War and Peace: Ultimate Edition?

Hi Everyone,
I was just cruising the folio website for the first time in quite a while--school/work nagging as it does--and came across the new War and Peace in the two volume Pevear translation.

Has anyone out there bought this edition? Or better yet, compared it with other Folio WP offerings? I can't decide what I think of it--the folio site's photo of the covers is poorly angled, but as it is I'm sadly underwhelmed with the ketchup and mustard cover scheme and sketched figures. Again, this may just be the photos--it wouldn't be the first time...

...Which leads me to ask all you Folioholics, what you consider to be the "best" edition of War and Peace to be? I'm including Franklin and Easton and all the other limited edition presses: Construction, materials used, illustrations, etc. And of course most WP fans have a favorite translation they prefer...

(I'll try and not open THAT can of worms--but for anyone interested, it's a fascinating debate)

I am curious as well. Been looking to add War and Peace to my collection but I just can't decide between the Maude translation and the P&V translation, let alone have an ultimate edition!

My opinion, FWIW:

I greatly favor the P&V translation over the Maude translation. The nicest edition of the P&V translation is the recent Folio Society edition.

If you favor or have no objection to reading the Maude translation, the six-volume set of 'War and Peace' by the Limited Editions Club gets my vote as the nicest fine press edition.

I have the Folio P&V War & Peace and I think it's lovely. I prefer their translations in general, and i find the book design to be beautiful in person.

I favour P&V as well, which leaves me with the (very nice) new edition as my only real choice. The binding is handsome and the illustrations strike me as both fitting and memorable.

I love my new PV 2 volume set. They are a very trusted pair for translating and I love their translation of Anna Karenina as well. The colour scheme is not mustard and ketchup. It is black, gold and red; the colours used most often in Icons, nesting dolls, anything of Russian Lacquer. Gold represents the richness of the aristocracy, the divine, the splendor of God. Red is used to depict passion, love, life and also blood and resurrection. Black is the colour of death, both physical and the death of a way of life. So I think the colour schemes were perfect. I treasure my copy of this set!

>1 uncultured: Further to what Eclectic has just recommended, Edmonds is the translator and Topolski the illustrator for the two limited editions of W&P published by Folio.

>7 EclecticIndulgence:

If the 1977, why not the 1971? The 1977 was only sold in America, through the book of the month club. The earlier one, which has the same text and illustrations, has a slightly more generous page size, and leather, not cloth binding; and it was this original edition that had some copies bound in full blue leather, which some of us covet.

>9 EclecticIndulgence: Indeed! The limited* but unnumbered two-volume blue full leather edition (actually produced in 1971, as affle indicates) and the more recent russet full leather single-volume edition, with the abstract design in gilt, black and white by Jeff Clements representing battle lines, numbered and limited to 1,750 copies.

*I've no idea how many copies of this edition were produced (one where Folio gave a special binding to the existing text blocks rather than creating an entirely unique LE) but it appears on abe/eBay rarely compared to the numbered LE. Funnily enough, the only set (minus slipcase) that pops up when you enter 'War & Peace Folio Society blue leather' into Google Images is located in Canada! The numbered War & Peace LE seems to sell for around £220 in fine/fine condition.

>12 EclecticIndulgence: Have sent you PM with the link to the image and Canadian book website. Happy hunting! :)

>12 EclecticIndulgence:

I didn't mean to mislead - it's not full leather, the sides are canvas with Topolski illustration.

>7 EclecticIndulgence:
I can only agree with you: I only have the 1997 reduced format of the Edmonds/Topolski edition, but much prefer it to the more recent P&V edition, including the translation. I did take a long look at whether to 'upgrade', but feel that it would be rather the opposite. I was unaware of the details of the earlier editions, but having browsed through the Folio 60 entry, they do sound attractive.

For those happy with the Maude translation the 6-vol, Barnett Freedman-illustrated, letterpress printed LEC edition is a wonderful choice for reading, as the division into six volumes ensures light weight and a decent size font.

