New FS Chinese publications

I just saw these on the FS website:

Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong for GBP 150, and

Masterpieces of Classical Chinese Painting for GBP 125.

Both offered at the customary 20% off new book discount, but with a further discount if both are bought together, for GBP 189.

They look GORGEOUS!!! I am completely ignorant about Chinese literature, but the book of paintings truly looks stunning and I am sorely, sorely tempted.

I know nothing of the Guanzhong book. But it seems such a good deal to get both together.... Does anybody with more knowledge know if this is a good edition and translation? And those with more knowledge of matters Chinese, do you think it is a fair price on the Masterpieces book?

Gosh, I wish I were in London to go to the MR to drool.... :(

EDITED to add links to these new publications:

http://www.foliosociety.com/book/THK

http://www.foliosociety.com/book/CCP

I am seriously tempted by Three Kingdoms. I love the Chinese classics. I wish FS would do the full Journey to the West rather than the shortened "Monkey" version they published some years back.

Oh, my. And I was doing so well, not ordering anything from the Advent sale or the current sale.

Three Kingdoms must be mine. I will have it, there is no doubt about that. The pricing in the U.S. is $220 for Three Kingdoms, $150 for the Chinese Painting book, and $325 for both.

I am actually less interested in the painting book, but if anyone in the U.S. is interested in that and wants to split an order to save the extra 10% (and we can work out the logistics, of course), just let me know. I know it's asking for a lot to think they might offer it as a free set with next year's membership, and I'm not sure I can wait that long.

This will be very hard to resist. There was a heroic chapter-by-chapter readalong over four threads in the Ancient China group about five or six years back, led by @jcbrunner.
Here's the first of the threads:
http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=18182
Skimming this will probably give a flavour, without being too much of a spoiler.

Edited to put in the link thingy to jcbrunner

I agree with all the comments so far; both of these will be very hard to resist.

Well thank you all for clearing up that mystery.

I was pleased that the Folio Society is offering a couple of new publications that for once I HAVE ABSOLTELY NO INTEREST IN. My wallet needs a bit of a rest, even given my considerable restraint during the last two sales. I doubt I will be so disciplined for the Spring Sale.

I was curious to whom these publications would appeal...evidently quite a few people with impeccable book taste. Thus the solved mystery. No judgements or criticisms of those excited about the new books, I'm excited for you if they do interest you. Just not even close to my cup of tea. Not even a beverage to me.

This one was easy. Took advantage of the combined offer and just placed my order.

>7 drasvola: I do admire your decisiveness, and I completely understand it too for this set. The four volume Three Kingdoms set looks utterly gorgeous, completely covetable. I love the Chinese woodcuts and calligraphy. And there are 280 illustrations throughout. And shimmering silky binding too. Sob.

> 8

Thanks. There's a hefty charge for shipping of the volumes, but it's a good idea to order from FS given the excellent customer support. And packaging has greatly improved.

> 6 Hahaha! I do understand you. I often feel like that when I read about people drooling over titles I have absolutely no interest in.

While I doubt I'd get the Three Kingdoms set, I am rather swooning over the beauty of the Paintings book. Well, what little you can see of it on the website. I am interested, but wish I could see more. That slipcase is stunning! If those of you who have ordered the book would share some pictures and your impressions with us, I'd be most obliged!

By the way I am not sure if it matters to anyone - the Paintings book has not been published by FS.

It is from Abbeville press, Folio Society sell several of their books.
And I have quite a few of them, they are good quality books even if not on FS level.

The Paintings book is available on Amazon for $130.

> 12 Why don't you think the Abbeville Press books are of a lower quality than FS? I've only one AP book (The Grand Medieval Bestiary) and I'd rate the quality of the book on a par with the FS and the slipcase superior.

>13 aaronpepperdine: $133 on Amazon vs $135 from FS if you buy both books. It looks like the FS has learned its pricing lesson when the same book is available on Amazon.

