I downloaded a certain epub from Anna’s archive but as i have never read it before and i don’t know if it is a bad/incomplete copy or the real thing . I don’t think I’m allowed to say which book it is but do feel free to correct me and i’ll edit it in . So how do you solve this issue ? Like if it was a movie or tv episode i can check the length and can tell if it was cut . Do i have to download multiple copies ? even then how would i compare ? Anna’s archive is showing me so many results on the same book . If anyone wanna help me out by sending me the links to a copy they are sure is full/real thing as they have read it before do feel free to dm or reach out on this thread if that’s not against the rule .

Just to let everyone know which book i’m talkin about i’ll drop a hint - It has a show in which a pretty beloved celebrity starred who is also a huge fan of the series and quit due to showrunners incompetence . It also has a pretty succesful game series and the book i’m trying to read is the first one of the series which consists of many shorts stories if i’m not mistaken . If this is also against the rules do let me know and i’ll remove it .

Edit : typos and maybe wrong sub or c or whatever and maybe might have broken a few rules even tho i have tried hard to not breake any .

  • prodigalsorcerer@lemmy.caEnglish
    12·
    3 months ago

    Ultimately, if you don’t have a legal copy to compare it to, this is just a risk you take when pirating.

    Some sources are more trustworthy than others. There probably aren’t that many fake ebooks out there, but it’s always possible I guess.

  • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
    131·
    3 months ago

    Compare it with a known good copy.

    But keep in mind that books often have multiple printings with various changes in each run, so even buying multiple official ones might not be the same.

    • misc@lemmy.sdf.orgOPEnglish
      3·
      3 months ago

      Soo how/where do i get a good known copy and how can i comparedo i have to read both of em ? I don’t think page number checking of epub is accurate .

      • revelrous@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        1·
        3 months ago

        got an isbn for it? Should be on the copyright page.

        Edit: 10 or 13 digit number that (should) be unique to that publication. Paste it into your search engine of choice and you be able to find either a commercial or catalog entry for it which would give you some cataloging info for it such as file size or pagination to compare. Also I think that series is pretty popular and would be available as an ebook from you local library (if you are US) getting the card is really easy. Would recommend libraries 10/10. Libby charges libraries too much to use, but it’s totally free for the patron and super convenient to use.

  • Elieas@lemmy.mlEnglish
    4·
    3 months ago

    You can’t know but I really don’t think this is a problem like you think it is. I can’t think of what the benefit of doing this is. That said, yes an additional copy from an independent source would help. I like to listen to the audiobook while reading the text so it hits two senses. You could try that. Also, you can download from sources where people can and do give feedback.

  • ColdWater@lemmy.caEnglish
    3·
    2 months ago

    Download multiple copies from multiple sources and compare them to see if it the same

    • misc@lemmy.sdf.orgOPEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      Yes but page number comparison doesn’t work well with epub’s does it ? Is there any other way to compare ?

      • CrabAndBroom@lemmy.mlEnglish
        4·
        2 months ago

        I haven’t tested this but Calibre has a plugin that will give you the word count of an epub, so I’d assume if you got a few copies and the word counts were pretty much the same it should be a fairly safe bet. There might be some variation for dedications, forewords etc. though depending on the version.

      • ColdWater@lemmy.caEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        If the book have volumes and chapters you can compare that if not take a peak at the very end of the book and see if it end with the same word (less accurate and might accidentally spoil yourself)

    • misc@lemmy.sdf.orgOPEnglish
      82·
      2 months ago

      This is a goddamn piracy community what do you think it is for if not asking questions about piracy ?

  • Dendr0@fedia.io
    1·
    2 months ago

    Multiple copies from multiple sources, strip down to just text, run a comparison. Won’t tell you if you have a “perfect” copy, only whether or not what you have matches what is published. Remember that even when purchasing, books often have typos and minor errors.