A Quarter-Century for the Quarter-Century

I have been perusing the book "A Century for the Century" that features the Grolier Club's selection of the 100 greatest printed books from the 20th century. It's been enlightening, while also making me a touch sad when I see what these books go for on the secondary market.

I am curious what the members here would choose as the best printed books so far this century. Coming up with 25 truly standout titles might be a challenge, as I'm hoping we can identify books that are more than really nice but that push the art form forward.

I'm also hoping for more enlightenment. I admit I have had very little first-hand experience with so many of the books that have been highlighted in this forum from the likes of Barbarian Press, St. James Park Press and others that I suspect would receive nominations for this list. Maybe some gems can be brought up that might actually be reasonably affordable :)

I think the only book in my library that I would nominate would be the Arion Press "Leaves of Grass". It's pleasingly understated while also undeniably special - a true tactile delight, which is perfect for such an exuberant, lusty work.

What are some books you think are among the best of the 21st century so far?

Nominees for the 21st Century's Standout Printed Books
Books with multiple nominations listed first (with number of nominations)

1. Nineteen Eighty-Four, St. James Park Press - 12
2. The Play of Pericles, Barbarian Press (more images) - 12
3. The Death of Ivan Ilyich, No Reply Press - 10
4. The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, Foolscap Press - 9
5. Sylvae, Midnight Paper Sales (more) - 8
6. Weiss: The Typography of an Artist, Incline Press - 6
7. Don Quixote, Arion Press - 6
8. Cascadia, Nawakum Press - 5
9. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Taller Martin Pescador - 5
10. Ornata, Evergreen Press - 4
11. Enuma Elis, No Reply Press - 4
12. 2020 Vision, Nomad Letterpress - 4
13. The Story of the Fisherman, Foolscap Press - 4
14. Lohengrin, Tudor Black Press - 4
15. Sea of Cortez, Arion Press - 3
16. Heart of Darkness, Chester River Press - 3
17. Areopagitica, The Ascensius Press - 3
18. Lac Des Pleurs, Midnight Paper Sales - 3
19. Leaves of Grass, Arion Press (video) - 3
20. Pages from Presses I, Whittington Press - 3
21. Pages from Presses II, Whittington Press - 3
22. What a Word Dreamt, Sutton Hoo Press - 3
23. Spitsticks & Multiples, The Fleece Press - 3
24. The Holy Bible, Arion Press - 3
25. Ecclesiastes, Sutton Hoo Press - 3 (review)
26. Brief Loves That Live Forever, Foolscap Press - 3
27. The Letterpress Shakespeare, The Folio Society - 3
28. The Tempest, Caliban Press - 3
29. Stardust, Lyra's Books - 3
30. Paradise Lost, Arion Press - 2
31. Thoughts from the Letters of Petrarch, Petrarch Press - 2
32. The Gospel According to Philip, The Petrarch Press - 2
33. A Bonsai-Shaped Mind & Postures of the Heart, Nawakum Press - 2
34. Watermark, Peter Koch - 2
35. Running Rings, Grapho Editions - 2
36. Circus, Shanty Bay Press - 2
37. Grimoire, Fine Press Poetry (video) - 2
38. Forty-Four Years of Bird & Bull: A Bibliography, 1958-2002, Bird & Bull Press - 2
39. Hairnets & Gloves, The Last Press - 2
40. The Case of Death and Honey, Arete Editions - 2
41. The Diary of a Dead Officer, The Old Stile Press - 2
42. Flowers for Algernon, Conversation Tree Press - 2
43. A Clockwork Diorama, Fine Press Poetry - 2
44. The Graveyard by the Sea, Corvus Works - 2
45. The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, Extraordinary Editions - 2
46. All Around the Block, The Fleece Press - 2
47. Gargantua and Pantagruel, The Folio Society - 2

The Splendour of a Morning, Barbarian Press
Endgrain Editions Three: Peter Lazarov, Barbarian Press (more)
Endgrain Editions Four: Simon Brett, Barbarian Press
The Marriage of True Minds, Barbarian Press
Sudden Immobility, Barbarian Press
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Arion Press
Cane, Arion Press
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Petrarch Press
The Dunwich Horror, Heavenly Monkey
Francesco Griffo da Bologna - Fragments & Glimpses, Heavenly Monkey