I have no interest in the painting book, but "Three Kingdoms" might be placed very low down on the wishlist.

Comparing with the west, Chinese has very few great classical fiction. among them , I would recommend

1, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio or Liaozhai Zhiyi (also Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio or Strange Tales of Liaozhai, traditional Chinese: 聊齋誌異)
2, The Red Dream House. (紅樓夢)

Both are from Qing dynasty. sadly, they are the only work they had complete ( the second one is not complete, some 20+ chapters are missing) , but they are good enough to rival any great novel around the world.

Now, if Folio had produced Strange Tales From a Chinese Studio, they'd have me, hook, line and sinker. As it is, I'm saved!

This offer is very tempting indeed. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of what are generally considered to be the four great classical novels of Chinese literature (known as the "sì dà míng zhù"). The other three are:

Water Margin (aka The Outlaws of the Marsh) - Anonymous (attributed to Shi Nai'an but disputed)
Journey to the West - Cheng'en (as referenced at >2 Quicksilver66: above)
Dream of the Red Chamber (aka The Red Dream House, as per >17 kafkachen:, or other variant title translations, including The Story of the Stone) - Cao Xueqin

I would love to see FS publish all of these. I also echo the recommendation of Strange Tales From a Chinese Studio as a great collection of (very) short tales, but the great novels would top my wish list first.

>13 aaronpepperdine: & 15

Looks like the FS version of the painting book has a wrapround hard case which the standard (Amazon) version does not. Can anyone confirm?

>20 SimB:

The Amazon (UK) listing says hardly anything about the book. I expect the rudimentary listing is the only reason no cover is mentioned there, as it does get referred to in the publishers' own description, http://www.abbeville.com/bookpage.asp?ISBN=9780789211071 , of the edition as offered by Amazon.

I'm really excited about the publication of the Three Kingdoms. It has long been one of my favourite work of literature and I'm glad to see it receive the Folio treatment!

If you have never read it, I encourage you to at least it give it a go. You might like what you read.

I'm curious why Folio chose Three Kingdoms over Dream of the Red Chamber.

I really hope Folio issues a collection of Tang Dynasty poetry. Or a volume featuring one of the greats of that era. Wang Wei, Tu Fu, and Li Po would all be lovely additions to my folio collection.

>23 menteith:

Maybe they will publish the Dream as well one day?
I am happy that they chose to publish the full translation of at least one of them - it was way overdue...

>23 menteith:
I would choose to publish 3 kingdom too, it is easy to get into the story without much background study on historic culture. as I finished it before junior high, but Red Chamber is a different bred. a story with no real bad guy in it. and lots of complex stuff (lots of poetry) that need additional help to comprehend.

But hey, if they ever going to publish it , better not put picture of insignificant characters on the cover again. for example, Lady Mi \ Lady Sun \ Deng Ai ?

For those works that are written in ancient Chinese , like poems or the Strange Tales From a Chinese Studio, translation would be a daunting task. impossible to keep the beauty of the original works.

>25 kafkachen: I think the lack of attempts at unabridged translations of the Chinese classics confirms that it must be a very daunting task indeed.

I know of only two complete English translations of the Three Kingdoms that have ever been published. One by Brewitt-Taylor in 1925 which I have read only in excerpts (and I believe is now out of print), and the Moss Roberts version from 1991 used by FS (which I have not read but I look forward to doing so, as it is supposed to surpass the Brewitt-Taylor version).

Unabridged translations of the other classics also seem to be very rare.

>26 Conte_Mosca:
Thanks for the info,

Do you know any good English translation for 'the Strange Tales From a Chinese Studio' ? I collect different version of it , including a facsimile of manuscript, all in Chinese, would like to check out an English translation.

>27 kafkachen: I am pretty sure there has never been an unabridged English translation. The original was in 16 volumes! There aren't many abridged translations around either.

I think the first attempt to translate a substantial selection was by Herbert Giles, who published a collection of 164 of the tales at the turn of the 19th century, and which is still in print.

