In All 'Series-ness'

Over the years the FS have published a number of Author's 'Works', including;

Austen, The Brontes, Conrad, Hardy, Gaskell, O'Brian and the incredible 47 volume Trollope.

They have also published Dickens in two different versions and Shakespeare so many times I have lost count.

They have 'dabbled' in some Authors works, publishing books sporadically and leaving us with only a few volumes. This includes R.L. Stevenson, Walter Scott, George Eliot, H.G Wells, Jules Verne.

Apart from authors series we have had the 'themed' series such as;

English Poets, The Lang Fairy Books, Myths & Legends, Victorian Epics.

Themed, but not as a series, could include Medieval History and Russian Authors.

The brilliant O'Brian and the wonderful Lang Fairy Books are 'well on their way', the others are either completed or we haven't seen a new volume in a long time.

What series should the FS publish next. Should they pick up where they left off on something like the Victorian Epics? Should they 'get serious' about a uniform edition of Walter Scott. What about yet more Shakespeare!! A themed Science Fiction series, perhaps? An unpublished (by the FS) Author's complete works?

I would like to see some more classic post 60's fiction - something like the Booker series the FS did so well.

Good candidates for inclusion would be more Iris Murdoch (at least half a dozen of her novels are classics in their own right and could be published in a series).

I would be happy to see novels such as Malcolm Bradbury's The History Man, Money by Martin Amis, Robert Callaso's Cadmus and Harmony, some Calvino and Julian Barnes (the wonderful Arthur and George or a History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters).

At the same time I would not want FS to neglect the classic authors they do so well - bring on more Dickens, Shakespeare, Austen and Trollope.

I would also love to see an LE Gibbon with the footnotes intact.

And I forgot to say - the Flashman novels must be Folioised without delay.

I sincerely hope that all Flashman fans forgive me: can't grasp just what is so great about this character or his 'exploits.'

> 4

They are great period pieces. You learn a lot about British Imperial history in a very humorous context. Also, Flashman is an obnoxious anti-hero. This is what makes the novels so subversive (debunking the glories of Empire) and such fun at the same time.

QS, our tastes are very much aligned - I too would love an unabridged Gibbon LE, some Amis (Martin), and more Murdoch (one of the few female authors I can appreciate). Never read any Flashman, but have heard good things, am curious.

> 6

You obviously have good taste and sound literary judgment, leonb !!

As celtic's original post shows, most of the classic authors are fairly well represented in the Folio list, though not necessarily by their complete works or by uniformly-bound series.

I'd support Quicksilver's suggestion of a Flashman series. Obviously it won't appeal to everyone (but then neither does Trollope or Hardy or even Dickens), but the idea has been put forward often enough in various threads to suggest that there would be no shortage of buyers. How would one illustrate the books, I wonder? Would there be a more or less standard format of what one devotee called the “Boy's Own Paper” style, which figures on the covers of the Victorian explorers' works? Or, since the novels are supposed to be extracts from a personal diary, what about some actual period illustrations like the artists' impressions that used to appear in the newspapers and magazines in the age before photography? Or maybe some reproductions of Victorian battle paintings and caricatures of London life? If we acquired the books as they were published, would we want something on the lines of the Barrie & Jenkins dustjackets?

I'd also like to see a good selection of Anthony Burgess's works in Folio editions. Maybe his complete works won't be a starter, but sets of the Enderby tetralogy and the Malayan trilogy would be very welcome to me.

>8 TabbyTom:

Re Burgess, certainly A Clockwork Orange (the UK edition).

I have often thought about how my ideal FS Flashman series should be illustrated, Tabby Tom.

I also had the idea of a "Boys Own Paper" style cover by David Eccles. For the internal illustrations I thought Francis Mosley who did such a superb job illustrating the Siege of Krishnapur. I like your idea of period illustrations as well. Some maps would also be useful - but done in a period style and not too scholarly. This is fiction after all.

I second your suggestion of Anthony Burgess. In addition to the works mentioned by you and leon I would also add A Dead Man in Deptford.

>8 TabbyTom: & 10

One thing is for sure - the right illustrator would have a 'field day' with the Flashman books.

>9 leonb:

'A Clockwork Orange' - has any publisher ever attempted a 'fine edition' of this ? You could have as much fun with the typography as with the illustrations.

I'd definitely buy a Clockwork Orange.

I've sort of outgrown them now a little but I'm surprised no one has ever done Discworld in a fine binding, I guess perhaps it has the wrong target audience but I feel it'd sell a lot better than some of the fantasy and sci fi that Easton Press publish and wouild be great for illustrating.

I'd quite liek to see a Nobel Laureates series to go with the Booker ones. I know some of them are already published by FS (Marquez, Hemingway) but there are a lot more on the list that deserve the treatment. Speaking of the Booker series I wish they'd done Life of Pi.

I wonderif Folio will publish any more from the Oz universe after Wizard of Oz?