Seance for a Minyan, Double Elephant Press
The Lost Journals of Sacajawea, Peter Koch
Consider the Lobster, The Ascensius Press
North of Boston, The Ascensius Press
A Vision of Order, Whittington Press
Crow Calls, Kat Ran Press
Stockholm Reflections, The Old School Press (video)
The Bricks of Venice, The Old School Press
Palladio's Homes, The Old School Press
Treasure Island, Conversation Tree Press

On Collecting Books and Printing Them Too, The Reading Room Press
The Hunting of the Snark, The Reading Room Press
Sonetos del Amor Oscuro, Parvenu Press
Chwedlau, Red Hen Press
Meditation, Tern Press
A Hamady Wilde Sampler/Salutations, Perishable Press
Hunkering, the Last Gabberjabb, Perishable Press
Hungry Bibliophiles, Russell Maret
Of Woodland Pools, Spring-holes & Ditches, The Lone Oak Press
On the Hunt for the King of the Alps, The Lone Oak Press

Princes and Castles, Gwasg Gregynog
Of a Feather, Gwasg Gregynog
Sundrie Pieces, Gwasg Gregynog
Mapping Golgotha, Gwasg Gregynog
Poems of Travel, The Melville Press
A Portrait of Shunkin, The Limited Editions Club
Everything That Rises Must Converge, The Limited Editions Club
Requiem, The Limited Editions Club
Arabian Nights and Days, The Limited Editions Club
The Divine Comedy: Inferno, Thornwillow Press
The Book of Genesis, Thornwillow Press (more)

Emily Dickinson - Poems, Tallone Editore
Myths About Witches, Dmitry Sayenko
Winter, The Salvage Press
A Long Hill Homeward, Tideline Press
The Island Whale, Two Ponds Press
Roots to the Earth, Larkspur Press
Fire to Fire, Sutton Hoo Press
Mad Farmer Poems, Press on Scroll Road
Black-letter, Bieler Press
The Divine Comedy, Suntup Editions

The Yellow Wall-Paper, Suntup Editions
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, No Reply Press
Layers of Concord, Incline Press
The Battle of Waterloo, Extraordinary Editions
The Intruder, Midnight Paper Sales
Shakespeare's Sonnets, New Albion Press
The Importance of Being Earnest, The Bowler Press
A Modest Proposal, Officina Athelstane (more)
Claude Garamond, Corvus Works

The Divine Comedy, The Folio Society
Coastline, Nomad Letterpress
A Ghost Story of Christmas, Being a Christmas Carol, Caliban Press)
A Golden Thread: The Minotaur, Intima Press
Billy Budd, Pennyroyal Pres
Phaenomena of Aratus, Plowboy Press
Ruminations, Scripps College Press
Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, Shanty Bay Press

Great idea for a thread! With all of the knowledge on this forum I wonder if we can collectively come up with a “quarter century” list that’s just as authoritative as the Grolier Club “Century for a Century.”

To keep the ball rolling, I would also absolutely agree that Arion’s Leaves of Grass belongs on the list. Off the top of my head, some others that I think merit inclusion (in no particular order):

1. Arion Press - Don Quixote
2. Barbarian Press - Pericles
3. St. James Park Press - 1984
4. Foolscap Press - John Mandeville
5. Chester River Press - Heart of Darkness

I think the books above would be pretty unanimously agreed upon. I’ve handled most, but not all, of them.

I would personally nominate the following editions from my collection, but I have ownership bias so I could easily see them being vetoed as there is a ton of competition:

1. Barbarian Press - Splendour of a Morning
2. Petrarch Press - Thoughts from the Letters of Petrarch (parchment edition)
3. Heavenly Monkey - The Dunwich Horror
4. No Reply Press - The Death of Ivan Ilyich
5. Taller Martin Pescador - The Green Knight

St James Park Press 1984
Chester River Press Heart of Darkness
Foolscap Press John Mandeville

Looks like >2 Nightcrawl: beat me to the punch

I agree with Pericles but not with the AP Don Quixote which had mediocre printing in the two copies I’ve personally perused.

