I stopped reading a book this weekend after about 40 pages because one character—a lawyer in 1860s New York—said to an 11-year-old child who works to support his sick mother—ALSO in 1860s New York, presumably—”Remember, be discreet.”

The kid nodded.

And I closed the book. Maybe kids who didn’t go to school in 1860s were smarter than kids today? Who do go to school? Maybe words like discreet were in better use then? Maybe the kid was just pretending to understand, although he really did seem to?

Or maybe someone editing the book said, “Oh, no one will notice”?

Or maybe no one read that book with the right amount of attention?

Or maybe I’m a picky book-reading b!tch?

Discuss.