Barnes and Noble Leatherbound Classics

I know this is off topic, but I wonder if anyone knows where I might find a hardcover copy of Milton Friedman's Capitalism and Freedom. All I can find is paperback. If anyone would like to sell me a copy, I would be most interested.

Thank you

Thanks Wootle

30% off one item, in-store or online - if you were waiting to buy a certain volume here, now's the time:

http://slickdeals.net/f/5541800-Barnes-Noble-30-off-one-Item-Instore-Online-Excl...

Also, there is a buy one, get one for $10 going on for all "collectible editions".

Unfortunately, the 30% does not stack on top of that.

Does anyone own the B&N Leatherbound Classic edition of the Constitution of the US? It caught my eye today, and I was wondering about the quality (I do not currently own any BNLCs).

I have it. I'm not an expert on book quality or terminology, but I think it's quite nice for the price. The binding is attractive, with the official US seal emblazoned in gold on a black background. The cover has the seal as well, though some of the gilding has flecked off on my copy, and words from the Constitution are lightly "engraved" into the cover. The leather is bonded leather, of course. Inside on the front two pages prior to the title page is the famous Trumbull painting of the signing of the Declaration of Inependence (it's repeated on the endpapers as well). Paper is gold-leafed, not very thick but not too thin, either. The book looks really nice on a shelf. Most important, the contents are essential to anyone who wants to understand American government and history. Besides the Constitution and The Declaration of Independence, it contains the Federalist Papers, Jefferson's "Summary View of the Rights of British America," Thomas Paine's "Common Sense", John Adams' "Thoughts on Government," and works by Sam Adams, Ben Franklin, and the inaugural addresses of the first few Presidents.

Thanks Betelgeuse! Looks like I'll be picking up a copy, as I was struck by how attractive the cover was. I just wanted to be sure there were no glaring quality issues, but from your review, it sounds like it's a pretty nice volume.

>7 Betelgeuse: Thanks for listing those additions; the main reason I was not too attracted to the edition was the absence of the Federalist Papers.

>9 mujahid7ia: I have separate copies of The Federalist Papers as well as Jefferson's "Summary View," plus the works of Paine and John Adams, and I have a couple of nice copies of the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence. But this book also has some important writings of James Otis, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, and even Richard Henry Lee, all in one attractive volume for an affordable $20 or so. I have it shelved next to my Franklin Library leather-bound versions of The Federalist Papers and the Political Writings of Thomas Paine.

I received my first ever B&N volume - The Odyssey and the Iliad. I was stunned by its beauty. Now I want to get more.



And from what I can see on Amazon they are publishing the

Blue Fairy Book, Andrew Lang (7 March 2013)
The King James Bible, Illustrated by Gustave Dore (7 Jun 2013)
Greek Myths: A Wonder Book for Girl & Boys, illustrated Walter Crane (7 Apr 2013)

I have recently started reading again in an attempt to stop watching all those nasty new tv series...

And I have joined the site just to share some of my excitement and not lose this nice thread :)

The first of the series I got was the Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe which I absolutely love (although I would have liked a few illustrations here and there (apart from the few ones that are actually part of the story like in the Arthur Gordon Pim narrative) and a bit thicker paper).
I have also just ordered a used copy of the Ultimate hitchhicker's guide.
And I have almost 15 other ones on my to-buy list with top priorities being the 7 novels of Vern, Alice in Wonderland (pink one) and the Count of Monte Cristo... I really like this series...
It has been a nice opportunity to keep me excited about reading again.

I just gave up waiting for US store to have it and ordered "Persuasion" from Amazon UK (it cost a few extra bucks because of shipping UK to US, but it was only $16 total).

Has anyone had a chance to look at the the new Alice (blue cover)? Description says this version includes critical essays, but that's not apparent in the table of contents in the preview: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alices-adventures-in-wonderland-and-through-the-... I haven't seen it in the store yet.

Also, BN.com has the new HG Wells "War of the Worlds and other novels" cover online now: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/war-of-the-worlds-h-g-wells/1100026498?ean=97814.... I like it, though I'm still partial to the flying saucers on the "HG Wells: 7 novels" edition

Hi! I own that Alice's Adventures in Wonderland but I didn't take a closer look yet.
I love all of my Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics. They're true treasures.
I own 8 of them at the moment and 5 are on their way ;)

Hello everyone. I was looking over some typography videos on lynda.com today and noticed the Leatherbound Classics. These must be the folks that designed the covers for the current series.

http://files2.lynda.com/files/lol_email/trailers/trailer101929.html

I don't have a lynda.com subscription right now, so I've only seen this trailer.

Neat video! Now I totally want to see more... I don't have a Lynda.com account right now either, but I've been thinking about getting one for work. If I do, this series looks like a cool "bonus feature."

I just received the "Ultimate Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy" (initial black edition) which I found used for ~40 euros.
The book looks very nice on the outside, but once you open it you get really disspointed by the quality.
The paper is very thin. The text is big and clear, but the white spaces arount it feel weird. They are narrow and not well alligned, which gives it a weird feeling that reminds me some cheap romance books my mother used to read about 20 years ago (Arlekin and Bell series here in Greece)
I don t regret buying it cause it seems it is becoming a rarity, but I will probably get the newer edition as well

Hello everyone, I'm new here and this thread is what inspired me to join LibraryThing (although I've been a hardcore bibliophile since childhood). I'm *very* intrigued by the Barnes and Noble Leatherbound series and I already own the Arabian Nights which is utterly beautiful. However, because I do not live in the U.S., it's near impossible to see an actual copy of this book before purchase...which is why I'm posting now. Is it possible for owners of these books to post real-life pictures of those they own please? I would love to hear reviews of the quality of leather between the 20-25 versions and the cheaper, single novel editions. Has anyone had issues with the binding coming apart or the ink smearing or rubbing off? What about yellowing of the pages or the gilding fading/falling off? Any and all answers or information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance all!! :)

*bump* Anyone??? :)

>18 Alixxx:
I have a number of the larger volumes, but none of the single novel editions. I haven't had any real problems with any of them, but I find a fair few of them to be too large and with too-small print to really be practical to read (e.g. Charles Dickens - five novels, Jane Austen - seven novels, Jules Verne - seven novels), although they do look lovely on my shelves.
Living in Australia, I hadn't been able to see any copies of these before I bought them, but over the last month or so I have actually been seeing them available in Dymocks (albeit at more than double the price it is at the Barnes & Noble website).

Thank you so much for replying johni92. I agree that the several-novels-in-one-volume editions aren't the best option. I'm trying to avoid purchasing those as I'd much rather have individual novels or smaller compilations, like the Narnia edition (which has suddenly become *very, very* expensive btw). Overall though, do you think these editions will last at least a lifetime or so? I don't expect archival quality like Easton Press or Folio Society but I'd like to hope that the pages will not yellow or the titles/cover artwork fade away...is that asking too much? :S

Please post pics if anyone can. Thank you! :)

I don't think anyone in their right mind would pay the prices I see listed online - these aren't "fine press" books, nor are they rare - when one edition goes "out of print," they just commission another press run (and then, occassionally, re-format them or change the colors). They have varying qualities & thickness of paper, varying type sizes, varying finishes, and varying qualities of leather (or "leather" - most of them are fairly plasticky). All that said - they look great on a shelf, and some of them have color illustrations. I can't speak for anyone else - I'm just a booklover with a budget. So I buy the pretty books for my shelves, but lately I've been downloading royalty-free copies of the actual novels from Gutenburg and reading them on my tablet.

Thanks for the response resvnovae. And yes, I agree - the inflated prices are ridiculous. But their original $18 price tag is great...especially when you're only 23 and on a budget. :)

I also download royalty-free copies online but when you've already ready most of these classics in paperback, you start wanting a nice library-worthy copy that will stand the test of time. Anyone know if these have acid-free paper btw?

P.S. Any pictures would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again :)

If you are a B&M member you also get an additional discount - and these books are usually available on the B&N website for less than the in-store price.

My local B&N store has more titles than are on the website. Many of the "childrens" titles are $10.00 each (less with a coupon or with member card - teachers also get % off in store).

Unfortunately, I'm not in the U.S so I can't go to the stores :( Can you become a B&N member if you are not located in the States?

I got another of these books last week - Anna Karenina. Again, this is a stunning book but I'm refraining from removing the plastic until I can store these properly. I finally caved on The Arabian Nights copy, however, and removed the plastic on that one since I notice some very slight scuffing on the corners which is disappointing since it has been shrink wrapped and delicately handled since I got it last Christmas. Does anyone else notice any sort of damage on their B&N Leatherbounds? I'm hoping this was a one-time shipping issue.

Given the quality (or lack thereof) of the leather, I find the bottom edges tend to get a bit shelf-worn (on some more than others) and the gilt edging also frequently tends to have some damage, which I'd assume happened during shipping. But really, for the price you're paying for them, you can't expect much.

