h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I just got a notification that one of the books I proofed a year ago is now available for downloading at Gutenberg:

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36892

I just checked my emails, and it was the very first project I worked on back then.

Well done!

I almost asked what book it is, until it occurred to me that it is readily available for downloading behind that link

It's been so long I don't recall what it was about.

Sounds exciting, that novel. (I think Elektra's been reading it, she says it's a 'potboiler'. )

Wow spy novle with people wearing disguises and trying to take down the British Empire circa 1901. It is rather intriguing and makes as little sense as James Bond movies but hay it is vintage and the arrch spy is a WOMAN -- that alone is pretty cool.

It rings a distant bell, thanks, Elektra. I never read the whole book, just a few pages of it. I may download it once I've finished all the Sherlock Holmes stories.

How exciting! Congrats, Bel!

I'd taken proofreading training, but I couldn't find any work doing it. At least none that would pay the bills. It's hard work, too- do you proof in both German and English?

Yes, and sometimes in French, too. It's not really comparable to proofreading as we do here. You don't correct the spelling, for one thing (many words had a different spelling from now a century ago). You compare the original with the scan and correct the scanning errors.

Ah, I see!

But even still.. in three languages! Impressive.

The French have some very interesting ones, Like ' The History of Prostitution', 'The Letters of Mme de Sévigné' ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_de_Rabutin-Chantal,_marquise_de_S%C3%A9vign%C3%A9 )or 'The Women in the 18th Century), 'The Menagier of Paris ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_M%C3%A9nagier_de_Paris ) and so on. The German ones are often children's books, but it is totally fascinating to read them, as you see all the clichés which were then realities.
A current one I'm proofreading is about the Hanse. Fascinating stuff, the last part I read was about the Schaffer meal as described here: A722503

If you can spare some time, I'd really recommend you sign up with DP. There si such a wealth of books, it is amazing.