A more recent abridged translation is that by John Minford, which is the version I own, and includes 104 tales (Penguin Classics 2006, 608 pages). Minford acknowledged a huge debt to Herbert Giles' original translation in his introduction which "represented Pu Songling in the West for well over a century". Minford goes on to quote Giles on his decision not to attempt an unabridged translation as follows (with a gentle chastisement for the limitations of taste at that time that this indicates) :

"I had originally determined to publish a full and complete translation of the whole of these sixteen volumes; but on a closer acquaintance many of the stories turned out to be quite unsuitable for the age in which we live, forcibly recalling the coarseness of our own writers of fiction in the eighteenth century. Others, again, were utterly pointless".

These are the only two in print English translations of which I am aware.

>28 Conte_Mosca: The Ancient China group is near the beginning of a readalong of this Penguin translation - only four stories in.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/148461

>29 affle: Great link, thanks! I always like a good read-along.

Just to add to my post at >27 kafkachen:, it is not necessarily a choice between either Giles and Minford, but worth considering buying both. From Minford's introduction, it is clear that only 31 of his 104 tales are included in Giles' 164. That means Giles includes 133 tales not covered by Minford (and 73 tales included by Minford not included by Giles). I am now highly tempted to buy a copy of the Giles translation as well (available from Tuttle Publishing), which will give me a combined total of 237 tales, almost half of the original number.

>31 Conte_Mosca:

Thanks again !
There are a lot of things I would like to share about this ghost story short fiction. but it would be too much off topic .

After the author pass away, it took more then 50 years for the book to be printed and published, before that, it was only hand copy. perhaps it will take longer to see an unabridged English translation.

Because most of them are ultra short , (the shortest story end with 25 words. might not be easy to do the same using modern language !) and written with ancient language, the Chinese version often publish in 1 to 3 volumes. I have a copy that are 24 volumes, printed in handwriting Chinese calligraphy.

Some tales are quite pointless, but the good one is brilliant. Many movies has been produce base on the story from it.

Kafkachen--and others--do come join us in the Strange Tales read-along! You don't have to read the book to join the discussion, as we end up talking about dozens of different things. Only be warned you may be spoiled for stories, if that matters to you.

I had the pleasure of a fleeting visit to the Members Room today, and had the chance to look at these new publications to help me decide whether or not to buy one or both.

Starting with Three Kingdoms, overall I am very impressed, and am pretty sure I will buy this set in the next few days. Indeed I am pretty sure had they had it in stock I would have walked out with it, but they are not expecting delivery until tomorrow so had to make do perusing the display copy. In the "plus" column, the vendome cloth binding is lovely, the woodcuts are wonderful, there are 13 maps (which really help!), and there are 10 pages at the beginning each with 4 woodcut illustrations of major characters from the book. Also, there are almost 70 pages of introduction / introductory essays. In the "minus" column is something I find quite frustrating. The endnotes are all at the back of the 4th volume, so until you get to the final volume you will need to have two volumes out at a time - not comfortable as these are pretty chunky books. It feels lazy not to have split the notes so that they are at th end of each volume, covering the content of that volume!

Turning to the Abbeyville book, the first thing that struck me was just how huge it is. It is another case of "where would I put it??". It was certainly bigger than I expected. If you can overcome that (and I am not yet sure I can), it is absolutely gorgeous. It is very difficult to describe, or even to get a proper sense from pictures. This is a book you have to "feel". It definitely feels authentically Chinese rather than handling a traditional Western book of art. The question I have to ask myself now is am I prepared to spend an extra £69 to add this to The Kingdoms. I am not yet sure...

>34 Conte_Mosca:

They had done the same for Pagans and Christians as well and probably for some other works split into volumes. It is a bad design decision but it makes it easier to publish I suspect...

>35 AnnieMod: It is bad enough when they put lists of contents for all volumes in only the first volume (e.g. the rather poor 3-volume Greek Myths and British Myths & Legends, giving more reasons to ensure you seek these out only in the single volume versions).