Yes, you're right about the price and expectations. Ah well...I guess I may just have to buy two then. One to permanently display and another to thumb through and read...

It's a pity Easton Press couldn't have more whimsical, stylized covers like these. With EP quality and B&N cover design, those books would be perfect.

>28 Alixxx: It's a pity Easton Press couldn't have more whimsical, stylized covers like these

Funny, after building a healthy library through Franklin Library >>>,
I recall finding publications from that upstart Easton Press to be refreshingly whimsical and stylized >>>.

I suppose it's what you're accustomed to.

Os.

That's very true. Ideally, I would love to collect EP and FS books as they are so high quality AND beautiful and I do intend on doing so sometime in the near future but being 23 on a limited budget and with student loans to repay, these B&N books are a godsend.

On a side note: B&N are releasing some new editions - The Art of War and Other Classics of Eastern Thought, as well as Dracula and Other Horror Classics. Common Sense and Dune are also carded for release later this year. I'm excited about the former two books.

28--Yes, you're right about the price and expectations. Ah well...I guess I may just have to buy two then. One to permanently display and another to thumb through and read...

Why buy two mediocre to sub par books for the same price of one good book? Buy an EP to start with and don't worry about the junk from B&N. Shop around and find a deal and a lot of times they will cost about the same price.

You have a point. I still like these very much though and would like to have copies of these also. But I think I'll just limit myself to one copy. :)

Covers:

Dune -

http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9781435140745_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

Bullfinch's Mythology (new title) -

http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9781435129023_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

(Don't know to post pics...sorry :( )

I have BN's Complete Lovecraft, which looked nice online, but looks very cheap in person. I keep it far away from my EP and FLs, because it's so comical and gaudy looking in their presence.

Every time that I look at the book, I wonder how the bonded leather they've used fails so miserably to look or feel like real leather. Even vinyl comes closer. Are the other issues in the series like this?

The Arabian Nights feel leather-ish but certainly not like real leather. It's a good quality book in general though. The paper used is good, the gilding does not rub off and the illustrations are beautiful.

I do agree about the Lovecraft being quite gaudy. I actually find all the science fiction titles in the series to be a bit unattractive. The real 'classics' have much nicer covers IMO.

I was in my local Barnes & Noble last night and noticed they had several copies of Dune in stock, but they were all shrink-wrapped. Has anyone had a look inside?

Somewhere in this Easton Press group section at LibraryThing is a ridiculously long thread with lots of pictures of various B&N classics. Just search for *barnes noble* and check out the link(s) under this Group...

I recently purchased “The Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Works” online and I’m impressed with the book. During my lunch break, I walked over to a B&N to check out other books in the leather bound series. I was wondering how these books would look together in a series. I was hoping to get some opinions regarding the spines of the books. Franklin Library books seem to have the same font for each book. It appears these B&N books has different fonts and decorations to go with the personality of the book. They also normally have a small picture to go with it.

Is this tasteful or tacky?

Whenever I go to an old home and stroll in the library, the books all seem to be same colored, similar font and always leather bound.

Opinions, please.

>38 Mr_Bear_and_Pipe: It's really your opinion that matters most - do you like the way they look? Is your main goal to display them or read them (or both)? I think they could certainly look good in certain display arrangements.

I've not purchased any of the B&N leather books for reasons other than looks. For one, I already have EP versions of much of the available selection. Even where I don't already have an EP equivalent, I'd still rather get the EP (or FL or FS or other) version so as to have the stories separated into disrinct volumes. The text is much easier to read that way - the B&N volumes that cram several books into one volume have rather uncomfortable fonts.

I suppose there's also a bit of the "Made in U.S.A." versus "Made in China" going on, too. I don't know if all B&N leatherbounds are made in China but all the one's I've looked at so far have been. I suspect that this, combined especially with the materials used to make the books, will give the EP (and FL and FS, etc) books a huge edge in longevity. FS is U.K., of course, and are of great quality, too.

>39 treereader: My main goal is display. I may order ten books but I won’t fully read all ten. I just enjoy having classic pieces of literature and other works close by in case I have free time or have acquaintances over.

I agree that certain books could look good in some arrangements. After blowing a few smoke rings, I think the trick is to buy enough to appear as a set to go along with other sets or mini-sets. I think they would look stimulating and complement each other. Maybe a book shelf’s worth? Just have to make sure they books go well together.

I would like to build and pass my library on to my future family. So I think a quality issue is present too.

Only time will tell on how well the B & N publications hold up as they age. I have a few Italian made books bound in bonded leather. I have had them for over 20 years and they have aged well and the "leather" is still supple. If you are looking for a attractive and affordable copy of a classic work, the B & N's are a good value. I also have a few of the B & N's and like them. However, looking over the various volumes in the store, they do seem to vary in quality (material wise) from title-to-title.

I have been collecting some of these B & N "leather" bound books. I just received their edition of Bulfinch's Mythology. I could not find this in paperback for less than the price of this volume ($18.00 on the B&N website) so I ordered it. - This is a handsome looking volume with many full color illustrations and what appears to be a complete text. (The age of Fable, The Age of Chivalry, Legends of Charlemagne).

I intended to post this a few months ago, but it slipped my mind. I remember thinking that these must be bigger sellers than I imagined.

>43 infrar3d:
That looks like a display suited for the anticipation of a Christmas rush. I saw a similarly large display in our local B&N a week or so ago. The were having a buy one, get one 1/2 price sale.

Os.

>44 Ealhmund:
Looking at the labels in the right bottom corners, this is the Bargains section. My local B&N has a lot of those there as well all the time...

>43 infrar3d: squinted at your photo to make sure I wasn't missing any of 'em.

>42 MisterThreeSpeed: I've surprised myself with how many I actually HAVE read. Going off >43 infrar3d:'s photo... I figure some of this comes from having a family that bought us a lot of books as gifts as a kid, and kept a few Franklin Library-type books on a bookshelf, but I've read more than I haven't. I did read "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and finally read "Anansi Boys" (in the Neil Gaimon book) because I'd bought the leatherbound editions, though. And I read PDF copies of "Crime and Punishment" and "Pride and Predjudice" out of book-guilt because they were on my shelves and in the "pantheon of great works," but I'd never read either. Right behind them in my "to be read" pile is several other Austen Novels, Anna Karenina, and the Count of Monte Christo, I suppose... I also haven't read 2 of the 3 book in the Stephen King collection, and 3 of the 7 HG Wells novels. Most of the rest, though... a lot of it was when I was younger and probably deserves a re-read, but I feel pretty well-read when I look at my BN covers and realize just how many of the contents I AM familiar with!

More new additions: Classic American Short Stories (bleah cover, but I love the contents!), Charlotte's Web and Other Stories (Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan. The cover is nice, though kind of wish they'd done this one more like the To Kill of Mockingbird cover - this one has the gilt edged pages/a lot of gilt on the cover... and a sticker), Dracula and Other Horror Stories (cover art on this one is really sharp, IMHO), and Aesop's Fables (my personal favorite of the bunch - the cover is lovely, the illustrations throughout ). In the children's section: The Jungle Book, the Blue Fairy Book, and Greek Myths.

>48 resnovae: Thanks for the update. Maybe I'll look into Aesop's Fables.

The Ernest Hemingway volume from this B&N leatherbounds collection is the best way to get all of his major novels for under $20.

Just noticed this on eBay. Looks like someone's going to be spending a couple of hundred dollars on a book that could be bought directly from B&N for $18.

Wow. In the seller's defense, the auction did start at a penny and at least one of the photos shows it is a Barnes and Noble book (although a B&N reference is notably missing from the written description). The surprising thing to me is that the people bidding this thing up have several hundred auctions under their belts. You'd think they'd know better.

Can't blame the seller on that one. The photo does show B&N. Just some uneducated bidders. The word "leather" may be pushing it though, as I believe those are faux leather.

>51 johni92:, 52, 53 Sigh, I hate to see auctions like that...but it is true that the bidders certainly didn't do even a little bit of research.

>51 johni92: The link does not show the book you are referring to. Did the listing end? Does anyone have the link? I'd like to take a look at that listing. Thanks!

The B&N leatherbounds product details information states:

Format: Leather Bound
Edition description: Bonded Leather Edition

So it is synthetic or partially plastic leather.

>55 andrewsd: It seems that the listing ended. It was the B&N leather-bound edition of the Dore Bible, and the bidding amount was in the hundreds. Anyone know for what price the book was sold?

>56 mujahid7ia: I used the 'completed listings' check box in the advanced search option and was unable to find any B&N bible or Dore bible that recently sold for over $100. Perhaps the seller benevolently realized what was going on and ended the auction early without a winner.

>55 andrewsd:
Bonded leather should refer to a leather material made from chopped up leather scraps and reconstituted using some kind of glue/adhesive/binder, much like some construction wood sheets are made from sawdust (particle board) and/or wood chips.

Plastic made to look/feel like leather should be referred to as leatherette, faux leather, or some such indication.