>3 kdweber: Great minds!

While I agree that the AP DQ does have a bit of inconsistency to the printing, I believe that it still warrants inclusion based on various additional merits: beautiful binding, numerous complimentary illustrations, typesetting, and really just the overall ambition of such a massive undertaking.

NRP's Ivan Ilyich for sure.

And I would nominate from Incline Press, Gerald Cinamon's Emil Rudolf Weiss : E R Weiss : the typography of an artist as a tour-de-force of fine printing coupled with a knowledgeable text. The numerous type facsimiles, foldouts, reproductions, etc. coupled with superb printing make this an exceptional work for those who have an interest in book design and typography.

And let me add one more, from Sutton Hoo Press, to wit, Peter Everwine's What a Word Dreamt: Versions of Aztec Poetry (2005). I could add a bunch more from Chad, including Ecclesiastes....

Deluxe lettered edition of the Nawakum Press Cascadia
Deluxe edition of the AP Sea of Cortez

We're off to a strong start! I will add the nominees to my original post to keep books from getting lost in the shuffle.

On second thought, I’m withdrawing my Suntup Blood Meridian nomination. While I highly value it in my collection, I can acknowledge that this is mainly because it is one of my favorite novels and nice to own in a fine press edition. However aside from the binding, I don’t think there is anything else to distinguish it as one of the top 25 books of the 21st century thus far.

Another vote for Arion Press - Sea of Cortez
I’d also add Arion Press - Their Eyes Were Watching God

Most of the notable books worthy of 'A Century for the Century' treatment have been listed above. Some other candidates I nominate:

1. 2000: Cane by Jean Toomer, Arion Press
2. 2000: The Holy Bible (2 volumes), Arion Press
3. 2001: Seance for a Minyan by Anthony Hecht, Double Elephant Press
4. 2006: Watermark by Joseph Brodsky, Peter Koch, printer
5. 2020: 2020 Vision (edition "A" deluxe), Nomad Letterpress
6. 2020: Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Numbered edition (full dark blue calf with "sprinkled" gold binding), Lyra's Books
7. 2024: Areopagitica by John Milton, Ascensius Press

>10 dlphcoracl: I definitely think the AP Holy Bible deserves to be on the list. It could very well be the last Bible (all books) printed letterpress.

What are your thoughts on Ascensius Press Areopagitica vis-a-vis Rampant Lions Press edition?

>11 ultrarightist:

The AP Holy Bible is a no-brainer and it is and will be one of the private press monuments of the 21st century.

The Ascensius Press Areopagitica is an unpretentious masterpiece with superb printing from Scott Vile and beautiful page design. The Rampant Lion Press edition of Areopagitica is one of the finest private press bargains in the market, especially in the full morocco binding. The deluxe full morocco edition is a fraction (about 20%) of the cost of the Ascensius Press edition.

>10 dlphcoracl: In your opinion, what makes Stardust stand out so much? And is your list in addition to what others have mentioned, or your own personal list.

It’s a beautiful book to be sure, but I wouldn’t have thought it above books from Nawakum and Barbarian Press for example.

Also, it’s an unspecified calfskin, not goatskin, and has started to display a curious cracking sort of effect in the binding, which you can see here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/306203648846

>13 What_What:

Although the letterpress printing and quality of the paper in Stardust do not compare to Nawakum, etc., two things set the Numbered Edition of Stardust apart and make it (for me) a consideration:

1. Imaginative binding design perfectly suited to 'Stardust'. The dark blue calf with sprinkled 'gold dust' works perfectly.

2. The exceptional suite of full-color illustrations by Charles Vess. This will prove to be one of the finest illustrated books of the 21st century, reminiscent of the illustrated editions from the Golden Age of Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, Kay Nielsen, etc.

And you are correct - the leather is calfskin rather than goatskin. It fooled me because it has more grain to it than calfskin usually does. Regarding the 'cracking' effect of the binding, I believe you are mistaking the grain pattern in the calf leather for 'cracking' because the light accentuates it. It is normal.

One more vote for each of Ascensius Press's Aeropagitica and Barbarian Press's Pericles. I'd add Ascensius Press's Consider the Lobster to the list. I sold my Arion Press DQ and reinvested in CTL and have zero regrets.