I'd like to see a Folio edition of Alan Garner's classic children's fantasies: The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Moon of Gomrath. Whenever I see mentions of Alderley Edge as a home for rich Manchester footballers I always think of those books.

I'd also be interested in a series of Victorian and Edwardian ghost stories: In a Glass, Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu, and the collected ghost stories of Mrs Gaskell, Edith Wharton and others.

I'd like to see what kind of illustrations they would come up with for Mary Renault's historical novels set in ancient Greece.

In non-fiction, one area I think the Society has done very little with is music, apart from fairly straightforward lives of composers. I'd be interested to see what they could come up with there - George Bernard Shaw's The Perfect Wagnerite, perhaps?

What about some Margaret Atwood? I'd love a nice copy of 'The Handmaid's Tale', it would satisfy demand for modern classics and sci fi.

If we're talking historical fiction I'd quite like to see some of the Cadfael series. It's been around for a long time and they're a bit of an institution in the UK (I'm not sure how well known they are in the rest of the world) and because they are quite short they could be compiled into less volumes or form a box set.

As ever I'm always going to push for a Walter Scott set!

I have to say I hope the FS doesn't "serialise" any of the authors they've already done in a series format--Dickens, Shakespeare, etc. Except for Shakespeare, Dickens and Trollope, I don't even like matched sets of an author's works, but prefer to have each work have its own appropriate design. A matched set would work for the Flashman books because those are a series, but although I have no objection to FS doing Flashman, I wouldn't buy them now (though I would have in my 20s.

When you were listing the "Complete (or nearly Complete) Authors" celtic, you left out Graham Greene who has had two splendid sets as well as at least one other novel in a matching design. Perhaps there is another Greene or two left to be published. Likewise, one of the best representations of an author in the Folio output are the works of Evelyn Waugh--a brilliant set of his early works, Scoop, Black Mischief, etc., a fine Sword of Honor trilogy, Brideshead Revisited in a unique and most apropos design, and also one of my alltime favorites--not just among the Folio books but of all my books, The Loved One inimitably and surpassingly illustrated by the late Beryl Cook. FS has turned a deaf ear to my requests for over ten years to finish up Waugh with an edition of The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold, but I would forgive them if they listened to my requests for the rest of Barbara Pym to follow up the aptly-titled Excellent Women. Though he's not to everyone's taste, I also think a nice set of Ronald Firbank would have a coterie of admirers and could give the right illustrator the chance of a lifetime.

The Cadfael series would be great. I love those novels.

A series on Vonnegut, another on DeLillo and the Dos Passos USA trilogy would suit me very fine indeed. Of course, theatrical works by Bernard Shaw, more classics in English and, certainly, A Clockwork Orange would be great. Thanks, QS, for your explanation but I guess that Flashman's "manner of speech" is beyond my comprehension.

>15 Django6924:

The Grahame Green sets are very nice and the Evelyn Waugh also. I also didn't mention the 'Wodehouse' books which, although P.G Wodehouse isn't one of my favourites, I can appreciate what a fantastic job the FS have done with the design of his books.

I agree with your high opinion of the Waugh/Beryl Cook 'The Loved One'. I have been keeping an eye out for copy of that for a long time, but it is one of those FS books that has very high prices for copies in fine condition (and it's a mystery why they haven't published '..Gilbert Pinfold').

I know what you mean about an individual design for each book. It is one of the great strengths of the FS (as it was for the LEC and Heritage) and I hope to see a many more successful and creative designs from them.

There is also room for series where a unified style is appropriate (as you mention with the 'Flashman books).

Well, if they ever publish Flashman, I'd expect anything goes, so... Why not Armistead Maupin's light and summery Tales of the city? The city in question being San Francisco.

Mysteries: Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin series set in pre-revolutionary Russia would lend itself to some VERY colourful illustration. It is also considerably better than the average genre book--practically the real thing. Same is true for his other detective, the nun Pelagia (e.g. Sister Pelagia and the Black Monk).

I'd love a Rex Stout series.

I wouldn't generally vote for author's complete works sets, but I'd take all and any Ivy Compton-Burnett FS decided to publish... same goes for Firbank, Baron Corvo, Arthur Machen, Jocelyn Brooke...

Children's: there's much more excellent Kästner than just Emil and the detectives. Astrid Lindgren, Gianni Rodari--ha!--looking for English translations of the latter`s works, I found this description of Cipollino on Wikipedia:

Cipollino, or Little Onion, fights the unjust treatment of his fellow vegetable townfolk by the fruit royalty (Prince Lemon and the overly proud Tomato) in the garden kingdom.

Suddenly I'm ten again!

I think it's time for a new edition of L. P. Hartley's The Go-Between (last published by FS in 1985), which could be accompanied by several others of his novels, especially The Eustace and Hilda trilogy.

Another of my favourites is Hugh Walpole's "Herries Chronicle", set mainly in the English Lake District. The original four novels, Rogue Herries, Judith Paris, The Fortress and Vanessa, would make a splendid set. Like the Forsyte Saga, but more romantic, they tell the story of a family's fortunes over several generations, this time from the eighteenth century to the early twentieth, largely, but not exclusively, among the wild hills and lakes of Cumberland.