Bonded leather can be a pretty nice cover for the price. But, especially in the used book market, you must be careful that the terminology is used properly. I've found many truly bonded leather used volumes that the online reseller advertised as faux leather or leatherette. The biggest issue to me is 'bonded leather' being advertised as 'leather'. Technically, it is made from leather, but I consider it misleading to simply call it a leather bound book and not indicate that it's bonded.

Os.

I think you can blame the seller at least a bit, for advertising it as being full-leather, accented in 22kt gold and like an Easton Press or Franklin Library book, and for not including information on publisher or ISBN.

They're still making books for this collection, right? I haven't seen any new ones for a while...

Yes, they are. I don't know the titles off the top of my head but there were some newer issues put out seemingly in time for the holiday shopping season.

They have put out several actually; I have bought two of them: Charles Dicken's Chrismtas Stories (Includes 'A Chrismas Carol') and Bram Stoker's Dracula and other tales (Includes Lair of the White Wurm and is a larger, nicer version of their older Dracula LBC printing). Also they started printing a new leatherbound series, I forget the exact name, but I know one book is an illustrated 'A Brief History of Time' by Stephen Hawking.

A whole bunch came out right before the holidays - I think Bullfinch's Mythology, A Brief History of Time, Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation, and Plato's Republic. There was also a book of American short stories, selected writings of Abraham Lincoln, the previously mentioned expanded Dracula, and the Christmas Stories/Dickens (Kind of annoyed with myself - I missed out on the Dickens one. Hoping they reprint it for next year. Though not sure why, since I assume all the stories are already in the other Dickens volume). The other books that matched the Brief History of Time were all trivia books - math trivia, science trivia, etc.

New books at bn.com: Classic American Speeches, A Treasury of Classic Poetry, and three new children's classics: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Call of the Wild.

Hi all,

I haven't seen any recent publications in this series. Anyone know what's going on?

I hope they will continue releasing new titles...

I just saw some I hadn't seen before while walking through yesterday. I don't know how new they really are but the store definitely seemed like it was gearing them up for the holidays.

They seem to have re-branded the "Leatherbound Classics" series to the "Collectible Editions" series; what that says for the materials used to make the covers of future books in the series, only time will tell. They seem to have phased some titles in and out; with some of the newer titles that I'm seeing being:

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Fairy Tales from Around the World by Lang
The Inventions, Researches, and Writings of Nikola Tesla

I'm sure there are others, but I haven't perused these books in a while so I'm not thoroughly familiar with their inventory. From the book thumbnails on the site, it appears as if some of the editions have gone through a cover redesign. I could be wrong, but it also appears that Narnia, To Kill a Mockingbird, American Gods, Stephen King, and Black Beauty have rotated out, as B&N.com doesn't have them in stock and third-party vendors have the prices inflated.

In case you're having trouble finding the books, see the link below:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?sort=SA&store=book&sid=934942&view=...

Thanks for replying.

Yes, I have noticed that there are some recent publications, however, these were earlier in the year (around May-June) and historically, B&N released new titles every quarter or so. In the past, a new title was usually released around Sep-Nov which hasn't been the case this year.

I really hope they aren't phasing these out...they're beautiful.

Where's sludgetrough btw? He may know some more or may have updated his collection since.

I tend to avoid books bound in bonded leather, but I must say that the B&N Jules Verne volume is attractive. I purchased it and it looks nice on my shelf. Now I need to get around to reading it...

Its nice. I just dont like the flimsy thin paper and the small fonts on the jules verne .. other than that one can have a nice corner of B&B books in the library. Just dont put them next to the folio or the easton

Yeah, my biggest issues with these books is that many of them are practically impossible to actually read due to their weight/size as well as the small font. I started with these and moved on to Easton Press and Franklin Library.

>71 mortalalliance:
Small fonts are an especially big issue for me. Not that my vision is poor, but why struggle? If a nice EP/FL/FS edition is not available at a reasonable price, I admit to reading a Kindle version.

New release out tomorrow:

This Side of Paradise and Other Classic Works - F. Scott Fitzgerald

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-side-of-paradise-and-other-classic-works-f-...

>70 Pellias: They are definitely not even in the same league as Easton or Folio or Franklin, nor will one be near my Arions...

>73 Alixxx:

Nice! Thanks for the heads up. I already own This Side of Parades from EP, but might pick this up for the "Other Classic Works." I wonder why they didn't include The Great Gatsby?

>75 mortalalliance:
Many of Fitzgerad's works were published before 1923 and are in the public domain, but "Gatsby" was published in 1925 and is still under copyright. Apparently B&N, like EP, abhors paying royalties.

Welcome! I'm excited to see what else is new.

Also, re: The Great Gatsby, I think that might be on those single-edition releases, considering the popularity of that book.

Anyone here can confirm the reported (in a review in B&N's page) quality issues of the leatherbound edition of the Foundation Trilogy (the purple one), and give some insight on the general quality of the book, as in cover texture, paper thickness...
Also, does anyone have the new John Carter leatherbound edition with the first 5 novels? Any thoughts on that one?

>78 Edrick:

I own the Foundation Trilogy, and although I haven't read it yet (I read it before, and haven't started my re-read list yet), it doesn't appear any different then the other B&N books I own; as the review you reference suggests. With all of the B&N Leatherbound Classics, you pay for what you get. If you're looking for an inexpensive book that looks nicer than a standard Hardcover, then this is the way to go, but it by no means holds light to EP editions. For some reason to me, all of the gilt on the B&N books looks odd/cheap compared to EP editions, maybe it's too shiny?

Anyway, the following review below seems move worry-some to me

"The trilogy is an awesome read. However, I found some issue with the content of the books. Especially the last book in the trilogy Second Foundation. There is content missing in Chapter 4 an entire conversation is missing between three characters that play a huge part in what happens in the following chapter. I originally did not know this until I went back and fourth between the hardcover book and the digital version of the book and realized that some chapter were edited. I still recommend the book as it truly is a great read."

It's pretty disconcerting that my book is missing what is apparently significant content.

I don't currently have the John Carter book, but I'll likely pick it up as well as Starship Troopers in the next few months.

There are presently several new books or soon-to-be-released books that are marked only as Nook books. But of course, they are not.

John Carter of Mars: http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9781435158078_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

Irish Fairy and Folk Tales: http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9781435155930_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

This Side of Paradise, etc.: http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9781435146198_p0_v9_s600.JPG

Texas Constitution, etc.: http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9781435157637_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

Pocket Book of Prayers: http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9781435160309_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

Pocket Book of Poetry: http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9781435157583_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

Book of Psalms (for some reason, this one isn't gilded - WHY IS THAT?): http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9781435157576_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

Looks like all of the medium-sized classics are being redone like the children's books (*RAGE*).

Dracula: http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9781435159570_p0_v1_s600.JPG

Alice: http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9781435159549_p0_v4_s600.JPG

Picture of Dorian Gray: http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9781435159587_p0_v1_s600.JPG

Other posted republications without any pictures at the moment include:
- Pride and Prejudice
- Huckleberry Finn
- Scarlet Letter
- Wuthering Heights

Other anticipated publications without pictures yet:
- The Wizard of Oz: The First Five Novels (big book)
- Selected Poems by Robert Frost (small book)
- Le-Morte d'Arthur (big book)
- Grimm's Fairy Tales (medium-sized book, perhaps?)

Does anyone know how to post pictures? I can't seem to figure that out.

From elsewhere on LT here's some steps:

First you need to upload the picture either to your profile gallery or to your junk folder on LT

Second you need to copy the address of the image. On a Mac you need to right-click and choose "Copy Image Address" on a PC you need to right-click and choose Properties and copy the address source for the link.

Use the line of code below and paste the address between the quotes after img src=. I don't think it matters what you put between the quotes after alt=

img src="" alt="" /

NOTE: you must put a "lesser-than sign" before "img" and a "greater-than sign" after "/". I couldn't include those characters in the line of code above because then LT would read the whole code and you wouldn't see the code that I typed. You can go to http://htmldog.com/reference/htmltags/img/ to see the full code as it should appear. Sorry if this is confusing :)

I used this method to add the Dorian Gray image you had linked to. Hope this helps!

Hi everyone! I currently own the Grimm Complete Fairy Tales Book and I wanted to buy several new books but of course not all at once :)

Here are my picks:
1) Dante's Divine Comedy
2) Andrew Lang's Fairy tales From Around the World
3) Hans Christian Andersen: Classic Fairy Tales
4) Homer's Iliad and Odyssey
5) Arabian Nights

I'm a huge fan of fairy tales and mythology, but I read the first book of Dante's Divine Comedy last year and I'm thinking about re-reading it and finishing the series. I was leaning towards that book to buy first, but will the Andrew Lang's Fairy tales From Around the World or Hans Christian Andersen: Classic Fairy Tales be a better choice to buy? Either way, I'm thinking about purchasing all four of these books within the next few years if it isn't sold out, it's just purchasing it in which order! If anyone can give me insights on their opinions, I'll be grateful!