What a superb thread!

From those already mentioned, I think that Barbarian’s ‘Play of Pericles’, SJPP’s ‘1984’, Petrarch Press’s ‘Thoughts from the Letters of Petrarch’ and Ascencius Press’s ‘Areopagitica’ are certainly really strong contenders.
Such a list needs serious time and consideration, but for now I offer a short selection of further titles to consider:

Evergreen Press
‘Ornata’

Whittington Press
David Butcher ‘Pages from Presses’

Kat Ran Press
Robin Barber ‘Crow Calls’

Grapho Editions
Phil Madden & Paul L. Kershaw ‘Running Rings’

Heavenly Monkey
‘FrancescoGriffo de Bologna: Fragments and Glimpses’

The Salvage Press
Jessica Traynor ‘Carbon’
(This last one isn’t actually published yet as it is still at the binder. But it’ll soon be out in the world and it will warrant its place in this list when it does. The sheer depth of the concept and how the book is a physical embodiment of its subject is incredible. Scant few bookmakers run so deep with an idea!)

>10 dlphcoracl: I’d certainly agree with the AP Bible but didn’t this century begin on 1 January 2001?

An excellent idea for a post! Here are mine for now:

2001 The Tempest
2002 Circus
2003 Endgrain Editions 3: Peter Lazarov
2004
2005 The Bricks of Venice
2006 Watermark
2007 Sylvae
2008 Heart of Darkness
2009 Pericles / Aethelwold Etc / The Persephones
2010 The Lost Journals of Sacajewea
2011 Pastorale
2012 Tin Roof
2013 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
2014 Around the World in Colour
2015 Lac des Pleurs / Encheiresin Naturae
2016 Lead, Tin & Antimony / Ornata
2017 Hungry Bibliophiles
2018 Town
2019 The Travels of Sir John Mandeville
2020 2020 Vision
2021 Cascadia / Nineteen-Eighty-Four
2022
2023
2024 From California
2025 anticipated to be Carbon / Bordering on the Sublime

I nominate the Folio Society letterpress Shakespeare set published 2007-2014 - seems a shame for the FS to have no nominations. I’m sure there is some other LE worthy of inclusion.

I think that this needs to be restricted to one entry per publisher.

Fleece Press - Spitsticks and Multiples
Evergreen - Ornata
No Reply - The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Tudor Black Press - Lohengrin
Old School Press - Stockholm Reflections (this is a personal choice!)
Reading Room Press - On Collecting Books and Printing them Too

Without owning the following two, I still would support them as entries
Barbarian - Pericles
Whittington - Pages from Presses

Of the books I own, I think Sylvae (Midnight Paper Sales) and Ivan Ilyich (No Reply) are particularly strong contenders.
I would also also second Running Rings (Grapho Editions).

>21 EdmundRodriguez: I was about to say the same about Sylvae and Ivan Ilyich, and I might add several Foolscap Press books as well.

What a brilliant idea for a post! So many wonderful books named, and yet I like the idea of limiting each press to one book. If I were to add presses to the nomination list, it would be some of the more unique combinations of typography and art:

2000: Sonetos del amor oscuro, by Lorca, published by the Parvenu Press in an edition of 30.

2002: Circus, various writers, published by the Shanty Bay Press in an edition of 60

2005: Chwedlau, translations by Shirley Jones, published by her Red Hen Press in an edition of 40

2008: Meditations by Traherne, published by the Tern Press in an edition of 17

>17 kdweber:

The original Grolier Club exhibit and book span the years 1900-1999. 2000 is the logical year to begin.

The Tempest (Caliban Press, 2001)
Salutations 1995/A Hamady Wilde Sampler (Perishable Press, 2001)
Hunkering, The Last Gabberjabb (Perishable Press, 2006)
A Vision of Order (Whittington Press, 2011)
Lac des Pleurs (Midnight Paper Sales, 2015)

I don’t think it would necessarily be a good idea to limit to one book per publisher. This would impose a pretty strict limitation on a list where the only criteria should be selecting the very best fine press achievements of the last 25 years.