Finally, I'll mention C. S. Lewis's "Ransom Trilogy" (again): Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength, all books that can be enjoyed on more than one level. I've just received Easton Press's editions, which, while being well-made and well-printed, lack Lewis's own prefaces and have no illustrations whatsoever.

Finally, finally, can I put in a plea for the "supernatural thrillers" of Charles Williams: War in Heaven, Many Dimensions, The Place of the Lion, Shadows of Ecstasy, The Greater Trumps, Descent into Hell and All Hallows' Eve? Williams was a senior editor at Oxford University Press, a thinker, poet and fellow Inkling with C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien et al. His novels are about modern (1930s) people caught up in forces beyond their control, combining metaphysical and neo-Platonist themes in exciting, fast-moving stories.

Illustrators could have a field-day with any of my recommendations.

>14 Witchylady333:
I too would love to see Margaret Atwood amongst the FS shelves. Bloomsbury have published rather handsome editions of 7 of her titles to mark her 70th birthday, but I'm disappointed that they decided to have the books spell out "ATWOOD" along the spines when lined up together. I'm generally not a fan of pictures spilling across multiple spines and for some reason I like it even less with lettering. However, Oryx and Crake is thankfully immune from the lettering while keeping the attractive cover, and The Year of the Flood is available in a separate (but similarly styled) signed edition.

I would also make a vote for more Kazuo Ishiguro. I'd love to see all of his books given the Remains of the Day treatment - particularly The Unconsoled, which is one of my very favourite novels of all time. And it's practically criminal to deny the FS treatment to Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum. More Gabriel Marcia Marquez wouldn't go amiss. I'd like to see all of these authors' complete works in FS bindings (not all at once, of course!), just to mix things up.

In non-fiction, I'd be ecstatic to see a series made out of books like A Social History of Opera but with huge, luxurious images of original set designs and the like. Or even something like The Rest is Noise - there aren't very many images in the hard copy I've got, but I bet a designer with an imagination could make that a magnificent beauty. It could be a sort of 'Great Music' series with books on different periods/styles/media - not an encyclopedia or dictionary written by a single author, but a series of the best new books on music by different specialists, all with great covers and illustrations.

There are three authors that immediately stand out as being underdone by FS:

1. Virginia Woolf.
Between the Acts was done back in 1974, To The Lighthouse in 1988, nice enough, but not overwhelming. A Room of One's Own came out in 2000, but I haven't seen a copy. But, still, not exactly going a bundle on one of the outstanding greats of the twentienty century. No Mrs Dalloway? Shame on you FS, even though I love some of her others just as much or more! (And, as said on another thread, I'd love to see it published alongside Michael Cunningham's The Hours)

2. Emile Zola.
Again, just three editions of one of the greatest French writers of all time. Germinal was super, and it would be good to see it followed up with more - maybe even the whole cycle??

3. Honore de Balzac.
A bit better represented, a 'generous' 4 volumes over the years - not much considering this man wrote La Comedie Humaine.

On a different tack, I'd love to see a series of Claire Tomalin's biographies - she's one of the best biographers around, and covers some fascinating people.

>22 Willoyd:

I've read Claire Tomalin's Hardy biography but not any of the others. Which is your favourite?

>12 LipstickAndAviators: & 17 - EP made a nice copy of A Clockwork Orange illustrated by Ron Miller in their Great Books of the 20th Century series.

>22 Willoyd:

I absolutely agree with your choice of Claire Tomalin. Her biographies are not only impeccably researched and perceptive, but they are extremely well written and literary in their own right. Having read her book on Dickens and Ellen Ternan The Invisible Woman, closely followed by another (equally well-researched) book on Dickens by an academic, the contrast was telling.

Another modern novelist whose works could make an attractive Folio series is Peter Ackroyd. His often spooky London settings should be able to inspire some exciting illustrations.

Stephen Potter's Gamesmanship series (Gamesmanship, Lifemanship, One-upmanship and Supermanship) might be a deserving addition to Folio's humour catalogue.

A rather light-hearted set of books I'd love to see get the Folio treatment are John Sutherland's literary puzzles essays: Who betrays Elizabeth Bennet, Can Jane Eyre be Happy?, Is Heathcliff a Murderer?, Where was Rebecca shot? Illustrating them would be an interesting challenge, since the essays discuss a whole range of classics.

>21 SpoonFed: Oh why did you have to show me those limited editions of Atwood? My bank balance simply cannot stand such abuse...

I second the demand for more Marquez, I'd love to see a nice editions of 'Love in the time of Cholera' and 'Of Love and other Demons'.

I'd really like to see a full set of the novels and short stories of D.H. Lawrence. This could possibly also be complemented by a selection of his poetry. I suppose it depends how far FS is prepared to go - but it is now over 60 years since the Lady Chatterley obscenity trial!

