This topic is currently marked as "dormant"—the last message is more than 90 days old. You can revive it by posting a reply.
1Django6924
I received a flyer from the Folio Society last week about their new Limited Edition of The Golden Ass. It is priced at about $600 and has a limitation of 1000 copies. It is illustrated by Quentin Blake, who is one of the FS Illuminati, having illustrated some of their most popular works, including a Limited Edition of Candide which sold out in a matter of days. It features a new translation by E. J. Kenney, replacing the old FS Apuleius translated by Robert Graves (and illustrated by Michael Ayrton, who did some outstanding illustrations for the LEC Oresteia and their edition of Euripides' tragedies, and whose Apuleius illustrations are much, much preferable to Blake's in my opinion).
At $600, it is roughly 10 times the cost of a copy of the LEC Apuleius, and by my reckoning, not worth the difference. All criticism of art is subjective, and my taste isn't better than anyone else's, but I find the illustrations by Quentin Blake (an illustrator I usually admire excessively) to be totally wrong for this work. For one thing, they are in Blake's pastelish-watercolors, which are wonderful for the early Waugh novels, the Cyrano Voyage to the Moon, and Cold Comfort Farm, but don't lend themselves to Apuleius, which I think requires a firm line and black and white. I have never seen any others which seem so right as the ones Goodman did for the LEC, which Chris featured splendidly on his Books and Vines site:
http://booksandvines.com/2014/03/03/the-golden-ass-by-lucius-apuleius-limited-ed...
And far from being firm, Blake's lines seem wayward and capricious--even for him.
Still, the previous FS LEs illustrated by Blake have sold out and are highly priced on the online sellers' sites, so I imagine this will be snapped up. I already see on ABE a copy of this (which I didn't think was even available as yet) offered for close to $1000, so the speculators are at work. All I can say is that those who want a truly well-illustrated beautifully-produced limited edition of this work, can't go wrong with the LEC, and those who want a very nice reading copy, with idiomatic illustrations for the cost of a new paperback should seek out the old FS with Ayrton's illustrations.
At $600, it is roughly 10 times the cost of a copy of the LEC Apuleius, and by my reckoning, not worth the difference. All criticism of art is subjective, and my taste isn't better than anyone else's, but I find the illustrations by Quentin Blake (an illustrator I usually admire excessively) to be totally wrong for this work. For one thing, they are in Blake's pastelish-watercolors, which are wonderful for the early Waugh novels, the Cyrano Voyage to the Moon, and Cold Comfort Farm, but don't lend themselves to Apuleius, which I think requires a firm line and black and white. I have never seen any others which seem so right as the ones Goodman did for the LEC, which Chris featured splendidly on his Books and Vines site:
http://booksandvines.com/2014/03/03/the-golden-ass-by-lucius-apuleius-limited-ed...
And far from being firm, Blake's lines seem wayward and capricious--even for him.
Still, the previous FS LEs illustrated by Blake have sold out and are highly priced on the online sellers' sites, so I imagine this will be snapped up. I already see on ABE a copy of this (which I didn't think was even available as yet) offered for close to $1000, so the speculators are at work. All I can say is that those who want a truly well-illustrated beautifully-produced limited edition of this work, can't go wrong with the LEC, and those who want a very nice reading copy, with idiomatic illustrations for the cost of a new paperback should seek out the old FS with Ayrton's illustrations.
2parchmentredux
Or study languages and widen our horizon.
3Django6924
Interesting illustrations, though I still prefer Goodman's and Ayrton's.
I like the idea of learning other languages to read classic works of literature, but to learn Italian to read a work originally written in Greek, seems a little...I don't know? I think I'd rather learn Greek, but I think I needed to have started that 50 years ago. After all, I'm still trying to finish Proust!
I like the idea of learning other languages to read classic works of literature, but to learn Italian to read a work originally written in Greek, seems a little...I don't know? I think I'd rather learn Greek, but I think I needed to have started that 50 years ago. After all, I'm still trying to finish Proust!
4parchmentredux
An author/journalist (no name) in Stockholm who was very well read once suddenly did a thing that he was later very ashamed of. His neighbours heard a scream and a few seconds later the eight volumes of Proust landed in front of them while they were having coffee in the garden.