>26 Nightcrawl: It’s pretty much what a century for a century did

>27 DMulvee: There is a good amount of variety/press representation in the Grolier Club list, which I believe we should strive for as well, but many presses were represented more than once: Arion, Ashendene, Bremer, Doves, Nonesuch, Officina Bodoni, etc.

If each press had been limited to one book, there would have been a few notable omissions from the Grolier Club list.

>28 Nightcrawl: I’m sorry, I must be misremembering.

If anyone needs an easy reference for the 20th century list: https://archive.org/details/centuryforcentur0000hutn/page/n3/mode/2up

Or pasted as a list here in post 19:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/115929#8305422

As >28 Nightcrawl: said, lots of people/presses with multiple entries. Mardersteig had 8 or 9, which I'm pretty sure is the most of any single contributor. I counted before but don't have time to go through it again now.

I have to admit to a bit of ownership bias too, but here are my top five:

1. Nineteen Eighty-Four, St. James Park Press
2. Don Quixote, Arion Press
3. The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, Foolscap Press
4. The Death of Ivan Ilyich, No Reply Press
5. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Taller Martin Pescador

Phisicke Against Fortune from Foolscap Press would have been a clear candidate as well, but it was published in 1993. So, it should be excluded from the list of the 21st Century's Standout Printed Books.

>31 Dr.Fiddy: Very solid list!

Wow, I didn’t really how long Phisicke lingered before selling out. Removed from my list of noms.

Thank you everyone for your input! I have enjoyed learning more about some of the books nominated and gaining an appreciation for these works of art.

I have updated the first post with the nominees and will add some of the ones from >18 ChampagneSVP: in a bit.

I can endorse a number of those books listed and some of them I don’t know enough about.
One edition I would like to add the list is the Arête “Death and Honey”, Artist Edition.
They aimed to make an impression with this package and in that they were successful. Hand made paper, bradel bound, eight colour foil blocking and the list goes on. Here is a link for the full description.
The fall away front panel was inventive but in my opinion was the only thing I might fault.

https://www.arete-editions.com/artists-edition

>30 PBB: You are correct PBB. C for C multiple entries, a sampling of Presses (I have the book cracked open beside me as I type):
Ashendene Press - 2 titles
Bremer Presse - 3 titles
Cranach Press - 3 titles
Cambridge University Press - 2 titles
Doves Press - 2 titles
Grabhorn Press - 2 titles
Giovanni Mardersteig (Officina Bodoni & Stamperia Valdonega) - 6 + 2 = 8 titles (!!!)
Plantin Press - 2 titles
Rampant Lions Press - 2 titles
Whittington Press - 2 titles

You get the idea...

The first several books I would have nominated have already been listed at least once, but I'd be remiss not to mention the two finest books from Lone Oak Press:

1. Of Woodland Pools, Spring-holes & Ditches, Henry David Thoreau
2. The King of The Alps, Reginald Farrer

Also, since Foolscap's Mandeville has been mentioned a half-dozen times, I would add that their Story of The Fisherman is equally impressive, if not as frequently lauded.

Very good list, and I won't reiterate any suggestions that mirror ones already made. I can only contribute further books from ones I own that I consider worthy of consideration, so I would offer:

Princes and Castles (Gwasg Gregynog, 2010)
Layers of Concord (Incline Press, 2014)
Grimoire (Fine Press Poetry, 2022)
Poems of Travel (Melville Press, 2024)

I expect the forthcoming Plates for a Herbal (Old School Press) to make my list as well.

>37 Shadekeep: Grimoire is wonderfully presented. Regretfully this is the only one of the many books mentioned above I have resting on my shelves.

>14 dlphcoracl: Thanks for elaborating. Agreed it’s great looking book.

Great thread!

I would like to nominate A Portrait of Shunkin (LEC), one of my favourite books in my library. Binding, typography, printing, paper, illustrations - everything comes together beautifully.

What are the views on Conversation Tree Presses 'Flowers for Algernon' - the lettered edition? I think that the design of the edition is stunning.
For Curious King, 'Hyperion' would be my pick from their releases so far, but I'm unsure if it is special enough to make the list?

Great idea for a thread. Thank you to all who have posted and added to my desiderata list.