Another possibility would be the House of Cards trilogy by Michael Dobbs - this may be a bit too British though to attract the normal FS audience.

I'd like the collected works of David Hume and perhaps some Tacitus too.

>23 SpoonFed:
I've not yet read the Hardy biog, although I have heard many good things about it, and it's on my shelves ready to start. My favourite, of what I've read, is a toss-up between the Jane Austen and Samuel Pepys books. But then there's Mrs Jordan's Profession...... OK, I'll say the Sam Pepys by a whisker.

>26 TabbyTom:
I completely agree about Peter Ackroyd - one of my favourite authors. Another whose non-fiction, including some excellent biographies (especially Dickens, of which only the abridged version is in print), would also be worth publishing.

Only one Somerset Maugham book has been published by Folio (I think - Cakes and Ale), so I would love to see more.

They've also done two volumes of his short stories - but I wouldn't mind seeing more

>30 smk001:

I second the Hume suggestion.

I would love to have the complete set of "the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" ( you cant just give the folio treatment to one and not the rest its just not right), maybe Steven Donaldson's "The Chronicles of Thomas Convant", another deserving folio treatment should be "Earths Children series, eg; The Clan of the Cave Bear" by Jean M Auel. So many brilliant scfi/fantasy authors and not enough folio to go around. Raymond E Fiest should definately be given a go, David Eddings, Anne McCaffrey, Barbara Hambley. I think The Harry Potter Series should also get the folio treatment (I know its had a taste, but I would like to have the option of purchasing it before it disapears to amazon). My list gos on and on, so Ill stop now and take a breath. ;)

> 22

Willoyd: A Room of One's Own is a collection of Virginia Woolf's essays, which, besides the titled one, includes:

The Genius of Boswell; Modern Fiction; The Eccentrics; Reading; On Re-reading Novels; How It Strikes a Commentary; The Patron and the Crocus; Thunder at Wembley; Miss Ormerod; On Not Knowing Greek; On Being Ill; The Cinema; How Should One Read a Book; The Narrow Bridge of Art; Street Haunting: A London Adventure; The Sun and the Fish; Geraldine and Jane; Phases of Fiction; Dr Burney’s Evening Party; Mary Wollstonecraft; William Hazlitt; Professions for Women; Leslie Stephen; Walter Sickert; Royalty; The Artist and Politics; The Art of Biography; Reviewing; Madame de Sévigne; The Man at the Gate; Thoughts on Peace in an Air Raid; The Leaning Tower

The book is very nicely illustrated with 13 reproductions of oil paintings all related to the author's entourage such as Strachey and Forster. Many of the paintings were done by Vanessa Bell.

I bought the FS edition second-hand, and agree with you that Mrs. Dalloway is an absolute must.

Eclectic hardly describes Folio Society devotees!

Here's a list of what has been mentioned on this thread, so far:

* Post 60's Fiction (Martin Amis, Julian Barnes, Malcolm Bradbury, Robert Calcaso, Calvino, Iris Murdoch)

* Edward Gibbon LE of 'The History of the decline and.....' (with footnotes intact).

* George MacDonald Fraser, The 'Flashman' novels.

* Anthony Burgess - particulary 'A Clockwork Orange'.

* Terry Pratchett, The 'Discworld' novels.

* Nobel Laureates.

* L.Frank Baum, the 'OZ' books.

* Alan Garner, Children's Fantasies.

* Victorian & Edwardian ghost stories.

* Mary Renault, Historical novels.

* Music.

* Margaret Atwood.

* Walter Scott.

* Kurt Vonnegut.

* Don DeLillo.

* George Bernard Shaw.

* More Evelyn Waugh, particularly 'The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold'.

* More Barbara Pym.

* Ronald Firbank.

* Boris Akunin, the 'Fandorin' books - mentioned twice nad the 'Pelagia' books.

* Rex stout

* Ivy Compton-Burnett.

* Baron Corvo.

* Arthur Machen.

* Jocelyn Brooke.

* Childrens books, to include; Kastner, Astrid Lindgren and Gianni Rodari.

* L.P. Hartley.

* Hugh Walpole - the 'Herries Chronicle'.

* C.S. Lewis, the 'Ransom' trilogy.

* Charles Williams, 'Supernatural Thrillers'.

* Kazuo Ishiguro

* Umberto Eco.

* Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

* More Virginia woolf - 'Mrs Dalloway' mentioned three times.

* Emile Zola.

* Honore de Balzac.

* Claire Tomalin, 'Biographies'.

* Peter Ackroyd.

* Stephen Potter, 'Gamesmanship' series.

* John Sutherland, 'Literary Puzzle' essays.

* Michael Dobbs, 'House of Cards' trilogy.

* David Hume.

* Tacitus.

* Somerset Maugham.

* Douglas Adams, the 'Hitchiker' books.

* Steven Donaldson, the 'Chronicles' books.

* Jean M. Auel

* Raymond Fiest.

* David Eddings.

* Anne McCaffrey.