6leccol
I seldom step in and defend the Folio Society, but their edition of The Golden Ass, from the flyer I received, looks credible. I would argue that the LEC of 1932 is not 10x less than the FS edition. First of all, you must find a Fine copy for about $60. Next, almost all LECs of this year need rebound which would add another $500 to the cost. The LEC reviewed by Chris looks like it was owned by an automobile mechanic who liked to read classical literature while changing his oil.
My copy is near Fine except for the dirt encrusted deckle edges. I dislike those edges so much, it was all I could do to refrain from rebinding my copy, although I like the ass hide binding so much that to date I have done so.
In reading over the Folio flier I see that Indian goatskin was used as a binding. It looks like the British are going off shore from their little island to save on production costs. What happened to the Harmatan goatskin produced in England?
In any event, I think I will take a chance on the Folio book. I haven't bought a Folio edition in several years so maybe it's time to splurge on one. Then I can refrain from rebinding my ass hide book.
My copy is near Fine except for the dirt encrusted deckle edges. I dislike those edges so much, it was all I could do to refrain from rebinding my copy, although I like the ass hide binding so much that to date I have done so.
In reading over the Folio flier I see that Indian goatskin was used as a binding. It looks like the British are going off shore from their little island to save on production costs. What happened to the Harmatan goatskin produced in England?
In any event, I think I will take a chance on the Folio book. I haven't bought a Folio edition in several years so maybe it's time to splurge on one. Then I can refrain from rebinding my ass hide book.
7Django6924
>6 leccol:
I was lucky--mine's in As New condition, pure white, and even intact glassine (which is much thicker and stronger than was used in later years).
Let me know what you think of the translation--I can't get past those illustrations which just don't do it for me. I like Lindsay's for the LEC better than Graves' translation for the old FS edition.
I was lucky--mine's in As New condition, pure white, and even intact glassine (which is much thicker and stronger than was used in later years).
Let me know what you think of the translation--I can't get past those illustrations which just don't do it for me. I like Lindsay's for the LEC better than Graves' translation for the old FS edition.
8featherwate
>6 leccol:
Don, the Indian goatskin could well be supplied by Harmatan & Oakridge (as the company is now called) - their website says:
Don, the Indian goatskin could well be supplied by Harmatan & Oakridge (as the company is now called) - their website says:
"[Our] goatskins are sourced from India, all other items, including dyes, finishes, packaging, stationery are supplied by UK Businesses."Their tannery is about 30 minutes drive from where I live:
10leccol
I have used Harmatan goatskins to rebind more then 50 LECs. The sample board they sent me and their other literature all speak as Harmatan as coming from Nigeria and being processed in England. If they were going to Indian goatskins, I'm sure I would hear of it from my binder since all the East coast binders use Harmatan. All the Shiff LECs used Harmatan goatskin. Their Fine leather range consists of 26 different colors. Other skins are available in their Kaduna skins, their Katsina skins, and in a Morocco grain. I doubt if their Indian goatskins are available in such a wide range of skins, but the current situation in Nigeria may call for other skins to be developed.
Django, the binding on my Apueius is Fine, but not many are, I would hazard, also, all the ones I have seen lately are less than Good. You may also not find the deckled edges objectionable as I do. If I rebind the book so that the deckle edges are trimmed, I will lose the ass hide. By buying the FS book, I won't have to rebind the LEC. Many like the deckle edges, but I am one who doesn't. After fifty or more years they become encrusted with dirt and the pages are hard to turn. A binder tried to keep me from trimming the deckle edges. My reply to him was as Donald Trump says, "You're fired!".
Django, the binding on my Apueius is Fine, but not many are, I would hazard, also, all the ones I have seen lately are less than Good. You may also not find the deckled edges objectionable as I do. If I rebind the book so that the deckle edges are trimmed, I will lose the ass hide. By buying the FS book, I won't have to rebind the LEC. Many like the deckle edges, but I am one who doesn't. After fifty or more years they become encrusted with dirt and the pages are hard to turn. A binder tried to keep me from trimming the deckle edges. My reply to him was as Donald Trump says, "You're fired!".
11featherwate
>9 Django6924:
"Shortage of goats on the scepter'd isle?"
