Novels. An “Abstract” of each novel provides the reader with some idea of its content but without giving the plot away. As it was found to be extremely time consuming, even with research assistants, to read through every novel in order to provide an abstract, we resorted to quoting excerpts from the description found on the back cover, if it’s a paperback (which most of the novels tend to be). It is not uncommon for authors to write it themselves and the description is thus usually reliable. In any case, that which is judged to be merely publisher’s “blurb” would be edited out. An “Abstract” may also consist of an excerpt from the websites of the novel’s publisher, booksellers like the local specialist book shop Select Books or Amazon, or from a book review and so on, if these were found to be reasonably informative, or more conveniently accessible than the book. When no acknowledged source is provided, the “Abstract” can be assumed to have either originated from the compiler or a research assistant who has read the novel. For lack of time and resources (each book having to be physically checked for its contents to be abstracted, and an alternative source found if the information on the back cover is inadequate or the book is unavailable) not every novel is provided, at the moment, with an abstract, but most are. As soon as possible, all such gaps will be filled in time as additions to a digitized bibliography, unlike to a print bibliography, can be made continually anytime, over time. Even current “Abstracts” can be further refined.