* Barbera Hambley.

* J. K. Rowling, can't remember what she has written :-)

* John Dos Passos, 'USA' trilogy.

* D.H. Lawrence.

* Ellis Peters, the 'Cadfael' books.

* C.S. Forester, the 'Hornblower' books.

* Laura Ingalls Wilder, the 'Little House on the Prairie' books.

* Arturo Perez-Reverte, novels and the 'Alatriste' books.

* William Faulkner.

* Fyodor Dosto(y)evsky - 3 mentions for the 'Pevear & Volokhonsky' translations and one for the 'MacAndrew'.

* Alison Weir, the 'Tudor' books.

* J.M. Coetzee.

* Rose Tremain.

* William Makepeace Thackeray.

* Biographies - Authors to include, Simon Schama, Golo Mann and Ian Kershaw.

* 'Letterpress' series - priced at around £100 with illustration 'from the block'.

* Angela Carter.

* Edith Wharton.

* Science Fiction

* Patricia Highsmith, the 'Tom Ripley' books.

* J. K. Rowling, can't remember what she has written

Something about a hirsute lad who busied himself in a desultory though not disagreeable manner, I think. A hairy potterer.

> 37

Sorry, celtic, you missed John Dos Passos...

>39 drasvola:

Should put my glasses on Drasvola! Have edited, cheers.

>37 celtic:

Celtic - what a lovely job you've done, listing them all in one post. And you're right - what a mixed bunch we are!

(PS - you missed out D.H. Lawrence)

> 40

Thanks and your extra effort is appreciated, celtic. It's very useful to have a listing that shows the wide variety of tastes. Hopefully, someone in FS will take heed.

>41 RMMee:/42

Cheers! D.H Lawrence added.

Celtic

Many thanks! The list gets longer!!!!!

> 36
Thanks drasvola - I must see if I can get hold of a copy* - that's an attractive sounding collection. Don't know how I missed it.

*Edit: just have!

You've not included the Cadfael series either, though your list is so impressive I feel very petty mentioning it!

>46 Witchylady333:

Thought I had - will do it now - sorry!

How about adding the Horatio Hornblower series by C. S. Forester? I remember in one of the Society email surveys a couple of years ago one of the options was a 3 volume set of Hornblower. I would actually welcome the whole 11 book series. It would be the ideal complement or follow up to the ongoing Aubrey/Maturin series.

I've said it many times before and I'm throwin' it out there again: Little House on the Prairie. Would buy the whole set in a New York Minute.

>48 penitent: Include me in!

>49 beatlemoon: Double ditto! I'm starting a new one next week!

48,49,50

Added!

I third Claire Tomalin's Biographies. The one she wrote about me is just perfect.

And I second Somerset Maugham's collected works.

>52 Pepys: How modest !

>54 N11284: ;-)

A-hem Hornblower, F-F-F-Fandorin, Pelagia(amazing climax to the series in The Red Cockerel), Ransom(I am the Pendragon)-bring 'em on, all with large amounts of great illustrations!

Early last year when we spoke of The Club Dumas, I began to read the novels of Arturo Perez-Reverte. If Folio chose to publish a set or series with all or some ofThe Flanders Panel, The Seville Communion, The Fencing Master, The Queen of the South and Dumas I'd be pleased.

A really fine series of historical stories I've read this year are theCaptain Alatriste novels. They tell the story, in short bursts, of a warrior, a man's man whose life is enriched when he becomes the
guardian of a friend's son, who narrates the stories set in 17th century Spain. The series was penned by Arturo Perez- Reverte and have a different sound than his contemporary novels. And yes please, plenty of pics.

Oh, I want to throw my weight behind Margaret Atwood too. Love her.

All of William Faulkner - you must admit he has been criminally neglected by Folio (although I believe they are doing As I Lay Dying in the autumn)

Also Dostoevsky (in the Pevear and Volokhonsky editions where possible - not sure, have they translated all of them?)

...oh yes, more Dostoevsky please in the P&V translations. Also possibly Alison Weir's books on the Tudors, J. Coetzee, and maybe also Rose Tremain. Actually the list is possibly endless.

> 45

I believe I bought mine at Ardis. Was your copy easy to find? I'm sure you will enjoy the broad range of issues that Virginia Woolf examines so well with incisiveness and wit.

A complete Thackery would be a welcome addition.

> 58

Agree with both suggestions. I really liked MacAndrew's translation of BK and wouldn't mind either his or P & V.

>60 drasvola: Straightforward enough - via Abebooks. Ardis had a Fine edition of the book, but the slipcase was spattered in paint, and the one I've bought was Fine book and slipcase, and cheaper into the bargain. Not that I'm overly bothered about the slipcase, but all things being equal.....

I have only relatively recently started reading her fiction (past couple of years), but have now started dipping into The Common Reader: superb. She is my best 'discovery' of the past few years: I started reading her having read The Hours, having in turn seen and loved the film in the cinema, and can't get enough at the moment!