It must be 20 years since I last spoke to a goat or indeed even saw one outside a zoo. This is not because the goat population is falling, but because it is rising. Goats were never as popular in England as they were in many other countries, but the last couple of decades has seen their numbers rise sharply as their milk, cheese, fibre (Angora and Cashmere) and crucially meat have rapidly become more popular. As with other farm livestock this means they are increasingly being kept in large herds (1500 head) in a zero-grazing system - i.e., indoors. But there doesn't seem to be much interest in home-grown goatskin leather, except among long-distance/racing cyclists who use it to prevent their genitals from overheating.
>10 leccol:
"If they were going to Indian goatskins, I'm sure I would hear of it"
Don, I can only refer you back to the statement on the company's website. This change to India could be a very recent development, so it may be that Harmatan still have existing Nigerian stock to send out. Looking back 20 years or so, the Folio Society used to favour Wassa goatskins (from Ghana) through the 1990s and early 2000s and then switched quite suddenly to Nigeria. These changes could as you suggest be dictated by the political and economic situation in the country of supply.
"Shortage of goats on the scepter'd isle?"
It must be 20 years since I last spoke to a goat or indeed even saw one outside a zoo. This is not because the goat population is falling, but because it is rising. Goats were never as popular in England as they were in many other countries, but the last couple of decades has seen their numbers rise sharply as their milk, cheese, fibre (Angora and Cashmere) and crucially meat have rapidly become more popular. As with other farm livestock this means they are increasingly being kept in large herds (1500 head) in a zero-grazing system - i.e., indoors. But there doesn't seem to be much interest in home-grown goatskin leather, except among long-distance/racing cyclists who use it to prevent their genitals from overheating.
>10 leccol:
"If they were going to Indian goatskins, I'm sure I would hear of it"
Don, I can only refer you back to the statement on the company's website. This change to India could be a very recent development, so it may be that Harmatan still have existing Nigerian stock to send out. Looking back 20 years or so, the Folio Society used to favour Wassa goatskins (from Ghana) through the 1990s and early 2000s and then switched quite suddenly to Nigeria. These changes could as you suggest be dictated by the political and economic situation in the country of supply.
12leccol
I looked at Harmatan's website and they are still showing the 26 colors available in Nigerian goatskin. In addition, they are showing many colors in what they call French goatskin. These are available in many brilliant colors. I'm just guessing, but I believe high quality binders (such as Bayntun) would be averse to using anything but the best goatskins, whereby the Folio Society would use what they could make the most profit with. I ordered The Golden Ass so I'll check it out when it comes in JULY. If it hadn't been for the title, I wouldn't have ordered it. FS books still look machine made to me, and not being letterpress is another detriment.
13Django6924
>11 featherwate:
Before I become (almost) completely vegetarian (no red meat any more), I had goat in Morocco. I'm kind of surprised at the surge in popularity of goat as a culinary item (other than cheese), and feel rather sorry for the goats--particularly the ones who "are increasingly being kept in large herds (1500 head) in a zero-grazing system - i.e., indoors." I find this very cruel practice for any livestock, and it was one reason I started cutting out meat entirely except line-caught fish and free range poultry.
I realize this has nothing to do with Macy, or books--except in the practice of using hides for bookbinding. What has been done in the past is done, but I would as soon the ongoing practice were to cease. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, and I'm not saying it's right for anyone but me.
Before I become (almost) completely vegetarian (no red meat any more), I had goat in Morocco. I'm kind of surprised at the surge in popularity of goat as a culinary item (other than cheese), and feel rather sorry for the goats--particularly the ones who "are increasingly being kept in large herds (1500 head) in a zero-grazing system - i.e., indoors." I find this very cruel practice for any livestock, and it was one reason I started cutting out meat entirely except line-caught fish and free range poultry.
I realize this has nothing to do with Macy, or books--except in the practice of using hides for bookbinding. What has been done in the past is done, but I would as soon the ongoing practice were to cease. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, and I'm not saying it's right for anyone but me.