Disclaimer – the following list contains titles that I am familiar with, and either own or have handled and examined. I am sure there are more deserving titles, but I am not qualified to judge those with which I have no direct tactile experience.

1. Ascensius Press, 2024 – John Milton – Areopagitica
2. Nawakum Press, 2024 – Marc Peter Keane – A Bonsai-Shaped Mind & Postures of the Heart
3. Whittington Press, 2022 – David Butcher – Pages from Presses, Volume II
4. Petrarch Press, 2022 – Edward Fitzgerald (tr) – The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
5. St James Park Press, 2021- George Orwell - 1984
6. Nawakum Press, 2021 – William Dietrich – Cascadia
7. Arion Press, 2020 – John Steinbeck – Sea of Cortez
8. Foolscap Press, 2019 – Anonymous – The Travels of Sir John Mandeville Beyond the Holy Land
9. Thornwillow Press, 2018 – Dante Alighieri – The Divine Comedy, Inferno
10. Tallone Editore, 2017 – Emily Dickinson – Poems
11. Dmitry Sayenko, 2017 – Dmitry Sayenko – Myths About Witches
12. Salvage Press, 2016 – Winter, A Collection of 19 Great War Poems from the Hand of 14 Irish Poets
13. Midnight Paper Sales, 2015 – Gaylord Schanilec – Lac des Pleurs
14. Ascensius Press, 2014 – Robert Frost – North of Boston
15. Old Stile Press, 2014 – Arthur Graeme West – Diary of a Dead Officer
16. La Mano Press, 2013 – John Ridland (tr) – Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
17. Barbarian Press, 2009 – William Shakespeare – Pericles Prince of Tyre
18. Arion Press, 2009 – Miguel Cervantes – Don Quixote
19. Gwasg Gregynog, 2008 – Colin See-Paynton – Of A Feather
20. Midnight Paper Sales, 2007 – Gaylord Schanilec – Sylvae
21. Limited Editions Club, 2005 – Flannery O’Connor – Everything That Rises Must Converge
22. Gwasg Gregynog, 2003 – George Herbert – Sundrie Pieces
23. Bird & Bull Press, 2002 – Sidney Berger – Forty-four Years of Bird & Bull, A Bibliography 1958 – 2002
24. Arion Press, 2002 – John Milton – Paradise Lost
25. Limited Editions Club, 2000 – Anna Andreevna Akhmatova - Requiem

>42 Sport1963: "23. Bird & Bull Press, 2002 – Sidney Berger – Forty-four Years of Bird & Bull, A Bibliography 1958 – 2002"

Excellent pick! My favorite of the Bird and Bull bibliographies. I'll second this choice for a Top-25.

I wanted to suggest The Maine Woods (Ascensius Press) but it was published in 1998 (?).

Great (and potentially very expensive) thread!

I would like to add “Mapping Golgotha” from Gwasg Gregynog (2007) – a selection of poems and letters by Wilfred Owen, with numerous colour engravings by Harry Brockway.

I have the Gwasg Gregynog “Of a feather” too, and while undoubtedly a more lavish production, I find the Owen unsurpassed in its matching of text and image, both of staggering impact. It’s one of my favourite books, and one that I think isn’t sufficiently lauded!

Extremely dangerous thread, wallets beware! While also limiting myself to books I either own or have seen in person, I nominate in no particular order:

The Story of the Fisherman (Foolscap Press)
Brief Loves That Live Forever (Foolscap Press)
The Death of Ivan Ilych (No Reply Press)
The Marriage of True Minds (Barbarian Press)
Sir Gawain and The Green Knight (Taller Martin Pescador)
Emil Rudolf Weiss The Typography of an Artist (Incline Press)
Spitsticks & Multiples (Fleece Press)

>45 BorisG: I strongly considered putting the Owen title on the list in lieu of the LEC Flannery O'Connor. I was swayed by putting back to back Gregynog titles up...but I agree it is an important book, "staggering" is an apt descriptor, and a good case can be made for that title instead of "Of a Feather".

From my shelf:
- Tideline press - A long hill homeward
- Two Ponds - The island whale

Are probably the two most standout pieces in terms of content and polish. The output of Effra Press is nice also, but maybe falls into more experimental than what this list is looking for.

