Folio Archives 290: This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald 2005
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1wcarter
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald 2005
Purportedly a romantic comedy, Fitzgerald’s first novel, published in 1920, is also meant to be semi-autobiographical as it draws from the author’s own experiences at college and his rather ridiculous exploits as a young man about town. It portraits the Jazz Age of the early part of the 20th. Century and all its foibles. The First World War was a barely noticeable current event.
The book is divided into two sections – “The Romantic Egotist” and “The Education of a Personage” with an “Interlude” of six pages between them to act as a bridge between the sections.
I must admit that I found the characters in this book pretentious, the style of writing tedious, and I did not finish it. I am sure others will disagree.
The Folio Society edition has nine line drawings by Christopher Brown. There is no introduction. There are 246 pages, the endpapers are plain pale blue and the 23.5x18.4cm. slipcase is light blue. It is bound in light blue cloth blocked on both covers and spine with a black and silver geometric design.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
Purportedly a romantic comedy, Fitzgerald’s first novel, published in 1920, is also meant to be semi-autobiographical as it draws from the author’s own experiences at college and his rather ridiculous exploits as a young man about town. It portraits the Jazz Age of the early part of the 20th. Century and all its foibles. The First World War was a barely noticeable current event.
The book is divided into two sections – “The Romantic Egotist” and “The Education of a Personage” with an “Interlude” of six pages between them to act as a bridge between the sections.
I must admit that I found the characters in this book pretentious, the style of writing tedious, and I did not finish it. I am sure others will disagree.
The Folio Society edition has nine line drawings by Christopher Brown. There is no introduction. There are 246 pages, the endpapers are plain pale blue and the 23.5x18.4cm. slipcase is light blue. It is bound in light blue cloth blocked on both covers and spine with a black and silver geometric design.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
2folio_books
At one time I had the set of four of these novels but I eventually decided I could no longer stand the sight of them. Apart from the very sub-par bindings, the illustrations are the worst I have ever seen in a Folio book. Subjective I know, but I dislike them intensely. It's the first and only time I've ever offloaded a Folio book that I didn't have a different copy of.
3red_guy
>2 folio_books: I know. Christopher Brown is quite an old school illustrator - friend & collaborator of Edward Bawden etc., but I struggle to understand why he got so much work from Folio. Miss Marple Collected Stories, Hercule Poirot Collected Stories, Somerset Maugham Complete Stories - all ruined by his half-soaked woeful pictures.
I've seen the Maugham for a good price several times but could not face looking at it on my shelf every day (unfortunately paper sides and spine as well). The only illustrations I have seen Folio produce that were worse than his are the frontispieces of the original Raymond Chandler set, before Geoff Grandfield rode to the rescue with the second edition.
I've seen the Maugham for a good price several times but could not face looking at it on my shelf every day (unfortunately paper sides and spine as well). The only illustrations I have seen Folio produce that were worse than his are the frontispieces of the original Raymond Chandler set, before Geoff Grandfield rode to the rescue with the second edition.
4folio_books
>3 red_guy: The only illustrations I have seen Folio produce that were worse than his are the frontispieces of the original Raymond Chandler set, before Geoff Grandfield rode to the rescue with the second edition.
I confess to having forgotten about those but you may well be right. Three cheers for Geoff Grandfield!
I confess to having forgotten about those but you may well be right. Three cheers for Geoff Grandfield!