14HuxleyTheCat
>13 Django6924:
Robert, coming from a long line of dairy farmers, I have to point out that the zero-grazing system is an endemic practice in Western dairy production, so supermarket-purchased dairy products are all part of the same issue. But, as a friend of mine who has been a vegan all his adult life, and has dedicated his life to animal welfare, once said to me, every small step that someone takes is a big help.
Robert, coming from a long line of dairy farmers, I have to point out that the zero-grazing system is an endemic practice in Western dairy production, so supermarket-purchased dairy products are all part of the same issue. But, as a friend of mine who has been a vegan all his adult life, and has dedicated his life to animal welfare, once said to me, every small step that someone takes is a big help.
15Django6924
>14 HuxleyTheCat:
Fiona, it is very difficult for people to change a huge system such as agri-business, but thanks to the internet, it's easier to point out those who follow humane practices. In California, there is the Straus Family dairy, an organic dairy where the cows are pasture-fed. (Of course it's hard to know whether the cheeses I buy-- brie, parmesan, gorgonzola, etc.--are made from milk from pasture-fed cows.) There are also several small poultry farms in Altadena where the chicken range freely (sometimes to the delight of the local coyotes).
As you say, every conscious effort to do the right thing can make a difference.
Fiona, it is very difficult for people to change a huge system such as agri-business, but thanks to the internet, it's easier to point out those who follow humane practices. In California, there is the Straus Family dairy, an organic dairy where the cows are pasture-fed. (Of course it's hard to know whether the cheeses I buy-- brie, parmesan, gorgonzola, etc.--are made from milk from pasture-fed cows.) There are also several small poultry farms in Altadena where the chicken range freely (sometimes to the delight of the local coyotes).
As you say, every conscious effort to do the right thing can make a difference.
16leccol
You should try a non-animal cheese such as soy cheese. It makes a delicious omelet using egg beaters (cholesterol free eggs).
17parchmentredux
That's not cheese.
My favourite omelet: 2-3 eggs with some sea salt, I use Maldon. I fry it quickly at high temperature in a cast iron frying pan, using a mixture of butter, olive oil and coconut oil.
Filling: chopped spinach, heated with olive oil, coconut oil, butter and quite a lot of 40% cream. Black and white pepper and salt to taste.
On top of the omelet: plenty of Parmegianno.
My favourite omelet: 2-3 eggs with some sea salt, I use Maldon. I fry it quickly at high temperature in a cast iron frying pan, using a mixture of butter, olive oil and coconut oil.
Filling: chopped spinach, heated with olive oil, coconut oil, butter and quite a lot of 40% cream. Black and white pepper and salt to taste.
On top of the omelet: plenty of Parmegianno.
18leccol
I know it's not cheese, but it's healthy. Your omelet sounds like a disaster for those with high blood pressure and cholesterol. While I used to eat stuff like your omelet, and I'll admit it probably tastes excellent. I have gone through a complete revision in my diet since suffering a stroke in 1998. It's better to eat soy cheese and yokeless eggs and stay alive rather than succumb to circulation and blood pressure problems.
19BuzzBuzzard
>8 featherwate: You have no choice now but drive down there and inquire where they source their skins from.
>17 parchmentredux: >18 leccol: Perhaps we should open a culinary thread and share some recipes. Last night I got quite hungry after reading parchment's omelet recipe.
>17 parchmentredux: >18 leccol: Perhaps we should open a culinary thread and share some recipes. Last night I got quite hungry after reading parchment's omelet recipe.
20parchmentredux
> 19 What about "The Brillat-Savarin" thread with recipes or food from LEC books? I often get tempted to go out and by me some big bird when I read "At the Sign of the Queen Pedauque", and there are plenty of recipes in "The Flounder" as well. What the...let's do it.
21featherwate
>20 parchmentredux:
The list should surely include Shakespeare's signature dish, adapted from a capital old Roman pasty recipe in which a heady mix of ingredients are enfolded within a memorably rich Guilty Blood and Bone-Powder[TM] crust.
Best eaten cold.
Not recommended for those who have abjured red meat.
The list should surely include Shakespeare's signature dish, adapted from a capital old Roman pasty recipe in which a heady mix of ingredients are enfolded within a memorably rich Guilty Blood and Bone-Powder[TM] crust.
Best eaten cold.
Not recommended for those who have abjured red meat.
Join to post