I have the complete Folio Society set of Andrew Lang's, and having finished the red and the blue books so far, I much prefer Hans Christian Andersen to Andrew Lang. There's a consistency in style with Andersen that just isn't matched in Lang (probably because Lang did not translate nearly all those fairy tales himself). So between Andersen and Lang, I'd go with Andersen.

Although the Lang book is far prettier than the Andersen.

If what you meant was a contest between Divine Comedy and either of those fairy tale books, I'd go with Divine Comedy.

@falverson1 Thank you for giving me your insight! I didn't meant for it to seem like a contest between Divine Comedy and the other Fairy Tales since I think I'll enjoy all of them! I'm planning on getting all of those books but I wasn;t sure which one to get first. I was originally going to get Dante but then I saw Arabian Nights and all the others.

So far, I'm tied between Divine Comedy and Arabian Nights, I've heard great things about both books, and I've personally read Inferno by a different translator though one year ago.

I think I might go with Divine Comedy , but if its not in stock then I might go for Arabian Nights.

>84 helloitsjess: I read Inferno from this B&N ed. of the Divine Comedy, and it was a good experience with the illustrations (and I read the chapter companions available at http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/index2.html along with it). I didn't notice any typos or errors.

I tried to read The Arabian Nights, and while I enjoyed the relatively archaic Burton translation used, the amount of typos annoyed me enough to stop reading from this edition.

Also, from your picks, I probably wouldn't get the Iliad/Odyssey combo unless you really wanted this specific translation, because there are so many choices. Also, you can get a Heritage Press edition (assuming you wanted the Pope translation) for pretty much the same price, or a Limited Editions Club for somewhat more.

The Divine Comedy would be the priority because in terms of bang for the buck it is really great! See some of the posts about it at http://www.librarything.com/topic/94397 (especially post 36).

@mujahid7ia thanks for giving me your input! I might just get Dante's Divine Comedy! I heard that the Iliad and Odyssey version of the BN leather bound edition isn't that good either. and I haven't heard anything about the typos in Arabian Nights but I did hear that the cover colors rubs off.

I'll check out the post your listed :)

Can anyone comment on the quality of the new Complete Peter Rabbit book?

Re: the Arabian Nights cover art. A YouTube reviewer did mention that the gilding wears off but I haven't found that to be the case at all. Mine has remained completely intact and brand new and I've had it since Dec 2012.

I think the durability of these books come down to the level of care you take when handling your books (as is the case with most books) I don't eat/drink near them, I wash my hands before handling my favourites, store them well and I don't just toss them into my bag to read on the go...that's what paperbacks are for. :)

@Edrick Bought it the other day. I love it.

All of my own images upload sideways. LT's image uploading is prehistoric....

Has anyone else seen this Peter Pan in stores yet? I haven't.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/peter-pan-j-m-barrie/1007393899?ean=978143515470...

This also will be here shortly:

Those look nice for the $20...I can let my kiddos read them

Yeah, after seeing those in person at my local Barnes & Noble I really have no interest in them and that was my first thought that they would be fine for my 12 year old daughter. Once you have been collecting EP I couldn't purchase the B&N books, its like going from a fine vintage wine to cheap beer.

I actually like B&N's Aesop's Fables better than Folios. Better illustrations when I read it to my nephew. Divine Comedy with Dore's works and the Arabian Nights I thought are pretty good quality for the money. Also like my copy of Dune can't beat that for the price. Think I paid $10 when it was on sale.

Yeah, I wasn't being sarcastic. I'll get the oz book and some others for kids readings.

Some of us can't afford EP but on rare occasion. And often by the time of that rare occasion, the book that we wanted is no longer in print. The only EP I have is that massive Book of Kells, and the dollars I dished out for it... I can't help but grieve.

I do understand and agree with you on the cost of EP compared to B&N and that is why I buy the majority of my EP books on eBay which I can usually get for$20.00 or less most of the time. It's just a preference thing for me.

>98 falverson1: wow that's quite a book to have as a first EP! Congrats.

Honestly I think the only reason some people look away is that they're printed in China. If these were printed in USA I don't not as many people would look down on it. I think they look awesome especially for the price. Now if these were real leather then even better! If EP would make some nice foil stamping, more colour varieties and better graphics that would be awesome.

Them being made in China is my main gripe and turnoff from buying them.

Their Star Wars is outstanding. And yes I can smell the leather. I also think their attractive H.G. Wells with a half dozen short novels is a great value causing me to sell my EP single Wells volumes.

I have the entire leatherbound - just don`t the books mentioned in pics from the earlier post

I started with B&N before i went to easton - then now i`m on folio for the most

Anyway, i enjoyed treasure island, howard pyle`s arthur (if they managed to complete this set, i would buy it) - illustrated, and okay thick paper.

The volumes are very fragile though - cover art peels of in the sun in no time, and don`t carry in a sack with other books

I don`t like the massive covers with the tiny typo - aka jules verne, sherlock holmes etc .. it`s not even fun to try to read - but, them others are perfectly okay

For this kind of price, there are some good volumes for sure .. i remember i was proud of my B&N when i started a somewhat library for myself

It`s all for ones use - enjoy your books

You get what you pay for! That is why I buy Easton Press because I know they will last for many years to come.

> 100

I have good eyes but the micro-print in most (all?) of the B&N is the first turn off. Chinese manufacturing, which usually subscribes to the faster-"better"-cheaper philosophy of making things, is the second turn off. This is evident is the lesser quality materials than EP/FS/FL/LEC/HP/GC/AP/etc/etc/etc volumes: binding material, paper, typeset, end papers, etc... Lastly, their tendency to combine multiple books into one volume, making it truly unwieldy, is the final turn off.

> 98

Also, isn't Kells written in Latin or something? Wouldn't that make it particularly difficult to read?

>105 treereader: I have not had any micro-prints in any of mine. Could read it just fine. Sadly I could not say the same for some of my EP. Not only are the fonts "micro" but some are faded like the printer was running out of toner. Case in point, my copy of My Bondage And My Freedom Font is way too small and some pages the ink was just fading. Same with HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES, they probably used the same printer. I don't have this issue with any of my B&N.




The Arabian Nights I think is one of their best. Nice fonts and vibrant illustrations. Was going to give it to my nephew to read but there were a few stories and illustrations that I thought was not appropriate for his age yet. I did give him Grimms' Fairy Tales and Aesops Fables which I like better than Folios (I also own). I'm probably going to get the other "Fairy Tales" books to read to the kids. Divine Comedy is pretty good too with Dore's illustrations, nice spacing too for better reading.







For less than $20 are you guys really expecting much? Are EP really $100 more better? Heck my B&N Dune is a keeper. Not spending $150 on Folio's that's for sure. In any case, I think they're both hit and misses. Just because something is "Made in the USA" and cost 5x more doesn't make it better. Centipede Press, Chester River Press, Abbeville Press, and Harper Collins have books printed in China that I own. Their quality is top notch. Are you guys really going to deprive yourselves of a good book because it's printed in China? Might want to get off you high horse if that's the case.

>106 JuliusC:
I have about 10 of the B&N books and I think some are very nice, others not so much. They're not consistent. I agree, The Arabian Nights is one of the best, as well as The Chronicles of Narnia and Grimm's Fairy Tales.
As for the price, most of the B&N books are the same as the EP 100 Greatest, which are not $100.00 more; they're actually around the same price on eBay, or about $25.00 more, brand new from Easton. I would definitely be willing to pay that to get higher quality materials and support local (as in USA) businesses. I don't think anyone is on a high horse for not wanting something made in China; sorry if it's not politically correct, but it has a reputation for a reason. I do think EP needs to be mindful of this, though, with overpricing some of their newer books, which offer nothing more than their 100 Greatest, but at triple the price.

I agree with you and think the B&N books are great looking and they really caught my eye when I was in B&N looking at them from a distance. My concern about the B&N books was that the binding, color and material wont last long and trying to read some of their multi title books in one may be difficult in holding.

>106 JuliusC: JuliusC:

Thanks for posting those images!

I've been collecting this series since early 2012, skipping many because of the "microfont" or poor translation selected for foreign classics. Here's how I rank them:

THE ILLUSTRATED ONES
The Holy Bible King James Version: 4.5 out of 5. Has 220 Dore engravings. Double column format, generous font size by Bible standards (9 point?). One of the thickest volumes in the series, but I wish it was actually thicker, as the Apocrypha and the 18 woodcuts Dore did for it are missing. I give this one high marks, because its flaws are unavoidable side effects of printing the Holy Bible as a single volume.

The Divine Comedy: 5. It has the complete Dore engravings (138 plates?), generous font size and spacing, and I find Longfellow's translation good. The only reason to skip this one is if you can find EP's non-DLE Dore edition (same translation) or a Franklin Library edition (Ciardi translation) at a competitive price.