I've read War and Peace three times, in the Maude, Edmonds (1978 FS) and P&V (2014 FS) translations. I'm not a Russian speaker, so take this for what it's worth: While I much prefer the P&V translation, I felt Tolstoy's greatness in all three translations.
The two-volume 2014 Folio edition is striking--absolutely beautiful. I like the colorful Igor Karash illustrations, although I don't quite love them. That's a matter of personal taste. The volumes are easy to read, and the translation, as I said, is my favorite.
The spine of the single-volume Edmonds was pretty loose by the time I'd finished; that's a lot of pages for one binding. Despite the compression from the 1971 edition, it was easy to read. The pen-and-ink Topolski illustrations are my favorites, and I love the look and feel of the coarse cloth sides.
I read the Maude translation in the Simon & Schuster Inner Sanctum edition of 1942, which is quite wonderful. The front endpapers have a color map of Europe showing the route of Napoleon's advance and retreat; the back endpapers show the same map with, startlingly, Hitler's offensive and farthest 1941 line of advance. There are additional maps in the text (always helpful), and the title page and facing page feature an uncredited color illustration of Napoleon's retreat against a backdrop of Moscow in raging flames. The dust cover, long gone from my copy, had the same illustration or a similar one. There are interesting introductory materials that readers not familiar with the historical context of War and Peace would find useful. My copy belonged to my mother, who may have purchased it new. It's very worn from honest use, but if you can find a better one at a decent price--and I'll bet you can--I'd recommend it for the presentation.

My only read of War and Peace was in a £1 penguin classic. I didn't feel this made any difference to my enjoyment of what is a beautiful novel.

I think this is quite a reasonable price if the bid doesn't go any higher.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Folio-Society-War-and-Peace-Blue-leather-limited-edit...

>22 Mujaddadi:

I agree, but with six days still to run I wouldn't bet on it remaining at that price.

>22 Mujaddadi:
>23 folio_books:

Well, I paid £250 last year for one in similar condition.

>24 boldface: I paid £250 last year for one in similar condition.

That seems a lot nearer.

>24 boldface: That makes it a good deal. Only four days left for the bidding and I am suspecting that the price will not change much.

Well, it made £282!

>27 ranbarnes: that was me and I am SO excited for it! Bidding went a little higher than I was expecting but that leather looks so gorgeous (and as usual the discussion here pushed my FAD to new heights and convinced me it’s worth it).

>28 goldenbowl:

Congratulations! The leather is, if anything, more gorgeous than it looks in the photograph. Sumptuous is the word, I think. Definitely worth it.

And it was never going to go for £150.

>28 goldenbowl:
Sorry, that was partly me, but I dropped out since your highest offer exceeded my bid earlier today. Someone else pushed it higher

>29 folio_books:
Thank you! Now that sumptuous leather just has to make the perilous journey across the Atlantic to its new home.

And now the completist in me has to decide whether I also “need” the 1-volume Jeff Clement cover LE version of the same translation to match the Ulysses and Don Quixote I have from that series...or do I quit while I can still afford my mortgage payment...

>1 uncultured: Try this - found on a quick Google search. First English translation (authorised by Tolstoy too). One can't really get more authentic without reading Russian.

https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/shop/product/war-and-peace-4-vols-hd_200239288?p...

>31 goldenbowl: whether I also “need” the 1-volume Jeff Clement cover LE version

I had the one-volume LE. The cover was the best part of it. I sold it after I acquired the blue leather edition. One version of War and Peace is quite enough for me/

>28 goldenbowl: I managed to get a copy of the blue leather version earlier this year for £25 in a second hand bookshop, but the condition of the leather isn't as good as your acquisition. They barely look the same colour! Yours is a very vibrant blue!

>34 Conte_Mosca:

There was a conversation a while back - during your furlough? - with Glenn and others that strongly suggested that two different binders were used to produce the special bindings for W&P. The use of two different colours is the the most obvious indication, but there are also small differences in the detailed binding technique. There was no indication of priority, nor whether there might be more of one colour or the other.

I have the lighter blue, paid about £250 two or three years back for a very nice set, and think you got a significant bargain, Michael. Fancy being able to go to a secondhand bookshop - those were the days.

>35 affle:

Thanks Alan. When we talk about my occasional (but often lengthy) absences, it always sounds as though I have been doing time behind bars!