Doing this sort of thing in premium quality sets with an RRP of £150 is disappointingly poor practice. Penguin make a better job of producing cheap multi-volume paperbacks in this regard than FS does for fine edition hardbacks. It is lazy lazy lazy, and I don't expect laziness at £150 (or even £120 with the discount)

It is just as well this set is so lovely in most other respects so it is not enough to put me off buying, but it does get my goat...

>34 Conte_Mosca: I am currently reading Martin Gilbert's The Holocaust; and FS has, like Pagans and Christians, divided this work in multiple volumes with the notes at the end. It doesn't bother me, though, because the notes primarily consist of sources for statements in the work without any authorial commentary (as opposed to, say, the delicious footnotes to be found in Gibbon's Decline and Fall).

>38 podaniel: To be honest, I really wouldn't mind so much if the notes were principally source notes. I seldom ever refer to those anyway. But the notes for Three Kingdoms are high quality historical, cultural and symbolic contextual notes that are really needed to fully appreciate a work of such scope and with such a different cultural landscape to that which most FS readers will be familiar with. I really applaud including these notes - they should just be placed where they are most required. In the same volume as the text to which the notes refer.

>39 Conte_Mosca:

On the other hand, now you can keep the two books open instead of flipping between the start and the end to read the note.... :) Still would have liked them in one book but...

>40 AnnieMod: Good point. One of the main advantages of the FS Holkham Bible over the BL edition for me is being able to refer to the notes without having to flip back and forth in the one volume. Personal preference I know.

>41 HuxleyTheCat: Trust me, these volumes are too big to have two out at the same time comfortably when reading in bed (or on the sofa, or on the train...)!

>42 Conte_Mosca: A swift visit to the FS website and clicking on the previously ignored "more details" tab reveals 11" x 7.25". I see your point :o)

>42 Conte_Mosca:

I know. I was just trying to find the silver lining :)

>44 AnnieMod: Oh I can give you the silver lining. This is without doubt the finest version of Three Kingdoms ever produced in the English language (not surprising really as it is a title that has been woefully neglected in the West). It just could have been almost perfect...

...Now what I need is for FS to fill the void in respect of The Water Margin, seldom translated and seldom in print.

>45 Conte_Mosca:

I doubt that they will commission a translation... :)

>45 Conte_Mosca:

Instead of waiting for a good translation, it might take you less time to learn Chinese and read them in original language :D.

Works like The Water Margin and three kingdom is strong in plot. but some other, like the po songling, is characterized by its beauty of writing style. which would be completely lost in translation. even in a boring story, the way he render it will keep the spirit up. (btw , most Chinese today, will not be able to read them without a translation to modern langauage.)

One of the good source for better understanding 3 kingdom is the official history of 3 kingdom. (三國志) unlike the fiction, this one is written by historian to record the era from AD 184-280.

>46 AnnieMod: You are undoubtedly right. The effort required to translate these classics is such that "commissioning" translations is unlikely to be economically viable. I suspect that translations have to be labours of love undertaken over many years with no consideration of financial benefit, or subsidised academic and/or cultural programmes.

The only translation I know that was specifically commissioned by a mainstream publisher was the Dream of the Red Chamber. Penguin commissioned David Hawkes to translate this epic in 1970. Hawkes resigned his professorship to do so, yet it still then took him 10 years to translate the first 80 chapters (published by Penguin as the first three volumes of The Story of the Stone in 1973, 1977 and 1980). Hawkes' son-in-law, John Minford, then took over to translate the final 40 chapters, published by Penguin as volumes 4 and 5 in 1984 and 1986 respectively. That is a long time to wait for a new translation!