Aesop's Fables: 5. Generous font and spacing with the (complete?) illustrations of Rackham, Walter Crane, and Ernest Griset. That's 58 plates plus profuse color and B&W line art. WAY better than EP's.

Grimm's Fairy Tales: 5. Generous font, complete Rackham illustrations - also preferable to EP's single volume edition.

Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination: 5. This one is OOP, perhaps because it was competing with Poe's Complete Works (2/5). I give this one highest marks because of the Harry Clarke illustrations. I think EP has released this title several times with different illustrators... do they have a Clarke version?

Arabian Nights: 4.5. This is selections from the Burton translation. The illustrations are two-page spreads, but the artist doesn't compare with any of the Golden Age illustrators.

Hans Christian Andersen, Classic Fairy Tales: 4.5. This replaced his "Complete Fairy Tales", which suffered from the microfont issue. Appears to be a facsimile of a Golden Age edition illustrated by Dugald Stewart Walker and Hans Tegner, so you get a mediocre old translation. Still pretty nice, but EP's two-volume Jean Hersholt version illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg is better.

The Chronicles of Narnia: 4.5. This is also OOP, and people seem to be asking ~$100 on the secondary market. It has an amazing cover design and decent font size, but the Pauline Baynes illustrations are incomplete (only one per chapter).

Bulfinch's Mythology: 4.5. Bulfinch's treatment of Classical myths is justly considered obsolete, but he also covers the Matter of Britain and Matter of France. This edition illustrates his three subjects with a grab bag of public domain art.

The Wizard of Oz, The First Five Novels: 4.5. Large font, unique emerald "gilt". The only flaw I've noticed is that the original color plates have been reduced to 3/4 page B&W.

Charlotte's Web: 4. Collects E.B. White's Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and Trumpet of the Swan with the original illustrations. Large font, would be perfect if it wasn't printed on see-through paper.

Gray's Anatomy: 3. An obsolete edition of a med school textbook still being published today, presumably justified by its illustrations.

Also just released is an edition of Malory's Morte D'Arthur with Rackham illustrations. I have yet to see it in stores.

THE UN-ILLUSTRATED

Foundation Trilogy: 4.5. This is one of my favorites, with the largest print I've seen. It's a great deal compared to EP's version.

Dune: 4. Generous but not large font (12 point?), otherwise see "Foundation".

Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land: 4. Similar to "Dune".

H.G. Wells, Seven Novels: 4. I think this went through two covers and is OOP, my copy being the original purple leather blocked with designs in silver, copper, and black leather. Surprisingly readable for including so many novels.

The Bronte Sisters, Three Novels: 4. As above, but less crazy cover. However, EP has put out Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights with excellent illustrations.

Ernest Hemingway, Four Novels: 4. Another multi-novel collection with decent font size. However, this is one of the few where the bonded leather cover manages to look like vinyl.

One Hundred Years of Solitude: 4. OOP. Would be perfect if not for the "vinyl" cover. EP's is to be preferred, at a competitive price.

H.P. Lovecraft, Complete Fiction: 3.5. If you want ALL of Lovecraft's fiction in leather, this may be your only choice. Font size is a bit small, cover as Hemingway and OHYoS.

The Count of Monte Cristo: 3.5. I bought this one before noticing that EP has a single-volume edition with the same font size, illustrated.

Picture of Dorian Grey and Other Works: 3. OOP. Oscar Wilde's only novel, short story collection, fairy tales, and complete plays. Not bad, not great.

I skipped the Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Dickens, and Mark Twain volumes, which I browsed and would rate 1.5/5 for their unwieldy size and microfont. Jules Verne is similar and suffers from how poorly-served he was by pre-1923 translators, so 1/5. Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and The Iliad and Odyssey fare a bit better font-wise, but also have bad translations (Garnett and Butler's prose translation), 2/5.

I hope these reviews are helpful.

> 106

Your first three images are what I would consider micro-print (i.e., unnecessarily and quite often just uncomfortable to read). I agree, EP does print overly small fonts, as well. Their Harvard Classics line is a great example of their micro-print.

It's unfortunate but a lot of reviewers here suffer from sort of superiority complex about owning EP/FS books.

I do not live in the US and by the time I order and ship these B&N books, they work out to about 35USD... I can't imagine how much EP & FS would cost to do the same. Do I think EP & FS are higher quality? Most times maybe but not always. Does that mean they're the only good books on the market? Absolutely not. These B&N books, while not of the highest quality, are certainly better than your mass published paperbacks and cheaper hardbacks, they have beautiful illustrations, gorgeous covers and are a fantastic price. They may not be outstanding in ever category but they are a great value for what is being offered and not a bad place to start your own library.

You can like something without having to bring something else down to make your choice seem better.

One reviewer called the B&N emerald gilt Wizard of Oz the "Ugliest cover I've ever seen; I hope they reissue it with nicer cover art. Not buying it until they do."

Pretty harsh.

I personally love B&N leather editions for the bindings, although Calla gives you more bang for buck (speaking of Calla, I noticed they finally did Pogany's Rime of the Ancient Mariner!).

Yep, I saw that review as well. The colours are beautiful, as is the gilt, but the central cover image is on the less attractive side. Nevertheless, it's still a great value and I'll probably get it.

I'm interested in hearing from others who collect and appreciate this series - what titles would you like to see released? I'm thinking the following:

- War & Peace by Tolstoy
- The Phantom of the Opera (Leroux)
- Madame Bovary (Flaubert) or maybe just a collection of French Classics
- Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
- Wilkie Collins collection
- DH Lawrence collection
- Vanity Fair (Thackeray)
- Animal Farm & 1984 (Orwell)
- Edith Wharton Collection
- The Lord of the Rings/Hobbit (Tolkien)
- Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
- Agatha Christie Collection (Something akin to the best of Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot)
- Thomas Hardy collection (or at least the Wessex stories)

>109 Archangel-Michael: "H.P. Lovecraft, Complete Fiction: 3.5. If you want ALL of Lovecraft's fiction in leather, this may be your only choice. Font size is a bit small, cover as Hemingway and OHYoS."

Centipede Press published an extra-illustrated deluxe limited edition of Lovecraft. If it is not his complete fiction, it is very close. It is OOP and expensive.

>113 Alixxx: More Gustave Dore books beyond the Holy Bible and Divine Comedy would be highly welcome.

>114 ultrarightist: Thanks! I'll look that up to see what I can find out about the illustrations and completeness, though there's no way that I could buy a copy...

Wishlist:

Don Quixote
Canterbury Tales
Flannery O'Connor Collection
Albert Camus Collection
The Sword of Shannara
Bleak House

Yes, the Book of Kells is in Latin. But if you can read Latin, there's no problem. :) I bought The Book of Kells mainly because I knew I would likely never have another opportunity to own the entire work in print, much less in as nice an edition as EP has offered.

I do collect Folios... honestly, I like some of the B&N editions more than their Folio counterparts.

I have every B&N collectible so far save only a few. (can't bring myself to buy that Book of Prayers or whatever it is with NLT and Message "translations"... no thanks).

Unlike B&N, I have to be more selective about which Folios I collect. That doesn't mean my wishlist isn't a mile long, though.

EP... has to be way worth it.

The other books I collect are from all over the place, mainly from small printing companies and old-book sellers. If you're Catholic, Baronius Press has some really fine books.

I prefer the medium format books in this series over the larger ones. I think I'm alone in that, and I like both, but the medium sized ones are more elegant to me. The larger, more whimsical. (By medium I mean the ones like Jane Eyre and Frankenstein size.)

Anyway. Has anyone else noticed that the newest editions in this series are paperback leather? I was in BN today and picked up the purple Dorian Gray, and it flexes in my hand. Also picked up Dracula and Frankenstein, and they are also paperback now. Just about identical to the older version, but flexible. I was surprised. $10. Leather wrapped over paper, it seems. I'm not complaining. Just different. I was going to pick up the new Alice's Adventures but it wouldn't match my set so I decided against.

So when they read "paperback" on the website, they're not kidding.

I'd love to see interior pics of the new books, if anyone has any. Le Morte d'Arthur, for example. Thanks.

They've changed the cover of the large Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales. It's pretty but so was the original. Here's a link - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grimms-complete-fairy-tales-grimm-brothers/11198...

Hello, new member here. For many years I wanted to build a nice library in my home, but the finances involved in raising three children kept pushing that to the back burner. Now that my youngest is heading off to college in the fall, I have turned my attention back to library-building. I've been intrigued by the B&N Leatherbound Classics each time I've visited one of their stores, and when I received one for Christmas last year (The Complete Sherlock Holmes) I was hooked. In the months since, thanks to a B&N membership, Father's Day gifts and their recent Buy One Get One 1/2 Price sale I've managed to acquire a good number of them. So far, I haven't found any that are of poor quality; to the contrary, they seem to be fairly well put together. Other than the inconsistency of the paper and type sizes used (to which I say, making them all exactly the same would be somewhat boring), it looks to me like a good set to begin building with.

