Deluxe Limited Illustrated Edition - George Orwell - 1984

3377 -- Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell: /1200, 5@$75.00 ($375.00)
Announced: 5/24/2018 (6/18/18) Shipped: 9/2018 Sold Out: 2/19/2020 Re-Print: 6/4/2020
Easton Press Site: 1984
Photo Album: 1984
Illustrator's Website: Waldman
**Signed by artist Bruce Waldman**

Didn't we just have someone say that they hadn't released very many DLEs this year, and now we've had two Deluxe Illustrated Editions just this week.

I still am trying to pay off all the other books I've ordered.

Thanks, Wootle. I think...

I think this was a good choice, not sure about the artwork just yet, I will have to study it a bit more.

I’m glad to see the series continued even though it will force me to make choices. Can’t afford them all. The illustrations look kinda weird in this one, but most are 2-page spreads.

>3 Wootle:, >4 jroger1: I agree that the art work may not be exactly my cup of tea at first glance, but trying to think of the artistic approach on this, I think the artist was probably going for a bit of a dark, gritty feel for the illustrations, to fit in with the book's narrative. It may grow on me.

And with all the talk of facial recognition software potentially being used by municipalities and police agencies lately, 1984 has been top of my mind lately. It was just a matter of time before 1984 came up as a DLE.

The web page has suddenly disappeared!

>6 jroger1: LOL That happens sometimes doesn't it. They have been premature to post it. It'll be back this afternoon or in the morning. Perhaps they need to change something.

>6 jroger1: Big Brother is watching us and doesn't like the comments!

>8 hamletscamaro: Unless they have an understanding with Google, it might be hard to get rid of "all" of the evidence.

>7 Wootle:
I see a large dose of irony in taking down a page devoted to a satire about censorship. On the other hand, I can see a reborn Erle Stanley Gardner writing “The Case of the Wayward Web Page.”

What a shame. Given the fact that we are in an Orwellian nightmare, a wonderful DLE of 1984 would be highly desireable. We needed art the quality of Phantom of the Opera or Slaughterhouse Five to entice us to part with our hard earned cash. I looked at my Franklin Orwell which included both 1984 and Animal Farm with many illustrations and determined I will not replace. You can get the excellent Franklin Edition now for as little as $50 on eBay.

>11 HugoDumas:
I have the FS edition which is still available for $57.95. Well done as usual but not leather.

http://www.foliosociety.com/book/N84/nineteen-eighty-four

I was thinking illustrations more like a science fiction book, with computers and gizmos, a more modern style.

Darn. I'm too late to see the photos of the illustrations. Still not showing on the website.

>12 jroger1: I also have the Folio Society edition. It's superbly done and I'm very happy with it. I prefer leather, so it all depends on the illustrations for me.

>14 NotDownInAnyMap: You do realize they are in the Photo Album, right? You should know by now that I save everything possible.

Oh I see Wootle was quick enough to upload the photos from the website to the photo album. Thank you Wootle! I like the illustrations. I'm considering getting this now.

>15 Wootle: Yes, thank you! I was so excited on the news of the DLE I almost forgot about your Photo Album.

Yeah I definitely do not like the illustrations so a hard pass for me. Will stick to my FL edition. Appreciate Wootle saving the pics from the censors though!

>8 hamletscamaro:

Big Leather.

Rather odd this hasn't shown back up yet. Guess it'll be gone for the holiday.

Has anyone actually ordered it?

I was excited until I saw the illustrations 😏

>20 Wootle:
Perry, Della, and Paul are working really hard to locate the Wayward Web Page and return it to its rightful place. They are doing this pro bono because each of them wants to own a copy of the world’s worst illustrated book. Could be a selling point on eBay.

>22 jroger1: I'm not so sure this would qualify as the worst illustrated, I'm sure I could come with a few options however.

Someone certainly jumped the gun on posting this page, we may not see it until 2084.

>23 Wootle: there are many Franklin Library and EP regular and Famous Editions (LEC) with horrible illustrations. Always been a key disappointment for me.

I have some Heritage Press that are pretty dreadful. Of course EP just copied them and made them worse in a lot of instances.

>25 Wootle: right. Many of the Heritage Press were reprinted as an EP Famous Editions. Some of the illustrations look like they were created by a child.