Oh, I'd go for complete Coetzee in a heartbeat. (Hoping he continues to write a long time yet, of course.)

List above up-dated.

Authors mentioned more than once;

FIVE times:-

Peter Ackroyd
Margaret Atwood

FOUR times:-

George Macdonald Fraser
Claire Tomalin
Edith Wharton
Virginia Woolf

THREE times:-

Anthony Burgess
Fyodor Dosto(y)evsky in the P&V translations
William Faulkner
C.S. Forester
C.S Lewis
Somerset Maugham

TWICE:-

Boris Akunin
J.M. Coetzee
Ronald Firbank
Edward Gibbon (LE of 'The History of the Decline....' with footnotes)
David Hume
Music (theme)
Ayn Rand
Hugh Walpole
Evelyn Waugh
Laura Ingalls Wilder

I would like to see a ‘themed’ series on biographies that should include Rembrandt’s Eyes by Simon Schama, Golo Mann’s Wallenstein and the Hitler biography by Ian Kershaw.

In addition a series of shorter volumes on various topics like the Insel-Bücherei, that LolaWalser mentioned in an other thread would be nice. However I would like to see the books done in letterpress with a couple of illustrations directly from the block, linocut or plate. The limitation should be large enough to allow for a price around 100 GBP per volume.

Perhaps it's time for a FS edition of Angela Carter. Plenty of scope for good illustrators there.

I am going to put my vote in for Peter Ackroyd. We already have a nice edition of Blake, but in addition to that Shakespeare, Dickens, and London would make a great series.

66-68 List up-dated.

If the great Beryl Cook was still alive - what a combination she would have made with Angela Carter.

>68 benbulben: I agree with you entirely. Peter Ackroyd's books are great and I would love to see a FS treatment.

I would add another vote for William Faulkner. He was (haven't doublechecked) in my list submitted as fictional FS editor.

I would to see the complete collection of Edith Wharton's books published in FS editions.

And a themed Science Fiction series as mentioned by celtic in his original post would go down very well with me, too.

>72 Ooshie: Edith Wharton? Definitely!

>72 Ooshie:

Yes! The Complete Edith Wharton would be wonderful. Just finished Age of Innocence last week and I'm still turning it over in my head!

Ooh, yes please to Edith Wharton! Has anyone read The Buccaneers? I have to admit that I haven't - I saw the 1990s PBS version in my impressionable teens, though. I've been thinking about picking up a copy and got rather sidetracked by all the discussion on Mainwaring's faithfulness (or lack thereof) in finishing the novel. It's a shame that there isn't a edition with the original drafts - which do exist, according to this article - alongside some commentary on any notes that exist tying the plot together. The Independent notes that Mainwaring's edition doesn't make explicit what material is Wharton's and what is Mainwaring's. Some of the earlier editions even list Mainwaring as the primary author rather than Wharton!

The novel itself doesn't seem to be particularly popular - although it is still listed as being in print on the Viking/Penguin website, nearly all of the copies I can find are used. So I'm sure it will never happen, but something like a Norton Critical Edition of The Buccaneers seems long overdue, surely?

I think the danger of making/publishing very recent publications for the Folio Society would be availability of first editions and recent publications to their readers. (Plus probably publication rights, etc).

I am less likely to buy a folio book that I own in an original publication.

Are they better with titles that have not been circulated for 30 plus years for this reason? Do others buy contemporary books from Folio that they have read or own in first edition or new publications? (here I am thinking of The Remains of the Day as an example of a book I own in first edition and have read. I don't want to own it in Folio for these reasons). That is probably why they haven't touched Coetzee or Tomalin, for instance.

#76
Are they better with titles that have not been circulated for 30 plus years for this reason? Do others buy contemporary books from Folio that they have read or own in first edition or new publications?

I know that for a few fairly recent non-fiction works, the large format and quality illustrations are very tempting. Colour, by Victoria Finlay, and Life: an Unauthorised Biography by Richard Fortey are both Folio editions I'd have bought like a shot if I had a bit more money.

Lists up-dated

> Thanks for the link to the article, SpoonFed, I had quite forgotten that The Buccaneers had been completed by another writer. I read the novel directly after watching the series in the 90s and did enjoy it, although not as much as some of her other work. I can't now bring to mind more than vague impressions of it - time for a reread, methinks!

>76 kiwidoc: I think you're at least partially right kiwidoc. I have first editions of both Simon Schama's Citizens and Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct, so never bought either of those from FS. However, I collect Peter Ackroyd and Jan Morris first editions, but also have FS editions of Blake, Venice and the Pax Britannica trilogy. I think it comes down to whether the FS edition actually adds anything. As Eveleen says, some editions are especially tempting. I think the potential for the Tomalin biographies on that front is enormous.

>76 kiwidoc:,80 Colin Tudge's The secret life of trees is another example where the FS made a really good job of a book only three years after its original publication. And I was rather cross they brought out Empires of the word just after I'd bought a rather unwieldy and not especially nice paperback version - I haven't made the replacement yet, but I will, as soon as there is a hint of a sale price. If the FS can do deals for worthwhile books while they are still in print with their original publishers, I'm all for it.