Here's my question: Is there a comprehensive listing anywhere of all the titles they have released over the years? Their website seems to show only the ones they either have in stock or the ones that are available through their "Marketplace" vendors...what I fear is that once all those sources are exhausted, a title will simply "disappear" from view. Thanks!

Hi MJBernier. There isn't a comprehensive listing anywhere to my knowledge, but I do think if you sift through the repeats of various printings etc on the site, you may be able to narrow it down to the full list. As far as I can tell, the books aren't removed once OOP.

The key is differentiating between the main omnibus line, the smaller single-story collection and the children's collection. And also now, the pocket book line - The Book of Psalms, Romeo & Juliet etc.

My main interest lies in the large omnibus editions. There's a list here that might be of some use: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/21570.Barnes_Noble_Leatherbound_Classics

B&N Leather Bound Collection aren't bad and if I was on a tight budget they would be my go to books for collecting, but that's not the case so I will continue collecting and reading my beautiful Easton Press Leather Bound books. If you like the look and feel of leather bound books, give Easton Press a chance if you haven't done so already!

@TolkienFan - My apologies if I come across as rude, but the question must be asked - why must you always put down others books in favour of EP? This is the FIFTH time you've chosen to criticise these B&N books in this thread (despite not owning any). You've made your point abundantly clear, so I don't understand the need to constantly bash these (and other publisher's books).

For whatever reason, be it geography as in my case, or cost or personal preference, some of us like these B&N books and chose to buy those instead of EP. Quite frankly, your attitude is unhelpful and I'm sure you would feel most insulted if your EP collection was constantly downplayed against better quality books like Folio Society for example. Just let it go... snobbery isn't a good look on anyone.

:rant over:

Hi Alixxx, and thank you for your response. Like you, my interest is in the large omnibus editions, and after a lot of work with the listings on the B&N site I've sorted out a list of those. If you're correct in that the OOP books aren't removed from the site, then I may be okay with what I have. I'll also give the Goodreads site a try; I haven't been there in a long time.

I've seen the single-story editions; they strike me as mostly being geared toward younger readers. And those pocket-sized books are interesting as well; I noted that they just added one of selections from Robert Frost's poems.

If I have succeeded in my efforts and have a good list, would anyone else be interested in me publishing a copy?

You're most welcome, MJ. I was also going to suggest the readers here compiling a list but if you've already done the hard work, then I for one would be glad to see the list published. Personally, it would be a very helpful point of reference in realising which volumes I plan on getting.

Tolkienfan, I'm still fairly new here, but I do understand that different publishers offer varying levels of quality for the same basic product; it's pretty much the same in any industry. And like other industries, I'm sure each publisher has their legion of followers who prefer their products over others. I've never owned any Easton Press volumes, but I have had an opportunity to peruse a copy or two and I will agree they are very well made. Are they worth the additional cost (sometimes 3-4 times as much as the B&N editions)? I guess that depends on your tastes (champagne vs. beer) and your financial situation (more vs. less disposable income). For my purposes, the B&N books are just fine; for you, it's the EP books. If that's what you want and you've got the resources, by all means go for it...but please don't look down your nose at those who don't share your tastes or cannot compete with your budget; if our positions were reversed, I'm sure you'd feel the same way (although I'm guessing you might not be willing to admit it).

I don't know why you guys think I'm coming across harsh or rude about a my post that was not meant to be rude, snobbish or degrading in any way. I am just sharing my feelings, passions, and personal opinions which is what I thought this site was for. Please forgive me if I offended anyone. Each to their own what they like and collect, I'll keep all future comments to myself in order to prevent my head from getting chewed off.
Cheers!

The EP versus B&N battles might lessen a little if the B&N enthusiasts started a B&N classics Group on LT. It sort of makes sense that conversations/threads sprout up in the EP Group since the target markets are similar but technically, they're all "off topic". A separate Group would be really nice because it would help spread out really long threads like this one into separate, shorter one's. With all these pictures, it takes forever to load the page, too!

treereader, that makes perfect sense to me. I basically stumbled across this discussion thread after looking for more information about the B&N books. I'm not trying to get on the wrong side of anyone; if someone who's more knowledgeable about how to start that group could do so (I'm still trying to figure out what's where out here), I'll be happy to move along.

@treereader - That's a perfect idea. That way we can have individual review threads on each on the books. There'll be more pictures and in-depth reviews etc.

Is there any way to start a B&N Leatherbound group?

Ironically, I started collecting EP books after finding this thread about the B&N leather books. I see no reason they can't co-exist in one's Library. :) In fact, I believe the B&N Lovecraft Omnibus is the most complete available in leather (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Just fyi, many books from both manufacturers are available on eBay for less than $30.00 if any of the B&N collectors are looking to expand. Heck, I found about 10 EP books at a Flea Market once for $8.00 each. Also, if you get a copy of the B&N Narnia Chronicles, you might want to hold onto it....they seem to be very hard to get now.

>130 Alixxx: "Is there any way to start a B&N Leatherbound group?"

https://www.librarything.com/groups_edit.php

> 131

Oh, I absolutely agree that we should be discussing various publishers in all of these EP/FL/LEC/GC/AP/CP/B&N/etc forums. We generally have great discussions from the compare and contrast of various books. More often than not, someone or several someone's discover that they'd rather have some other press' version of a book than the one they were about get or already had, whether it be due to beauty, completion, translation, materials, or whatever. So...don't anyone stop crossing over the Group lines to share!

As for the B&N books, I think a separate Group would help improve their image and bring about better discussions on their content, quality, variety, etc... These books fit in somewhere amongst all of these nicer-than trade presses, otherwise they wouldn't still be sold.

> 132

hahaha, thanks! I had no idea how or even if a regular user could create a new Group. It was a shot-in-the-dark type suggestion.

I have no issue with discussing B&N books in this forum. I agree that there is a lot of overlap between the various current and past publishers of fine books, and cross over serves to make folks aware of the various editions of a novel, further educating bibliophiles.

I'll be happy to discuss them wherever it's most helpful, whether it's here or in another group. However, there's one item I'm not sure about:

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have compiled a list of all the B&N Collectible Editions I can find. It's quite a collection - 144 leatherbound books across the various sizes/formats - and I'll be more than happy to share it. I'm hoping by doing so others will come forward and help fill in the gaps I'm sure exist. There are also some unusual things about the collection that I found during my research; hopefully someone can help me understand what's going on.

I'm wondering if this is something that would benefit from being placed into a separate group/forum? That way it can be dissected, discussed, and (most importantly) maintained without overwhelming this one.

Thoughts?

Thanks for compiling a list. It's something that I've always wanted, though I'm a bit apprehensive about finding out how many titles are already out-of-print.

I suggest sharing it here for the time being. Who knows when/if a B&N forum would be created and whether it will be as active as this one. I also don't mind discussing B&N Collectible Editions here.

This will get you 99% of the way toward a B&N collectible classics list. On each book's page there is a link to the collection. So if this link doesn't work, just find one of the books on the website and click the link in the description. I can only find a very small amount of missing books, such as an earlier edition of Alice in Wonderland (before the pink one). The count varies, but right now it's showing 138. Note that some books which are out of print still show here (and some do not).

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Barnes%20&%20Noble%20Collectible%20Editio...

Thanks, SgtStryker! That's pretty close to the search I used to build my list. Yours picked up two that I somehow missed - the First Communion Bibles (in two colors, white and blue). Tracking by ISBN that brings my total count to 146, but that includes all the re-issues of titles they've made over the years (using your Alice in Wonderland example, there are at least 5 different ISBNs, four of which are what I would call "children's" editions because they contain only two stories (Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass) whereas the other one is a more complete collection of Lewis Carroll's works (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Other Stories) - and as you said, that's the pink one, with no references to an earlier edition to be found.

That's actually the part I'm getting confused with - B&N has been re-issuing some of these books over the years, but their timing and logic in doing so doesn't follow any pattern I can find. Going back to those four children's editions of Alice in Wonderland, the first three ISBNs were issued on 9/25/2012, 4/4/2014, 3/27/2015, and another one is due out tomorrow (7/3/2015). Why would they go to all the trouble to register additional ISBNs for the same book only months apart? Was there something wrong with the earlier ones? If you're trying to collect a set of these (like I am), you don't know whether to get one or all of them.

The new site is a little confusing. It makes OOP books appear to be in stock as it lists the original selling price as though the book is available directly from B&N at that price.

Interesting new release - Doctor Who!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/doctor-who-abnett-dan/1121131994?ean=97818499098...

My daughter is a huge fan of Doctor Who and she would really like this, so thanks for posting this.

You're welcome!

I wish B&N published in their Collectible Editions series an Earthsea omnibus with the five novels (A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu and The Other Wind). And the other 5 Dune novels. And the Space Odyssey tetralogy.
There's no expense in dreaming, I guess.