Here are a couple of illustrations from the LEC Heart of Darkness




picture sharing


To each their own, but I have NO connection with the above illustrations. They are among the most dreadful I have seen for a fine press book (NB - Arion Press has some horrible ones too)! Just my opinion of course...

https://graphicarts.princeton.edu/2014/01/10/heart-of-darkness/

>27 astropi: I agree with you completely. The illustrations in the Chester River Press edition are so much more evocative. It's hard to find an edition of Heart of Darkness that comes anywhere close to this beautiful edition.

Where is the photo album?

Here >1 Wootle:

As an update, you can call and order this, but there is no ship date on it.

1984 is Back on the EP Site.

https://www.eastonpress.com/prod/60F/3377/NINETEEN-EIGHTY-FOUR---Deluxe-Illustra...

So, I am going to say that I very much like what I've seen of the art.
It reminds me of Dadaism, which is most appropriate since 1984 was published in 1949. The images are disturbing, eerie, and almost phantasmal, which again is apropos for living with Big Brother. Here is the artist's bio

http://www.brucewaldman.com/bio.html

>33 astropi: after reading your review here and on FS I have changed my opinion and I am in agreement that this is a fine DLE. Yet I am still pleased with my Franklin which has both Animal Farm and 1984 in the same volume.

>33 astropi:
I know better than to argue aesthetics because there is no objective measure, but I still don’t want it - especially for $375.

I would have gone with a light grey cover...bleak uniformity seems apropos for this story. Maybe a splatter of red on the back cover, for Winston's sake.

I think these illustrations are remarkable and really show the artist's sensitivity to the dark, menacing subject matter. I love that they aren't the conventional, stuffy illustrations that one usually comes across in these types of editions. The work is edgy, sincere and contemporary. The perfect artistic compliment to such a foreboding and chilling story, especially in these times when reality feels like it's following the storyline so relentlessly. I really look forward to having my own copy of this book.

>37 spiderink5: ... I'm right there with you. The more and more we are kept waiting for this release ... the more excited my anticipation becomes. I too actually find the illustrations to be rather fitting!

I also think that the style used in these drawings is perfect for the content. Also I find them quite beautiful and hope that I can get my hands on it soon.

The illustrations fit the feeling of this book so well in my opinion because they are raw, explosive in a way, evoking the fear that surely the main character must have felt; and at the same time they are beautifully drawn. This is not a book that calls for smooth, serene imagery. I can't wait to see an actual copy!

Delayed again. Now September.

It is shipping now.

When somebody receives this book, please let us know your impressions.

>43 booksforreading:
Mine arrived this morning. Some of you will remember my saying I didn’t want it because the illustrations didn’t appeal to me, but I decided to get it anyway because I’ve never read the story and because almost all the other books in this illustrator-signed series have been superbly produced. I haven’t had a chance to study it in detail yet, but at first glance it meets my high expectations. Because of the story’s length, it is the fattest of all the books in the series.

I must say a word about the illustrations, though. EP’s website shows a fair sampling of them. Many are double-spread and impressive because of their size. However, most are black-and-white and most of the remainder add only a single color. I suppose their unorthodox style is supposed to look futuristic but, if so, it is anachronistic for a story set 34 years ago. I still do not like them, but those of you who do will be even more pleased with your purchase than I am.

An excellent and much less expensive alternative to this edition is available from Folio Society:

https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/nineteen-eighty-four.html

>44 jroger1:
Thank you! Now I am torn... :)

Do you have the Folio Society's "1984" edition? It does look nice...

By the way, for people who cannot read Russian, I recommend "We" by Zamyatin in Folio Society's publication: https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/we.html. How did Zamyating see everything at the time he wrote the book is absolutely incredible!
The FS edition of "We" looks fantastic in my opinion.

I have both now, but I’m pretty sure I will read Easton’s. I’ll keep the Folio close at hand, though, to get a different artistic interpretation.

Folio does good work. I’ll have to check out “We.”

>44 jroger1: just looked at my Franklin Edition of 1984 and Animal Farm in the same edition (short story series ). I notice the price in pencil, when I purchased this with crude B&W ink-block print illustrations. $27.50! No need to upgrade. Some DLEs are to die for (Hugo, Dumas, Swift, Defoe, Scott) but not this one.

>47 HugoDumas:
Franklin’s short story series was wonderful. I have several of them. Wouldn’t you enjoy the story more, though, if you had spent $375 for it? :) Maybe I should try that philosophy with the Machiavelli DLE!

New photos added to EP site.

Item 3377 is back on the DLE list and due out mid-July.