Infernal is a gr8 read but be advised that out of 351 pages the text starts on page 11 and at least 24 pages(got tired of counting) which are included in the page count are blank or may have only one word on the page. Should have just written a little more. Still a great book!
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Infernal is a gr8 read but be advised that out of 351 pages the text starts on page 11 and at least 24 pages(got tired of counting) which are included in the page count are blank or may have only one word on the page. Should have just written a little more. Still a great book!

Huh???????

Huh???????

Check it out...........................

Are you saying there are 24 pages left blank by accident, or what? Most of us haven't seen the regular hardcover edition yet.

Lisa

Are you saying there are 24 pages left blank by accident, or what? Most of us haven't seen the regular hardcover edition yet.

Lisa

There are quite a few blank pages in the Gauntlet publication. The page before each new chapter/day is blank. I didn't count them myself.

There are quite a few blank pages in the Gauntlet publication. The page before each new chapter/day is blank. I didn't count them myself.

No not by accident because there is no mising text just blank pages between chapters to up the page total. Text starts on page 11, for example page 35 ends at the page bottom, chapter 11 is half a page chapter 12 is one paragraph, then three blank pages and here we are at page 41. This happens all through the book with the end result at about 320 printed pages. The last page in the book is #351. Loved the book but several blank pages put in to up the page count. Pissed me off and it was very noticable. The book was short enough anyway without counting all the blank pages between several chapters.

Loved the book but several blank pages put in to up the page count. Pissed me off and it was very noticable.

I don't see your point. You think you would have saved a buck if there'd been fewer leaves?

Maybe you'd be less pissed if you knew something about bookbinding.

I don't know a helluva lot myself, but I'll share what little I do.

A book is constructed of folds called signatures. A signature is a large sheet of paper printed back and front with multiple pages in various orientations so that when it is folded in half X number of times, all the leaves wind up right side up and in proper order. Common in book binding these days is the octavo which is folded in half 3 times to yield 8 leaves (which when numbered yield 16 pages).

Infernal has 22 octavo signatures. Multiply that by 16 and you've got 352.

Now, it's a rare manuscript that typesets out to a number of pages perfectly divisible by 16. This leaves publishers 2 options.

The 1st: simply leave a bunch of blank pages at the end.

2nd: arrange type size and layout to make the pages fill out the last signature to the end. This can involve compression or expansion. Expansion commonly involves "killing" a page (leaving it blank) before the start of a new chapter; sometimes margins are fudged. Publishers much prefer contraction to expansion because fewer signatures mean lower unit cost. But hardcover buyers don't like small type, so publishers are often left with expansion.

The publisher expanded Infernal so that the last printed page would be #351 out of a possible 352.

Numbering is traditionally started on the first leaf after the front endpaper, which is why the body text of most books starts on page 11 or 13.

You weren't gypped, you were simply spared a pile of blank pages at the end.

If anyone knows more (like Rakosh, I'm sure), please chime in.

Actually, that's a pretty good explanation...and it's about the extent of my knowledge on the subject, too.

Anyway, there doesn't seem to be any more "blank pages" than necessary in the Tor edition. It's just a comfortable layout that uses the the white space at the section breaks as a pause before heading into the next section. At 351 pages, Infernal's not that short...I think some people might be confusing physical size with it being a quick read. (All imho, by the way).

Interesting explanation, Paul, of a topic about which I know nothing. So thanks; I always like to learn, especially about books and what it takes to make one or write one.

Interesting explanation, Paul, of a topic about which I know nothing. So thanks; I always like to learn, especially about books and what it takes to make one or write one.

No kidding! That was all news to me. I've noticed that some books have more blank pages than others (Patterson novels have a lot), but I didn't know there was a system to things. It's never really bothered me, but it's nice to know there is a reason for that and the screwy margins I sometiems see. Ya never know what you're going to learn here!