They are slowly changing all thir covers - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/barnes+%26+noble+collectible+editions+?No=0&...

I'm not sure if I like the new style.

An apparently recent release - A Wrinkle in Time Trilogy by Madeleine L'Engle. I went ahead and ordered that one.

Honestly, I really wish they'd stick to those sorts of releases. Classics are great and all, but there are already so many nice looking options (Heritage, Franklin, LEC, Penguin, Everyman, LOA - almost everyone does classics). There are already so many different releases of Jane Austen's works, etc. Releasing a cheap microprint omnibus edition is not terribly useful.

But modern fiction? Yes, please! Wicked, American Gods, Chronicles of Narnia - it's great to be able to get cost effective yet attractive editions of those kinds of works. I'll just have to make a habit of paying attention to when they come out with a new one, so I can snatch it up before it goes out of print (Narnia, looking at you).

That said, I'll take it all back if they're willing to reproduce all their classics in the style that they did Aesop's Fables. I love fables and folklore, but Aesop's isn't usually my favorite. But I keep taking down the book anyway because it'd just so darn pretty! Here's some pictures:









Those are pretty poor pictures - doesn't do the book justice at all really.

The print is a good size, there's plenty of whitespace as well as an attractive border around all the text, and there's an illustration on almost every single two-page spread. That said - not necessarily a good children's book. There's at least one illustration showing a woman's bare breasts, and some of the other illustrations might be a little too violent for young kids.

The Arabian Nights is quite nice also, but Aesop's is a mile better even than that volume.

>145 LeHerself: I was shocked at the quality of their Aesop's Fables.....20 times superior to my Framklin edition which I sold. Sometimes EP and Franklin were chintzy in their offering such as Aesop, Rubiyat etc. but not B&N. I was also impressed by their Narnia in one handsome volume, Bulfinch Mythology and of course the unbeatable Star Wars. I also got HG Wells selling my individual Wells to get some nice EP DLEs. Then consider that wild Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy. They have some great product which I unabashedly display next to my EP and Franklins.

>145 LeHerself: Agreed Aesop's Fables is one of their best. Tons of illustrations and crystal clear text. I also have Folio's version but I read the B&N version to my nephew. I think I'm going to grab a wrinkle in time too and Neil Gaiman as this has been OOP for a while. Now I'm hoping they reprint the Stephen King book.

And I'm hoping for a reprint of Narnia and To Kill a Mockingbird instead of their constant reprinting of available titles e.g Grimms & Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales. That's probably hoping for too much though :/

The Snow Queen and Other Winter Tales

It's not visible on the B&N site but it can be found on Amazon.

And great news. They are releasing Moby Dick in October - http://www.amazon.com/Moby-Dick-Barnes-Leatherbound-Classic-Collection/dp/143516...

Lol, Moby Dick? I just checked and it looks like there are about 150 copies of EP's Moby Dick on ebay, many for less than $20.

I understand that it's cheaper and easier to publish out of copyright works, but maybe B&N could at least pick one that you don't have to almost pay someone else in order to get rid of?

I guess that's why they've published Jurassic Park, Dune, Ray Bradbury, Neil Gaiman, Wicked etc.?

Moby Dick is an American classic; it makes perfect sense to publish it in a collection of… classics! Honestly, it’s neither here nor there if EP has a copy of same as some of us are not EP collectors for whatever reason.

Alixxx - Thank you for the picture - I am looking forward to the B&N edition of the Snow Queen. Recently picked up the Wrinkle in Time volume, which is also very nice.

152: So if you're not an EP collector I'm curious what you're doing in the "Easton Press Collectors" group?

Also, I do think LeHerself makes a great point. Why would I want to pay for a cheaply produced in China mass-market book when for less money I can purchase the EP edition?

@astropi - I am posting here because the name of this forum topic is 'Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics'. I found this thread directly from a Google search and because it is the only detailed conversation on these books that I could find, I joined the site. I believe that I am on topic, however, should the thread become an annoyance to you, I'm sure you can simply ignore us as per the 'X' feature at the top of this thread.

In response to your last statement, I believe that you answered your own question. "Why would I want to pay for a cheaply produced in China mass-market book when for less money I can purchase the EP edition?" YOU would not do these things, but there are others who, for whatever reason will. I do not live in the US so EP books are completely inaccessible unless I pay very high shipping costs for a used book from Ebay. I'd personally rather not, and I do believe I am entitled to that preference.

EP books are perfectly lovely and I'll probably get around to collecting them one day, but seeing that I'm a mid-20 something with student loans, that time is not quite yet. Until then, these books will do just fine. I've read most all of them in cheap paperback format anyway, so their main purpose is shelf candy. And they're doing a pretty good job of that :)

Thank you for the kind remark MisterThreeSpeed. Glad I can add something to the discussion.

Please post pics of any of your recent purchases from this collection. I haven't found too many pics of the recent releases online.

>155 Alixxx:

No worries. This thread works just fine in this group. As there is not a 'Barnes & Noble' group, this discussion is welcome here.

-Shawn

>155 Alixxx: I appreciate your input and review of B&N. I got my start in decent books with International Collectors Library when I was in grad school. I still have some. I have collected Franklin and EP and now B&N which include some books not available from EP such as Star Wars and Jurassic Park. In addition some decent collections of short novels such as HG Wells motivated me to sell my individual Wells EP books, since I thought they were a better value on B&N. Finally some books like Aesop's Fable are far superior to my Franklin copy which I sold.

155: Alixxx, that makes sense. Sorry, I sometimes assume that most people here are in the USA, which is a bad assumption! I know there were topics on this, but how much is S&H for one book to where you live?

Also, student loans eh? These days, especially here in the United States, it's become a bit crazy. My suggestion, grad school. It's typically free and you get a stipend and you do awesome research :) In fact, now that I think about it, I'm disappointed I didn't go from high school straight to grad school :P

I dropped off a bunch of books for credit at my favorite local used book store today, and saw many of the Barnes & Nobel Leather-bound Classics for the first time.

I discussed with the book store owner ( a great guy ) these books, and he said they sell well. They seem to have found a niche, this is the same niche that in decades past was covered by Modern Library or Everyman's Library -- -inexpensive versions of classics that look good on the shelf. They don't really aspire to be much more than that, and nobody else is producing for this buyer.

>160 sdawson: I don't have more than a thousand dollars to spend on an out of print Divine Comedy EP DLE with Dore illustrations nor $1,500 for a wonderful FS 3 volume set. Franklin is still available but has only 43 Dore illustrations and the EP version has Blake illustrations. So I got the B&N edition with nice large print, attractive cover and all 135 Dore illustrations, all for $20. Quite frankly EP should have had a standard Famous Edition book in print of the Divine Comedy with all Dore illustrations in the $75 range. I am thankful for B&N.

>161 HugoDumas:

Totally logical. What do you think about the suggestion that B&N classics are the modern day's Everyman's Library or Modern Library -- inexpensive, attractive books?

>162 sdawson: actually a step up from my International Classics Library where I got my start. But yes an attractive alternative To Everyman (just read their excellent Camus). I think B&N should however reconsider publishing 8 massive novels in one physical book. HG Wells worked because the novels are short.

I think they're wonderful price-wise. I absolutely LOVE the FS Fairy books but at 100 USD per book + shipping from the US to the Caribbean and it would work out to be approximately $750 per book once the exchange rate has been factored in. Considering this is 10% of my net monthly income in a corporate job, you can see how unrealistic these are to collect at the moment.

I'll admit their covers are more leather than plastic, and yes, the gilt illustrations seem fragile but there is nothing close to these books in the same price range. Add in the sewn binding, lots of illustrations and the whimsical cover designs and it's easy to see their appeal.

But I agree that they need to stop with the massive tomes. It's why I haven't bought the Dickens or Austen collection yet. I can easily see the pages of those books slumping if stored vertically.

>164 Alixxx: even the big (War and Peace) novels by EP and Franklin slump over time, wearing off the bottom gilt. Franklin used to supply a small foam insert to prop up their really big books. I am blown away by their value....and some of their books are better than Easton or Franklin (such as non-DLE Divine Comedy, Aesop Fables and Bulfinch Mythology).

I did not know that! Thanks...I learnt something today :)

Unfortunately, EP and FS are completely unheard of in my country and I have never seen a large copy of either so I just assumed they wouldn't slump (due to their superior quality and all). I'm happy to hear that someone who has seen the BNLBCs, EPs and FSs and had the chance to compare all, can honestly say that the B&Ns can hold their own to some extent.

By the way, is there any solution to slumping? Aside from propping, I can only come up with storing thick books horizontally. What do you guys do to prevent slumping?

>166 Alixxx:
Regrettably, unless you have the shelf or table space to store large books horizontally, there isn't much you can do. I just let them slump. It might detract a little from the resale value, but I never intend to sell them.