There have been translations of The Water Margin of course which FS could consider using. Here are my thoughts on their relative merits:

Pearl Buck - All Men Are Brothers (1933). No chance of FS using this version thankfully. It is terrible, and critically discredited. And thankfully long out of print. Read it by all means if you are a diehard Pearl Buck fan, but don't expect a good quality translation of Shuihu Zhuan. It is based on the 70 chapter version edited by Jin Shengtan, which frankly is another reason to avoid, even though many think that Shi Nai'an only wrote the first 70 chapters of the 100 chapter version, with Luo Guanzhong (the author of Three Kingdoms) writing the remaining 30.

J.H. Jackson - The Water Margin (1937). This version is in print and available from Tuttle Publishing. This is the version from which we get the title, The Water Margin. Surprisingly little is known about the translator. We don't know who he was, what he did, he has no other known published work, and indeed we don't even know if he is English or American. This is better than Buck's travesty, but is rather prosaic and unlikely to be the basis of any future publications. Too many anglophone terms and titles, such as "Mr Wu" and "Mrs Wang", or how about the stunningly awful literal translation of Ximen Qing to "Mr Westgate"! Again it is based on Shengtan's 70 chapter version.

Sidney Shapiro - Outlaws of the Marsh (1981). This is more like it! Whilst I have read as much of the above translations I can bear, this is the only version I have read in full, and it is very good indeed and suits my taste more not just in the better quality of the language, but by virtue of the fact that it is based on the 100 chapter version. It is also the version published by the Foreign Language Press (Beijing), the publisher who also published Moss Roberts' translation of Three Kingdoms.

John and Alex Dent-Young - The Marshes of Mount Liang (1994-2002). I am afraid that whilst I am aware of this translation, I have not read any of it, so am unable to comment on its merits. However, from the little I have seen written about it, it is supposed to be up there with the Shapiro translation in terms of quality, and maybe even better in terms of the vividness of the language to better reflect the original Chinese text. It is based on the 120 chapter version.

For balance, whilst I am not a huge fan of the Jackson translation, it is worth quoting the preface from the Tuttle edition of that translation which states "therefore despite the excellent contermporary translations of the editions by Sidney Shapiro and of John and Alex Dent-Young, this version translated in 1937 by Jackson and now rejuvenated in 2009 remains the definitive English edition of the 70 Chapter version". Mind you, that isn't saying much given the only competition there is from Pearl Buck.

So in summary, if FS decide to publish this, my vote would go with the Shapiro translation, but I would not be disappointed if they used the Dent-Young version based on its reputation and the fact that it uses the 120 chapter version as its basis.

>47 kafkachen: Kafkachen, I admire you greatly for your language skills, as you add a great new dimension to some of these discussions (including our read-along of Pu Songling on the Ancient China forum), but I am afraid that my intellectual limitations will mean I will forever be doomed to rely on translations, supported by your scholarly commentary on the originals :-)

Edit: typos

The Abbeville "Masterpieces of classical Chinese paintings" is a 2-year old book. I'm afraid Abbeville -- in cooperation with FS -- is trying to sell the remnants for a still decent price after which the unsold copies will be available for discount prices like $39.99. My advice: don't buy now, just wait.

> 12, 14
To me the quality of Abbeville's books is definitely below the standards of FS. Publishing a large volume on glossy paper (Audubon Birds of America, History of Rome in painting etc.) doesn't mean it's good by itself.

I have to confess that as a book lover but also as a printer, I rather hate glossy paper when it's used for CMYK (4 color offset) printing. It's like buying a glossy in the kiosk for $ 4.95: you get 192 shiny pages, say "Oh" and "Wow" until you have seen color reproductions printed in 8 or more colors on laid paper....

>49 islandbooks: I have to confess that other than size, I am not sure what extra I would be getting in terms of quality compared to, say, the anniversary edition of Hiroshige's One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, which is printed and bound in a similar fashion (or at least it seems so to me, owning one and having handled the other), and feels of similar quality, yet which only cost me £17 new on Amazon recently (see the link below which is where I found out about this lovely Taschen volume).