Thanks again, everyone, for your nominations! >1 A.Nobody: is now updated with the nominees, or at least all of the ones I could track down. Soon I will rank the books based on how many times they have been nominated to help us start to narrow down to a final list of 25 by the end of the year (with the rest receiving honorable mention classification).

Frankly, this thread has wandered way off topic and it is time for a reset.

While everyone has contributed their favorite books, the vast majority are hardly 'A Book for the Century'. Few, if any, would be confused with the Arion Press 'Moby Dick', the Cranach Press 'The Tragedie of Hamlet' or the Golden Cockerel Press 'The Four Gospels' with Eric Gill wood engravings. It's time to separate the wheat from the chaff. In my opinion, FWIW, the following books are quite unique and special, truly worthy of this designation:

1. Nineteen Eighty-Four, St. James Park Press
2. The Play of Pericles, Barbarian Press
3. Leaves of Grass, Arion Press
4. The Holy Bible (2 volumes), Arion Press
5. The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, Foolscap Press
6. Cascadia, Nawakum Press
7. Watermark, Peter Koch, printer.
8. 2020 Vision, edition "A", Nomad Letterpress
9. The Lost Journals of Sacajawea, Peter Koch, printer
10. Sylvae, Midnight Paper Sales
11. A Bonsai-Shaped Mind and Postures of the Heart, Nawakum Press
12. Lac Des Pleur, Midnight Paper Sales
13. Pages from Presses II, edition "A" Whittington Press.

Feel free to disagree, but this Baker's Dozen is heads and shoulders above the other fine and notable recommendations.

>50 dlphcoracl: I own a copy of 2020 Vision (though not the A version), but completely fail to see how this is “head and shoulders” above Spitsticks and Multiples from the Fleece Press

>49 A.Nobody: That approach may not work if posters felt relisting previously mentioned books would be redundant.

I am happy you made the post though, lots of new stuff to discover.

>51 DMulvee:

I own the deluxe edition of Slipsticks and Multiples with the 22 tipped-in wood engravings made by Simon Lawrence and the "A" edition of 2020 Vision and can make a direct comparison.

First, the similarities between them. There is no difference in the quality of the wood engravings made by Simon Lawrence and Pat Randle. Along with Jan Crispin (Barbarian Press) they are exceptional printers of wood engravings. Additionally, both books have gone to great lengths to obtain the original wooden blocks from many earlier luminaries of wood engraving decades ago and printed their work directly from the blocks.

The differences? The "A" edition of 2020 Vision uses far superior papers for both the textual material and the wood engravings themselves. The primary book in 2020 Vision has a full morocco binding with geometric leather inlaid design whereas Slipsticks is bound in buckram cloth. There are many more original vintage wood engravings in 2020 Vision than in Slipsticks and they are bound into the books rather than tipped-in, something I find preferable.

Most important, they have entirely different purposes and generate very different levels of engagement when I hold and read them. 2020 Vision has an ingenious and intellectually engaging idea behind it - asking nearly two dozen of the finest current wood engravers which earlier wood engraver was their inspiration, printing their thoughts and responses, and following it with examples from both current engraver and their inspiration so that the reader can make a direct comparison. By contrast, reading the history and minutes of the early years of The Society of Wood Engravers in Great Britain in Volume I and the biographies of the hundreds of wood engravers in Volume II is akin to reading an encyclopedia and is a less interesting read for me.

That said, the original research done by Simon Fleece over many years to produce this two-volume set is monumental and the discovery of dozens of less well known or otherwise unknown wood engravers along with reproductions of their work IS a revelation and a strong argument can be made that this research effort alone would merit inclusion in a new 'Century for the Century edition. However, 2020 Vision is aesthetically more pleasing and engaging, the book I return to more often.

Please click on the links below for additional photos.

https://i.postimg.cc/7PRbt4r9/temp-Image-FClyj6.avif

https://i.postimg.cc/kgvbpHc5/temp-Imageb-Vyms-C.avif

https://i.postimg.cc/15HRh1Lb/temp-Image-Q0ge-B5.avif

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>50 dlphcoracl: As I alluded to in >49 A.Nobody:, I have isolated the books in >1 A.Nobody: that have received multiple nominations, so these currently stand as "the best of the best", and I think just about all of your baker's dozen are in that group. I encourage everyone to continue nominating books, and re-nominating ones even if they already have been mentioned numerous times in the interest of reaching a consensus on the very best of the quarter-century.