Interestingly, it looks like Canterbury Classics is joining the fray with some new leather-bound/gilt editions this October ... Happy to see Les Miserables!

http://www.amazon.com/Miserables-Leather-Bound-Classics-Victor-Hugo/dp/162686464...

http://www.amazon.com/Le-Morte-dArthur-Leather-Bound-Classics/dp/1626864632/ref=...

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Tales-Horror-Leather-bound-Classics/dp/1626864659/...

Another new release:



Interesting that it comes out the same time as the Canterbury Classics version of the same title.

Great news!!!

B&N has reprinted the leatherbound edition of To Kill a Mockingbird. This has been OOP for a few years now and in the rare cases where it appeared on Ebay, sellers were calling upwards of 100USD for it.

Here's the link - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-kill-a-mockingbird-harper-lee/1100151011?ean=...

Now, if only they can reprint the Narnia book!

I just received my copy of Classic Horror Stories in the mail today and unfortunately have to report that it contains no illustrations and small, though serviceable, font size (as was to be expected). The stories themselves are all from the 19th and early 20th centuries, and while I do not intend on listing all 41 of them, if anybody has a query as to whether a particular author or story is included I shall happily answer.

I have a few of these and quite like them, especially for the price. Yeah, bonded leather isn't as fancy as real leather, but it is quite a bit more durable than regular hardcovers. I bought the BN Narnia when it first came out and toted it around on a vacation shortly thereafter, it's been through multiple moves that have dinged up other books (I was in college when I got it, so there was constant moving in and out of apartments for a while), it's been read several times, and it's still in great condition. Most of my, uh, classic classics are EP/Franklin/Folio but my genre classics are more often BN, just because they are offered at BN. And while Folio sometimes has them, they're often cloth or paper-covered hardbacks, which are just not as durable in my experience, no matter what they say. My grandparents collected Franklin Library books and had a number of Folio Society books as well, and covers of the Franklins and even International Collector's Library faux leather books (MUCH lower-quality than these BN things, imo) have held up better over time than the Folio books (all subjected to the same treatment of kid-me being the main reader 20 years ago, bringing them to school in my backpack and spilling chocolate milk on them. So, uh, really field-tested in a way most of you probably aren't doing with your books.).

I'd love an EP American Gods/Anansi Boys set to match my EP Neverwhere, but dropping $20 on the BN to replace my tattered paperbacks is easily worth it.

I am also happy that they have "Persuasion," my favorite Jane Austen novel. It is often overlooked when places do nice editions of the others - they get P&P, S&S, and Emma, and forget the one I most want! I have looked at EP's set of Austen novels but they never really appealed. I ordered the peacock P&P just the other day though - I would die if there was ever a Persuasion as beautiful as that.

>172 katielouise: I agree, persuasion is often underrated!
Although I think the overall quality of the BN leather books isn't that good, I do like how pictorial (if that's the right word) their cover designs are compared to some of the more sedate scrolling or stylized floral motif of some of the EP books

>172 katielouise: asburytr I disagree about your comment about EP. EP needs to keep their books classic and sedate to keep them classic looking in the first place and if they have pictorial decorations on their covers they also need to keep it classic and sedate. In my opinion, BN books look too busy for my taste and they do not look as "serious" in a classical sense as EP books and therefore, has no appeal to me. There are many other things, I do not like about BN books like quality and they are Made in China. You can't compare EP books to BN books, it's like comparing Mercedes to Ford.

>174 ramboknows: what do you think of the laminated illustrations on the front cover of some EP books such as the DLE of Count of Monte Cristo and Les Miserables not to mention the Wyeth illustrated classics?

I completely agree with you ramboknows that EP and B&N books are not comparable and they are in their own league and style when it comes to categorizing books.

I don't understand why they can't just whip up some line art that they can have gilded onto the cover. I really dislike the pictures. I mean, I wouldn't kick the 5-volume Les Miserable out of bed, but otherwise I am not really interested in the ones with pictures on the cover. Did you see the recent one with Queen Elizabeth on the cover? Do people REALLY want a coffee table book with a picture of an old lady who is not their personal grandmother on it?

>177 katielouise: I would have preferred a very fancy deeply embossed cover on the 5 volume Les Miserables and Count of Monte Cristo....but in the scheme of things these are still the finest productions of these novels in existence. By the way a gorgeous original near mint 5 volume Les Miserables leatherbound edition (Routledge 1887) does exist at an East Coast book store for $2,500. If I were employed I would buy it.

Sorry if it sounded like I meant pasted on images or something like that. I guess what I mean is something along the lines of the 100 greatest Ivanhoe (with lions rampant on the spine and lances on the boards), Brothers Karamazov (with what appears to be a stylized grouping of orthodox saints), and Paradise lost (a golden sun with rays decending down to two raised hands). While not too out there I like that these designs hint in some way at the contents and are visually intriguing and individually unique. Some of the barnes and noble books are garish, I agree. Some of them, though, I think could sit comfortably next o the EPs I just mentioned (in terms of attractive binding, not overall quality).
In any case, I think its nice that these b&n editions exist for a few reasons: they allow someone to have a slightly nicer copy of one of their favorite books without spending too much, and their existence proves people are still willing to pay for physical books, even slightly pricey ones (compared to a paperback)

While I don't collect the BN books, I am glad they are producing them. As was mentioned to me by my local book seller, they have grabbed a niche that is not being marketed to by other publishers, equivalent to the old Everyman's library.

Hardbound, real books of classic literature, for $25, with some thought to design. For the cost of taking your wife/girlfriend to a movie, one can have a great adventure on the shelf.

For those who have mentioned that they travel with their books in their backpacks (I do too), these may work better than more expensive options, while still providing the reader with the 'whole book experience' on the bus, or train, or plane. And while scuffed, crushed, cut, and otherwise marked in the process, they will still be in fine shape when they make it back to the bookshelf at home.

Regarding the 'laminated illustrations' on EP books, I do think they worked well for the Wyeth illustrated classics.

Regarding Mercedes and Fords, I have a Ford with 215,000 miles on it that I still drive each day :>

A new addition to the series:

Does anyone know if Barnes and Nobles has any plans to reprint the Chronicles of Narnia Leatherbound? Hitting myself on the head because I didnt purchase it when it was available in Australia, and now copies are $200+ online for good quality books. They seem to do alot of reprints for other books but so far Narnia has only had 1 :(

>182 Heather_and_Ivy: I do not know. But I could not resist and sold mine last week. Wish I would have purchased 50....but who would know it would be so hot. Beautiful book!

Thanks!

Just found out that they have reprinted To Kill a Mockingbird, so holding out some hope that it will be released around Christmas!

Also, BN have put up 3 new books for preorder:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/classic-american-short-stories-various/11234569...
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/star-wars-a-c-crispin/1125814088?ean=9780385365...
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-on-the-orient-express-and-other-hercule-...
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-christmas-treasury-various/1124690619?ean=978...
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-complete-adventures-of-curious-george-rey-h...
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/arabian-nights-barnes-noble/1115892173?ean=9781...

Definately looking forward to the Agatha Cristie edition and Star Wars! I was hoping that BN was going to release his works by character, but so far this looks like it will be a decent book.

Also seems like they are doing another edition of Arabian Nights... I hope the quality is the same as the original as it is one of my favorite books from BN.

Let me know what you all think!

I picked up a couple titles a few weeks back to read and their not bad to buy as a reading copy, but I don't plan on buying any more to collect and keep on my personal library shelves.

It's amazing to me as how someone like myself has a change of heart about the B&N Collectible Editions from 2015 until the present. I was reading my past posts today and did not realize how much I disliked the B&N books and could only brag on EP, but now I have purchased two B&N titles at the beginning of August and received two more in October as graduation gifts from my wife and I just ordered seven more titles on Black Friday. I have learned to appreciate the B&N Collectible Editions even more and plan on purchasing many more for my personal library. I am looking forward to collecting many more of the B&N titles since they are so much more affordable than my EP books!

I just received my B&N Collectible Editions in the mail last night and they are absolutely stunning. I am so glad I purchased these seven books and what a deal at $8 per book on Black Friday! I love the illustrations, detail, and color they put into these books which really make them pop on my bookshelves.

> 187

I received mine as well and am equally happy. Pretty excited to start reading The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh and Where the Sidewalk Ends to my newly arrived little one!

In terms of quality, they're not Easton Press. But they are definitely worth all of $8!

>188 mortalalliance: Congrats and enjoy making memories of reading to your kids and exposing them to reading at an early age. I agree with you concerning the quality in comparison to Easton Press, but at $8 you cant beat it! I bought a few for my daughter to give her on Christmas since she really loves reading and collecting books like her daddy.

I live outside the USA and thus cant see the books in store.
Does anyone have The Da Vinci Code/The Lost Symbol B&N Leatherbound Edition?
I want to know if it is of good quality and if the cover print will run off easily. Is the font size too small and pages too thin? I also want to see the endpapers and would like some pictures.