I wouldn't pay £125 for it, but am still undecided as to whether I should fork out the extra £69 to get it as part of the FS deal. That might be enough of a discount to entice me, as it is an attractive volume, whether of FS quality or not (and that is a tricky comparison to make as it cannot be compared to any FS publication I know).

http://www.librarything.com/topic/83819

>49 islandbooks: I love Taschen's anniversary editions for pure bang-for-the-buckness, but I must say the first edition, in which Hiroshige's art is reproduced at full size, is the one to compare with Abbeville's. I recently purchased a new, unused copy in Taschen's original box for $140 (thanks to the same LT topic). It's absolutely gorgeous, easily one of the most beautiful books I own. I consider it as gorgeous a piece of book-binding and printing as any Folio LE. I'm tempted to add the Abbeville to my shelf as a companion piece, but I'm wary that it is not of the same quality as Taschen's.

>51 britchey: I did consider the full size edition as one of our lovely FSDs pointed me in the direction of a bargain copy, but to be honest the size put me off, something that worries me a little about the Abbeyville publication. I just struggle for space (and my wife struggles for patience) for any more outsized books, and the anniversary edition is just the perfect size for me.The fact that I save a lot more money is an added bonus!

>52 Conte_Mosca: Absolutely, if space is limited, the anniversary edition is a wonderful edition to own. It is printed and bound with the same care and quality as the full-size. For me, space is not so much an issue right now (will likely be when I eventually have to combine my library with my girlfriend's) and I couldn't resist having these lovely images in full-size.

I'm now seeking out a nice edition of Hiroshige's Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido. Seems much harder to find anything close to this quality.

Also, if you're a fan of Hiroshige, I highly recommend The Sketchbooks of Hiroshige published by George Braziller. The 1984 first edition comes in two cloth-bound, fan-folded volumes in a nice slipcase. A very lovely set with an unusual printing/binding method, and can be found in fine condition for less than $100. If you don't mind a couple sticker stains on the back of the slipcase, here's a perfectly good copy on ebay for $23: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sketchbooks-Hiroshige-Hiroshige-Ando-Japanese-art-/15098...

I'd like to ask, regarding the notes for Three Kingdoms, are these the same as in the 2 vol. "Chicago" edition? That one had historical notes, an afterword by the translator, and some commentary on the different versions and translation details, I think. I hope all this is here as well...By the by, that 2 vol. edition includes all these notes at the back of the second volume, alas.

>Conte_Mosca

Thanks for your compliment, It is my pleasure to get the perspective of reader from different culture .thanks for the information of translations .though I might not be able to get them at local bookstore.

So much for trying to resist. Got the Three Kingdoms...

>56 AnnieMod: Me too. If it makes you feel any better I not only succumbed to Three Kingdoms, but decided to add Masterpieces of Classical Chinese Painting after all. Now to think of a cunning plan to sneak it unnoticed into the house!

I have zero interest in painting (or books with them) so that was never a possible purchase... :)

>49 islandbooks: Abbeville's "Masterpieces of classical Chinese paintings" uses non-glossy paper, also French fold pages.

Has anyone yet received a copy of Masterpieces of Classical Chinese Painting? I would be very interested to read a review of this book, its presentation and contents.
The FS price is quite good (from an Australian perspective - AU$146) compared to other retailers. I can get it for about $10 less elsewhere, but would rather pay the small amount extra for the FS service.

I've received Masterpieces and The Three Kingdoms. Surprising editions indeed. The binding of Masterpieces is very different from anything I've seen before. The pages are folded and individually attached on the left by holes and string with large and wide stitches showing. As you turn the page you realise that it is double (i.e. a folded sheet). The feeling is also not at all like touching paper more like some synthetic material...The illustrations are magnificient.

The cloth used for the binding on the four volumes of the set is described as 'vendome' and the surface is not smooth but irregularly wrinkled. Truly this is a different Folio treatment!

Something tells me that there are going to be problems with the shipment of the four-volume set. It is very heavy and the box being loose in the white bag it is liable to sustain a lot of banging around. My books were not damaged but the slipcase was ripped at the top back edge. Fortunately it wont be seen after careful glueing.

