To get annoyed by a badly written novel with serious factual mistakes

[PhaedraIsMyName]

Author thinks the witness to a crime can decide who the Crown calls as expert witness.

Expert witness is a therapist who was treating the witness to the crime. Expert witness is married to a lawyer. Expert witness has been discussing the background with lawyer husband. The person accused of the crime is the crime scene witness'father. Author thinks the lawyer husband can represent the accused and this is not a conflict.

Lawyer husband is actually employed in a government legal department and author thinks lawyer husband can, whilst still employed, act as a defence lawyer.

It's tosh. Did nobody bother to edit or proof read it?

Is it just me who bothers about stuff like this?

And do you notice how Kevin's English accent comes and goes in Prince of Thieves? He'll be sort of non-rhotic RP in one scene and then all California surfer dude in the next. What a hoot. Love him, though.

Oh, but that's allowed, ariadne!

What about Antonia Forest - she sets her Kingscote books in consequent terms at school, but I understand they go forward in time across about forty years?!

yes, and let's not forget perpetually angry Christian Slater, his illegitimate brother!

Scone I never noticed even an attempt at an English accent from Kevin Costner in Robin Hood !! It's one of the reasons why I like the film - that he doesn't even bother!

Scone:

Prince John: And why should the people listen to you?
Robin of Loxley: Because, unlike other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent.
-Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Loving this thread.

It's there. You have to listen for it, but it's there. In the "r" sounds. Fathah for father, etc.

At least they had Maid Marian riding astride. I think that is historically accurate.

I'm reading a David Baldacci book at the moment that is set in London and there is a conversation between 2 characters and they keep referring to blocks and sidewalks and other bloody Americanisms.
It's making me very annoyed!

I think so. The Wife of Bath does, anyway. I think a lot of women rode pillion.

With the accents ... I read a while back that, in Buffy (yes, yes, bringing the tone of the thread down, I know!), Anthony Stewart Head 'coached' James Marsters on his English accent.

All I can think is ASH should be shot!

FatalCabbage, I love that I know who you are just from your rant about the blueberry pancakes!

"Has a pathologist ever decided to get involved in police investigations, tracking witnesses down etc?"

Yes, Quincy did it all the time in the 70s/80s.

What do you mean it wasn't a documentary...?

bibliomania - the Irish turn of phrase "I'm after x" comes directly from the Irish language, it's something you hear a lot of here!

Can't remember who mentioned that godawful Gone With The Wind sequel but it was called Scarlett and the Irish section was howlingly bad. To my shame, I also watched the miniseries which was probably worse.

In the equally dreadful "P.S. I Love You" a character is seen roaming in the heart of the Wicklow countryside and then miraculously being able to walk to Dun Laoghaire. Ehhhh, no. And the author of that book is Irish herself and should know better!

Kate Morton - there are no words.

James Marsters' English accent got noticeably better over the course of the series, though. By the end it wasn't too painful at all. In contrast I had my own personal headcanon that part of Drusilla's madness was believing herself to be English even though she clearly wasn't, and I was rooting for the "English" Potential in the final series to get bumped off ASAP because she was just tooth-gratingly bad.

That's true, it did get much better.

But oh, yes, ouch, the English potential. So painful. Both of them, in fact, posh and 'cockney'.

(I will also say, as a massive geek, that Angel and Buffy regularly crack me up with their stock images of monsters from 'ancient texts' that usually look about eighteenth century. It it always possible I'm over-invested in this.)

Let;s face it, any time they left modern California it was tooth gratingly bad. They all but said 'Verrily verrily' when they went back in time.

YANBU. I once read a story set in the 12th century where the main character ate chocolate and used the word "romantic".

Chocolate?! Ok then.

(But 'romantic' is fine IMO. Sure, it means French, but ... ).

kick - oh, yes, so utterly awful. I think it didn't help most of the 'flashbacks' were heavily centred on Angel, and David B, bless him, had not them perfected the none-too-stellar acting skills he has.

Anne Perry's detective novels set in Victorian London irritate the heck out of me. I think she's another one who gets the system of tiitles wrong, and no one addresses each other the right way, and the sheer number of what would be serious social faux pas that pass without comment is incredible...

I lasted for a book and a half and then had to give them to my mother, who focuses on the plot and doesn't mind that stuff.

I assume that someone transcribed the original ancient texts in the eighteenth century.

eagle, I'm Irish myself and say I'm after doing x all the time - it's why I was so confused when that author misused it.

LRD I will hear not a word against Anthony Stewart Head! "Bleak Expectations" brightened up many a work Monday, in its' time.

I read a book where a rich and dull (obviously!) husband was an accountant in a large practice and busy doing VAT returns at the end of the month. In no accountancy practice I've ever worked for or heard of would you become rich by doing VAT returns. VAT returns are what the office juniors are tasked with.

Oops biblio I misread your post!!! Read it too quickly

archery - ahhh, he is a nice-looking man, I will admit.

Just no voice coach!

tort - ahh, that would be it! Reminds me of the Eddie Izzard sketch about history in the US (which is extremely rude, so I apologize to Americans on the thread '... and there are houses, kept exactly as they were sixty years ago!'