When One is Not Enough

Following up from another thread. Many of us here have multiple versions of a favorite novel. I'm interested in hearing which novels deserve this space on your shelf.

I believe Ray Bradbury and Jane Austen hold the record on my shelf.

Turns out I have five editions of The Martian Chronicles (Easton Press, Heritage Press, Folio Society, Limited Editions Clu b, and an original hardback ex-library copy from 1950). Can't part with any of them.

Next up is Jane Austen. I have two complete sets of the Jane Austen novels (the Easton Press and the Folio Society publications), plus two more of just Pride and Prejudice (Thornwillow, and Heritage Press), make for four copies of that novel.

And while I have been purging duplicates over the years (especially the overlap between the LEC, HP, and EP editions), those two titles are safe.

-Shawn

Hmmm that’s a good topic of conversation. Will give it some thought, look at my shelves and get back with you.

>1 sdawson: The Martian Chronicles is one of my favorite books. At one time I had two versions (EP and Folio Society) at the same time, but shelf space made me give up the Folio version. I have not been entirely satisfied with any edition, TBH. I would wish for an edition that has illustrations more in the style of Chesley Bonestell -- I felt FS' version's illustrations were more tongue in cheek pastiche, and I've never been a fan of Joe Mugnaini's work in the EP versions. In fact, I gave up the "signed edition" EP because I dislike Mugnaini's work. For now, I have the 2022 EP version because, while it contains some uncredited Mugnaini prints, the frontispiece is a more Bonestellian / classic 1950s-like illustration of a rocket landing amongst the ruins of Mars. If I had more shelf space I'd retain multiple copies because different editions contain somewhat different stories, with some omitted in some versions and others included in their place. I'd also prefer that the table of contents retained the original timeline, set in the 1990s, that I first read in my father's tattered paperback so many decades ago.

Because of shelf space, the only duplicates I have today are of The Aeneid -- Fagles translation / Folio Society and Dryden translation / Franklin Library; and The Canterbury Tales -- Eric Gill illustrated Folio Society Golden Cockerel facsimile Limited Edition, and Franklin Library Great Books of the Western World 2 volume edition.

Interesting topic for a thread.

It's usually illustrations that make me get more than one copy of a book I really like. Neil Gaiman is an author whose books I have in several editions as a result. I've got four illustrated editions of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, two of Anansi Boys, five of Coraline, one of American Gods at home and another on order, two each of Neverwhere, Odd and the Frost Giants, and Fortunately, the Milk.

In the case of Robert A. Heinlein, I have three different editions of Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land, and two of Friday, in that case because I could get a signed edition in addition to my complete Virginia Edition of Heinlein's works.

Good Omens by Gaiman and Terry Pratchett is a favourite, so it's five editions there (one signed by both), and three of Guards! Guards! I hope they will continue with the Pratchetts illustrated by Paul Kidby. I also have two editions of Mort.

What sometimes happens is that I already have a simple(r) edition of a book and a better one gets published, but in that case I tend to sell or give away the version I'm replacing with something more appealing, unless I want to keep a smaller reading copy just in case.

I definitely don’t have a lot of books where I have multiple copies but I did find two:

- (2) copies of The Grapes of Wrath. The one from the original Steinbeck set from EP and the DLE from a couple years ago.

- (3) copies of Angela’s Ashes. The blue signed edition and (2) copies of the Pulitzer Prize 1997 set one