> 62
For what these books cost, Antonio, you should not have to re-glue a slipcase together. I would request a replacement. They really need to improve their shipping and packaging to cut down on the cost of replacements. Until all members with damaged books start speaking up at the time they receive them, Folio will never learn the extent of the issue and people like me will continue to appear like a cranky, squeaky wheel.

> 63

I wouldn't think that you are being cranky, Sean. It's just that the hassle of asking and waiting for a replacement when the books are perfect and the back of the slipcase doesn't show add up to stress that I try to avoid. Clearly, a heavy cardboard box loose inside a large mailing bag is not the best way to send this set.

>63 UK_History_Fan:, 64 I am glad I am one of the lucky ones who is able to collect in person - I pick up my copies of the box set and the Chinese Paintings book from Eagle Street on Wednesday. I stopped having FS books sent by post a long time ago, having received some very bizarrely packaged items (huge boxes far too big for the books, which then rattled around loose with consequential disaster to a number of slipcases and the occasional book too). I do realise though that this is a luxury that most aren't able to enjoy, so FS really should sort this out. I thought there were signs of improvement but clearly there is still a way to go.

> 61, 62 - Good to hear that these books are being shipped, but bad to hear that you received a damaged slipcase. The mail bags do worry me, as they seem to invite postal workers to throw them around. My own order of The Three Kingdoms (and a few from the winter sale) still shows as "items pending" on the FS web site, as I'm sure it will even after they are delivered.

The "irregularly wrinkled" covering does have me concerned, though, that repeated removal from the slipcase will wear down the higher parts and result in an unattractive book. I hope my fear is overblown.

By the way, I went to the Post Office on Saturday to pick up a package (not books this time), and the lady at the counter said "Oh, you're the guy who gets those big bags of books from the U.K., aren't you?". I guess there aren't many Folio members here in South Dakota, so the few of us tend to get noticed. I spent some time describing FS to her and another postal employee, and suggested they check the web site.

> 64
I see your point. I do wish, they would simply manufacture extra slipcases and send those out separately when only the case has been damaged during shipment. They used to do this (though the replacement slipcase I received for my Oscar Wilde 3-volume set was in fact the slipcase to a Winston Churchill set!). But alas, whenever I have suggested this, they state they have to replace the entire set.

I suppose I should be thanking you Antonio for not making the "society" incur additional costs which ultimately must get absorbed by the members. That is why I am so insistent with Folio that they fix this problem. The books, lovely though they are, are already expensive enough without risking adding to their future cost for some completely avoidable expenditure (replacement books).

> 67

Agree totally with you, Sean. Sending a replacement slipcase would appear the rational thing to do. Folio may end up deciding one day that different sets require different handling.

PS I have, of course, asked for a replacement when a book was damaged.

My set arrived with lots of bubble wrap and no damage to books or slipcase. I don't understand the purpose of the superfluous white postal bag as it just makes it easier to sling the box around in a decidedly unhealthy (for the box) manner.

>69 kdweber:

This is not Folio but the Postal service - it is their attempt at water-proofing (and weight distribution for the people that need to move the packages - at least the latter sounds more logical to me). Any of my bigger packages from UK arrives this way.

>69 kdweber: - Back when I shipped a book to Spain (guess who that one went to), putting it in one of those bags was the lowest-cost shipping option. I don't know what the rates are in the U.K., of course, but it might be the cheapest option there as well.

More on The Three Kingdoms:

It's going to be a formidable reading task. There's a total of 1525 pages sequentially numbered from vol. 1 through vol. 4. The introduction, not included in the total number, adds another 82 pages. The text notes are not numbered, pages showing symbols, and are all included together at the end of vol. 4! The notes alone add up to 152 pages.

Edited to clarify system of text notes

Enabled once again! After these descriptions I cannot resist and am ordering. The FS gains yet more revenue from me!