of British stage and screen popping up in supporting roles.

I enjoyed Ken Branagh's take on Wallander on the BBC, but, as beautiful as the locations in Ystad, Sweden are, those stories can get very grim.  The long-running Swedish television Wallander starring Krister Henricksson is closer to Henning Mankell's detective as written . .more brain work, less running around with guns.  This Wallander is a classical music buff with a fondness for alcohol and aloofness.  I think of him as the Scandinavian Morse.  So, rather Holmes-like.

 

I haven’t decided on whether to watch Stranger Things yet but I might give it a go when ive finished watching Jonathan Strange £ Mr Norrell which I love. I’ve been thinking of getting the dvd set of the tv series Gormenghast which has Christopher Lee in it. I loved Mervyn Peakes trilogy and I’m intending a re-read if I ever get round to it. I’m currently reading Three Men In A Boat which I haven’t read since I was a teenager. The copy I bought also has Jerome’s follow up novel too which I’ve never read. I’ve walked past Jerome’s house many times as it’s very close to where I live. Unoccupied at the moment I believe.

Ive seen Endeavour and I agree that it’s a quality series. I think that they intend one more series but I’m not certain? Vera is also very good as was Frost with David Jason. I definitely intend to look into Aurelio Zen but probably book first. I also recall seeing a couple of episodes of Montalbano a few years ago and always intended to see more but never got around to it. It looks like they’ve followed the example of Endeavour with a Young Montalbano series.

Ive never really gone for Marple apart from the Margaret Rutherford version. I know it wasn’t an accurate portrayal and the stories were a patchwork affair but I have a soft spot for Margaret Rutherford. I recently saw a documentary about her then read a biography.  I’ll have to give them more of a go. I do like Poirot, especially David Suchet’s. I’ve read all the short stories but only one novel, The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd which is a classic. I’ve got a Poirot novel written by another author somewhere but haven’t read it yet. The Monogram Murders I think it’s called.

Ive seen a couple of Wallenberg with Ken Branagh but not the other version. So many things that I ‘intend’ to look into further but haven’t managed to yet.

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1 hour ago, HerlockSholmes said:

Ive seen Endeavour and I agree that it’s a quality series. I think that they intend one more series but I’m not certain?

According to photos posted in the Inspector Morse World FB group I'm in, filming for Series 8 is currently underway in Oxford.  The set will be set in 1971.  Shaun looks very fetching in his mask between takes.  I have decided that the secret to looking good in a mask is good hair, and Shaun's hair is righteous.

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18 hours ago, Hikari said:

According to photos posted in the Inspector Morse World FB group I'm in, filming for Series 8 is currently underway in Oxford.  The set will be set in 1971.  Shaun looks very fetching in his mask between takes.  I have decided that the secret to looking good in a mask is good hair, and Shaun's hair is righteous.

Was I correct in saying that the next series will be the last? I know that this is true of one of my favourite series Doc Martin so I wasn’t sure if I was mistaken about endeavour.

I always suspected that we wouldn’t have seen the last of Lewis but that does seem to be the case especially will Lawrence Fox’s current political ambitions. I read something the other day that an 81 year old David Jason would consider playing Frost again with the right script.

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On 4/21/2021 at 3:55 PM, HerlockSholmes said:

I haven’t decided on whether to watch Stranger Things yet but I might give it a go when ive finished watching Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell which I love. 

I really enjoyed that book. How lengthy is the TV adaptation? That is something I'd be very much interested in seeing, especially if it doesn't require weeks of binging.....

I tried to get my book club to read it, not a single one of them finished it. :smile: Phooey on 'em.

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I only ever watched the first episode which I enjoyed, but have never got around to watching anymore...

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6 hours ago, Arcadia said:

I really enjoyed that book.

Apparently there's a series -- which one are you talking about?

Also, is the show based on the books or vice versa?

 

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Ah, I missed that bit!

I was thinking, "oh, is there a Stranger Things  book?!"

Well I know there is a strange/Norrell book, which I haven't read.

But the TV series was excellent.

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The book came first, @Carol the Dabbler ... can't say about the series (it's on my to-watch list, though) but I loved the book, too. Quite unique imo.

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10 hours ago, Arcadia said:

I really enjoyed that book. How lengthy is the TV adaptation? That is something I'd be very much interested in seeing, especially if it doesn't require weeks of binging.....

I tried to get my book club to read it, not a single one of them finished it. :smile: Phooey on 'em.

I haven’t watched it all yet Arcadia but there were 7 episodes first shown over here 6 years ago. They haven’t got around to a season 2 so it’s looking like there won’t be one.

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Sorry gang, I see where the confusion came from! It was the book "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" that I enjoyed, and the series that was based on it is what I was asking Herlock about. I don't know anything about "Stranger Things" except that it seems rather popular.

Herlock, since you were kind enough to answer my first question, here's another: :smile:  Do the 7 episodes cover the entire book? In other words, if they were to do new episodes, would they have to be based on new material, not the book?

I heard they were making a series out of it, I can't believe it's been six years ago already. Yeeesh, time doth ever fly..........

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1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

Sorry gang, I see where the confusion came from! It was the book "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" that I enjoyed, and the series that was based on it is what I was asking Herlock about. I don't know anything about "Stranger Things" except that it seems rather popular.