Edited to try to make the Tudge touchstone work...which it won't

#77 & 80

Yes - you are right!

I also bought the Fortey book, and for that matter the Dawkins books too. Some of the regular books are so badly put together that a few pages into them, the glued binding falls apart (Folio books are such a joy to hold and read, aside from the illustrations, etc).

There is a tactile joy to reading that keeps me forking out my hard earned cash, so if the original edition is poorly done, the Folio is a welcome replacement.

The Ripley series by Highsmith.

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Absolutely---Lewis' 'Ransom Trilogy" would be wonderful, as well as some of his Christian classics. I have the EP editions---all very nice, but lacking the Folio vibe entirely. I have both the EP and Folio Chronicles of Narnia, both with Pauline Baynes illustrations, and both very well done, though again I give the edge to Folio ( but I must say EP's Tolkien set is fantastic---my favorite). As a big fan of Williams as well, I would love to see Folio Society come up to bat for this most under-read Inkling---wonderful, terrifying, beautiful stuff in those books. Please Folio, do it soon.

Well considering this thread was running in February we've done quite well with our requests.

Margaret Atwood was mentioned many times and she has just been published by FS, same with Somerset Maugham. Also Mrs Dalloway was a popular choice and was published a few months ago.

Maybe they do listen to us!

This might not be the best thread to ask this question but whatever, can someone please tell me if FS has ever published The fountainhead by Ayn Rand? Im sure there are some of you laughed when reading this but i had to ask.

> 87

No mention of her (at least until 2006).

>87 Graf109:

I am pretty certain FS have not published any Ayn Rand

Easton Press has published The Fountainhead and other Rand works in the past.

> 1

Celtic, good thread.

Understanding that I stray into parochiality, I would like to see FS continue with their Stevenson series in line with their recent editions that included Kidnapped, Catriona, Treasure Island etc

Similarly, I would dearly like to see a Sir Walter Scott series, in recognition of the neglect they have shown Sir Walter Scott since their inception.

John Buchan would also be on my list as well as Gerald Durrell.

>91 LesMiserables:

Continue the Stevenson series with what? The Black Arrow is obviously a glaring omission, but i can't think of any of his other books that would fit that series. They've collected his short stories already in 2 matching volumes and similar sets for his travel writings.

ETA: I'm actually quite surprised they released the Jekyll & Hyde/Weir of Hermiston book under the series with the brown bindings rather than the 'short fiction' type bindings e.g. The Body Snatcher. I think Jekyll & Hyde fits more with themes of his other shorter fiction (not to mention it is short). I guess Weir... fits with his other Scottish novels better though (e.g. Ballantrae & Kidnapped)

There is already a set/series of the 5 Richard Hannay books by Buchan, are there others you would like to see published?

I would also like some Ayn Rand, I've been meaning to read her books for a whileand a nice Folio edition would be a good excuse.

Does anybody know if the new Maugham published by the FS is the first volume in a (more or less) complete series of SWM's works?

>93 Pepys:

I doubt it. It looks rather a unique binding, usually for sets of complete(ish) works they have much simpler bindings so they can easily match. There are some exceptions though and i'm sure if that volume sells well they'd think about more Maugham.

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>91 LesMiserables: Cheers LesMis. They have done enough of RLS to make sense of 'seeing it through'. Amongst others I don't think 'TheBlack Arrow', The Ebb-Tide', 'New Arabian Nights', 'Prince Otto', 'Virginibus Puerisque' have been published by the FS (although I may be mistaken). It would also be nice to see volumes of his Poetry (I know the FS have already done 'A Child's Garden of Verse'), Ballads, Essays, Criticism and Letters.

Walter Scott would be welcome as well. I think they have only published three of his novels over the years ('The Bride of Lammermoor', 'Rob Roy' and 'Waverley').

>95 celtic:

The New Arabian Nights stories are contained in the Isle of Voices and The Body Snatcher compilations. Possibly others you have mentioned are, but I don't know off the top of my head!

'Virginibus Puerisque' is a series of essays and letters published by Penguin, I don't consider it a real Stevenson book and I don't think it would be appropriate for the adventure type series Folio did.

I've never seen Prince Otto in print at all. I guess there is also The Wrecker, The Wrong Box and St. Ive's...

List of contents of Isle of Voices

From: New Arabian Nights
Providence and the Guitar
The Pavilion on the Links

From: The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables
Will o' the Mill
Thrawn Janet
The Merry Men
Olalla

From: Island Nights' Entertainments
The Bottle Imp
The Isle of Voices

From: Uncollected Stories
An Old Song
The Misadventures of John Nicholson

Edited to show sources and stories correctly

>92 LipstickAndAviators:
It's not a requirement to like (or even be interested in) all the books Folio publishes but personally I'd be very disappointed if they ever decided to put out anything by Rand.

