To a perfectionist like me, one of the most lamentable aspects of modern life is the habit practiced by some young people of writing a word that sounds right to them, rather than the word which is correct. A notable example of this -- and one which I find most displeasing -- is writing 'of' instead of 'have', as in he should of taken the train. That being the case, you might accurately imagine my sense of horror when I discovered just such an error in the Shirley Jackson novel I'm currently re-reading (We Have Always Lived in the Castle.)
I cannot imagine for one second that Shirley Jackson, given her age, her circumstances, and her undoubted acumen in the matter of language, would have made such a glaring error. And even if she did, I'm sure her editor would have corrected it long before it went to print. So how on earth did it get there?
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