I have to say that would make sense. These do not look the same at all. And whilst it indicates where it was printed, it doesn't state where it is bound. I am, of course, delighted with my £25 bargain, but I have to admit I prefer the light blue leather, so will keep an eye out for it on my second hand book shop travels, should we ever be allowed to do such a thing again (and if second hand book shops can survive what we are going through without throwing in the towel and going online).

>36 Conte_Mosca: W&P is not the only special bound version to have seen multiple binders. This seems also to be the case for the cream leather Decameron and The Bible designed to be read as literature where I have handled two different versions of each, albeit with a less apparent difference for the former of the two.

For The Bible designed to be read as literature I managed to take some photos back while I was in possession of both the really appreciate the difference.

Just to have them all together, here are some photos of the differences for the Decameron (resurrected from the previous discussion):

Decameron Slipcase - top


Decameron - Slipcase side


Decameron - Leather Texture


The original thread with this discussion is here

>38 teppi2:

Thank you for your diligence in finding the old thread. I had forgotten that one style has shaped slipcases (as Michael's does, >34 Conte_Mosca:), and one straight, as my lighter blue one does.

>38 teppi2: thanks, this is exactly what I meant. I must have missed the discussion in May you linked to.

>38 teppi2:
>39 affle:
>40 F.Trier:

Thanks to all of you. What a wonderfully knowledgeable group this is!

Does anyone have a good take on what would be a decent price for the blue leather War & Peace without the slipcase? I’ve located one but don’t want to overpay - well, not massively, anyway. Is it fair to say it goes for a few (2-4) hundred euros/pounds and the lack of a slipcase is probably a -10 to… -40 % factor?

>42 GusLogan:

I paid £250 for a slipcased set in the light blue leather a couple of years ago. I'm reading it now and loving both the story and (especially) the books themselves. The letterpress is sharp and tactile on excellent paper. To me it's worth every penny. The later reduced-size, offset, single-volume reprints, including the 2006 LE, pale by comparison, although the leather of the latter is decent enough.

I missed the SE a few years back even when it was on sale (I was still a student back then and couldn't afford it).

I have Anna Karenina and Tolstoy's short stories in Folio edition, so I'm looking for a great edition of War & Peace to match. I gather the best edition is still the blue-leather edition. :/

Do you know of any alternative by any chance?

>43 boldface:

Happy to endorse all of that. But allow me to amplify just a little - size matters. Those exquisite doodles by Topolski suffer noticeably at the hands of photo-reduction. The one volume editions are to be avoided.

>43 boldface: I’m in the middle of it myself. I have been reading the 97 edition until now but picked up the light blue leather edition since I began the read late last year. I am coming to the end of book 1 now (I’ve been taking my time) and plan to switch to book 2 of the blue leather. I’m looking forward it for all the reasons you mentioned, though I have enjoyed the reading experience of the later edition so far.

FWIW, I read War & Peace in 2020 as part of the r/ayearofwarandpeace subreddit with the P&V translation. I really liked how the French bits were left in with easily accessible footnotes (my French is okay, but I am certainly not fluent). It was my first read of War & Peace so I had nothing to compare against, but I found P&V quite enjoyable.

I am back in the subreddit this year reading through Maude (Gutenberg version updated and beautified by StandardEbooks dot org). I miss the French bits but I find the text more enjoyable to read. Some of the longer sentences in P&V seem awkward to me, especially when I compare them.

For those who own the 2014 Folio Society two-volume edition of War and Peace, illustrated by Igor Karash: could you please share your thoughts on the annotations? I’d be especially interested to know how extensive they are — roughly how many pages of notes there are — and whether the edition includes any maps or other supplementary material beyond the illustrations, introduction, and preface.
Thank you.

>48 jose2486:
There are 34 pages of notes and numerous footnotes throughout the text. There is also a 25-page Historical Index and a 12-page summary keyed to the chapters to help you locate important events. All very helpful.

>49 jroger1: Thank you — that’s very helpful. Would you, or anyone else who owns this edition, be willing to share a few photos of the notes and the Historical Index? I’d like to get a better sense of how they are laid out and how detailed they are. Thanks again.

>50 jose2486:
Sorry, but I don’t do photography, and if I did I wouldn’t know how to post it. But I’m sure others on this thread own copies.