Herlock, since you were kind enough to answer my first question, here's another: :smile:  Do the 7 episodes cover the entire book? In other words, if they were to do new episodes, would they have to be based on new material, not the book?

I heard they were making a series out of it, I can't believe it's been six years ago already. Yeeesh, time doth ever fly..........

I’m pretty sure that the series covers the whole book Arcadia and so unless Susanna Clarke writes a sequel there’s going to be no series 2. The series was very well received overall. I really need to finish watching it. I think that I’ve seen 4 of 7.

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On 4/22/2021 at 11:15 AM, HerlockSholmes said:

Was I correct in saying that the next series will be the last? I know that this is true of one of my favourite series Doc Martin so I wasn’t sure if I was mistaken about endeavour.

I always suspected that we wouldn’t have seen the last of Lewis but that does seem to be the case especially will Lawrence Fox’s current political ambitions. I read something the other day that an 81 year old David Jason would consider playing Frost again with the right script.

Showrunner Russell Lewis has said that Series 8 will be the end of Endeavour but . . never say never!  In the world of the show, only six years have passed (1965 - 1971).  In reality it's been 10 years.  Roger Allam is incredibly in-demand as a stage actor, which is why there were only three episodes last time, not 4.  Roger was the lead in a play, so production had to either start late or finish early to accommodate him.  He sported a huge bushy beard in the play . . very unlike Fred Thursday.  I had rather hoped that they might make it to 1974 -'75, as these years were significant for Morse from the original series.  1974 was the murder of 8-year-old Mary Lapsley, the case which Morse has never really gotten over because he found the body. The case and his contentious relationship with 'Dawson' is covered in the 'Second Time Around' episode.  1975 was the year he finally made Detective Sergeant, according to what he tells someone in 'Absolute Conviction'.  I wondered if he wasn't pulling our legs there because someone of Morse's ability wouldn't languish at Det. Constable for a whole decade . . but maybe it was the Masons.

In 1971, our Robbie would be a 20-year-old police cadet up in Newcastle.  Poor sod doesn't know what's coming in his life!

"Lewis" is done and dusted, I'm afraid.  I'm still hopeful that the actors might be tempted back for a Christmas special.  I have an idea:  a Robbie - Laura wedding, with Hathaway as best man.  It is never explained what exactly Lewis and Hobson's status is.  Together, obviously but no peep about an actual marriage.  I always felt gypped on that score.  Neither Lewis nor Hobson is particularly religious but Robbie is the marrying type, not the 'shack up with my bird' type.  And I think Laura would want a tiny bit of wedding fuss after waiting so long to get married for the first time.  Maybe they'd even find a nice girl for H to settle down with.  They could call it a 'vow renewal', explaining that they just had a registry office 'do and never really told anyone but now that they are celebrating 7 years of togetherness, (yes, it's really been that long since Season 6) they decide to throw that big white party they never had.  Ma'am is the matron of honor and Haddix can be the bridesmaid.  So twee, you think . .but wait!  Of course there must be a dead body at the wedding.  Or a couple of them.

I would be perfectly fine to have a reboot of "Lewis" without Hathaway.  The genius of his character was that he was the perfect, snarky #2.  After he got promoted to Inspector, he completely lost his signature snarky spark.  Shades of Morse:  fell into police work and, despite real aptitude for it, hates it and always wants to be elsewhere.  Constantly whinges and threatens to quit, to go on pilgrimages in foreign countries.  Never does quit and just ends up getting promoted up the ladder until he's old, crabby and dies of a heart attack.  DS Haddix was a lovely person and had real potential.  Let Lewis mentor her instead.  They could even say that H has left the police force to run for Parliament, haha.  I don't foresee Lozza winning his bid for office but I wish him luck if he really wants to dive into that fray.  Apparently the Hollywood movie career went nowhere--probably because the niche of posh, super-tall, blond, slightly strange-looking English dude has been filled by Paul Bettany and we really can only have one of those at a time.  L. invoked a Victorian version of Hathaway in his portrayal of Lord Palmerston, P.M. and he was quite droll.

He had released a rock album and was touring and the music career looked pretty promising . .and then Covid hit.

I will watch his political aspirations with interest.

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I think Laurence's music career has partly suffered for the same reason as his acting career...

he is seen as toxic.

Forced into politics, as the work has dried up elsewhere...

yet his knockers don't want him to succeed there either.

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16 hours ago, Arcadia said:

It was the book "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" that I enjoyed....

Most of the one-star Amazon reviews are complaining about the binding and/or the illegible printing, rather than the story.  Which edition did you read?

I'm thinking better get it from the library first!

 

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On 4/24/2021 at 12:00 AM, Carol the Dabbler said:

Most of the one-star Amazon reviews are complaining about the binding and/or the illegible printing, rather than the story.  Which edition did you read?

I'm thinking better get it from the library first!

 

It was a paperback, one of the larger sizes, but I don't remember anything else about it. Most of my books are in storage right now or I'd take a look.

I don't remember having any issues with the binding, etc.

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37 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

It was a paperback, one of the larger sizes

You mean what they call a trade paperback, basically the insides of a smallish hardback edition (roughly 6x8") but with a paper cover?

 

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