Apart from her so-called philosophy, the evidence of various extracts I've read is that she is a truly terrible writer.

>98 ian_curtin:

I've never read her and only have a vague idea of her philosophies and politics. That said my friend told me that Atlas Shrugged was the most pretentious and terrible thing he'd ever read.

I think I'm often attracted to these love it or passionately hate it type books, even if I don't always end up enjoying them.

>96 LipstickAndAviators:

I didn't realise all of the 'New Arabian Nights' were contained in one of the FS short story volumes - must be a big book as these tales take up 250 large pages of one of the volumes in my 'Vailima' edition. I would imagine RLS regarded his essays in Virginibus Puerisque as 'real' when he wrote them. If you are interested, follow you're own link to 'Prince Otto' and you will find somee of the copies of this book that have been published.

I would argue that a number of the books that the FS have published do not fall into the 'Adventure Types' you mention (the travel books/Child's garden of verse for instance). I happen to enjoy everything he has written and as the FS had published a great deal of his works my point was that they could finish the job they have started. This would mean them publishing minor works and more factual volumes. I realise this would not be to everyones taste, but A) They are unlikely to do it and B) I was just chatting to LesMis about an author we both love.

> 100

Edited post > 96 to show correct sources.

>100 celtic:

I didn't mean to sound like I was shooting you down or stopping you from chatting, was just putting in my two cents :) (I'm also a big Stevenson fan)

I agree the essays in Virginibus Puerisque are real enough (some of them are even very interesting, though I've only read 2 or so), I just don't consider that specific collection to be a book that needs a Folio Edition and I dont think it is the only, or a complete, collection of his essays... however I'm willing to be corrected on that front as I'm not an expert on anyones essay output, least of all Stevenson.

The New Arabian Nights are split between the 2 short story collections, though they are oddly not split the way they were originally split in the 2 volumes published back in the 1880s.

I only mentioned about some not being adventure books as the series I thought LesMis specifically referred to so far just contains the adventure/Scottish type books (which is why I mentioned that I thought Jekyll and Hyde may not have been the best fit for it and was surprised on it's inclusion). I appreciate they have published some of his other books in different bindings.

To be honest I'd snap up anything Stevenson related that the FS put out, whether it be his collected letters, his ominor novels, essays, poetry or journal entries. I just don't think all of the above would fit that brownish red binding with the ropes design.

Apologies if you thought I was being somewhat hostile, it's nice to see you posting btw.

Edited to control random upper case letters

>102 LipstickAndAviators:

Cheers!

You're right about the essays. Stevenson's essays, criticism and 'misc.' writings are spread across eight volumes in my edition. You're also right about the FS binding style being suited to his 'Adventures'.

It's good to hear someone praising Stevenson - like many Scots of my generation the first 'full length' book that I read was 'Treasure Island' and the first collected works of an Author I bought was the 26 volume Vailima edition of his works when I was in my late teens (that was when 'second-hand' books were still at 'second-hand' prices and before anything more than 5 minutes old was described and priced as Antiquarian!). By the time I was 21 I had read everything he had written and still re-visit his books regularly. Not only is he a great writer, he is one of the few that had the life and image of someone who could credibly appear in his own fiction.

By the way - when it comes to Burns or Stevenson 'we Scots' are always over-sensitive!

We did Treasure Island at school (both my high school English teachers were Scottish, I always found it curious that they chose 2 scots to teach English to us middle class small town English chaps but it worked out well :P) and it was the first school book I actually enjoyed (though I also enjoyed Animal Farm on reading it again at a later age). It's one of my favourite books to this day and I was horrified when i was told Stevenson had been removed from the curriculum for years as the literati decided he wasn't high brow enough for much of the 20th century.

There is a full set of 8 or so books of his collected letters in hardbacks in a local bookshop here and I am frequently tempted by them, but unsure if I'd ever make it through so many volumes of his personal correspondence.

I know very little of Burns, other than on Burns night when I was living in Glasgow I was made to eat questionable food and get very drunk :-P

>104 LipstickAndAviators:

Stevenson led a very interesting life and corresponded with equally interesting people. I have read his letters by 'dipping in' to a few from time to time and found them to be fascinating, but I don't know if I would have read them if they had not been part of the set that I bought?

Burns nights are a strange world that even takes us a few years to decipher - still eating questionable food and getting very drunk in Glasgow sounds like a normal friday night out to me!

Virginibus Puerisque first published 1881 (i.e. during Stevenson's lifetime). Information from R.B. Russell, Guide to First Edition Prices 2008/9.

> 92

Prince Otto
The Black Arrow
The Wrong Box
The Wrecker
The Ebb Tide
St Ives

The Isle of Voices and Other Stories and The Body Snatcher and Other Stories are R.L. Stevenson short story collections. Kidnapped and Catriona were part of a five book series of his novels published in 2004-2006. The series included Treasure Island, published in 2004 and the two previously mentioned novels along with The Master of Ballantrae and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Weir of Hermiston all published in 2006.