I agree that most of the nominees don't really merit best-of-the-century consideration. However, the main reason for me to start this thread was to tap into the knowledge of the group and accelerate my learning, as a relative newbie. In researching the nominees, I have come across many titles already that have piqued my interest. For instance, I had never even heard of Midnight Paper Sales, but their "Sylvae" is so impressive, and they are certainly on my radar now.

And keep in mind, we're basically at the brainstorming stage. Things are bound to be a bit messy. The broken-out group in >1 A.Nobody: shows that we already are driving towards consensus after just a few days. The Grolier Club had agreement on 71 of their 100 books right off the bat; we have 14 of our quarter-century nominees with more than 2 nominations, which would be 56 percent of our 25 final slots. While things might be messy right now, I think we've also been elevating many strong candidates that almost certainly will make the final 25.

>50 dlphcoracl: What do you think about No Reply Press’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich?

I can’t believe I forgot about the Arion Press Paradise Lost! Definitely want to second that nomination. May even be in my personal top five of the 21st century.

>50 dlphcoracl: A Century for Century is not only about Cranach Press Hamlet or Arion Press Moby Dick. It also features books that can be found for less than 100 USD! For example, Der Roman von Tristan und Isolde (Trajanus-Presse, 1966). A Century for Century no. 71.


















There are also Limited Editions Club Ovid or Windhover Press Robert The Devil that come to my mind from A Century for Century list which aren't Gill's Four Gospels.

>52 What_What: I agree. >1 A.Nobody: I think that you are doing a great job of trying to show as much of the nominees as possible. After an initial long-listing, if you then ask individuals to create their own list of 25, (in no particular order) and use these lists as votes to create a results table this might work better.

>59 DMulvee:
I agree.

>58 Lukas1990: Absolutely! I believe that ‘A Century’ wasn’t a list of the most obvious ‘wow factor’ books going, but rather one that looked closely at the full range of merits their books had, such as impeccable design, harmonious typographic choices and materials, and fine presswork. There are many books in this present list that are exalted which I personally feel fall short in areas but are there because they have wow factor. Your highlighting of the Trajanus volume out of the books from ‘A Century’ is a very fine example of a less showy volume that is actually exceptional. To add to yours, I would mention ‘A Century’s’ Jan van Krimpen ‘Psalms’, which is really not showy at all. It is, however, so impeccably designed that it is elevated to its place in the book with ease.

It is important to recognise that this present exercise is one discovery and learning. For the most part, I do not believe the people putting forward their entries would describe themselves as being in a position to really judge such matters on a professional level as to be so you need to be way more than a collector. These are simply people’s honest opinions about what they love, and this can arguably lead to unwarranted entries from a professional (for want of a better word) point of view. I certainly see a few items that I strongly disagree with, however it doesn’t necessarily make them chaff or invalid. I get the Oracle’s stance as, like myself, he is viewing this exercise in a literal sense of the challenge set — as if we were actually trying to pick a definitive 25 best like Grolier did. It’s important (and interesting) to say that I disagree with a few of his choices though, as it shows opinions vary greatly.

I saw we all carry on putting forward what we love and the resulting 25 stand as a selection of volumes that this forum deem worthy. It’s inevitable that the final rundown will be contested, but such lists always are. We should just enjoy our own choices and be open to discovering others that we perhaps would not have considered or even known about.

>61 ChestnutPress: Well said.

>61 ChestnutPress: "There are many books in this present list that are exalted which I personally feel fall short in areas but are there because they have wow factor."

Would you give us an example of one? I realize I'm asking you to call someone's baby ugly, but I for one would find it interesting to know where you think the wow factor is not substantiated by sound book design or craftsmanship (or whatever professional fundamentals are lacking).

Edited to add that even more importantly, I'd like to know the how or why of it.

>63 ultrarightist: I am also interested to hear those sorts of criticisms (from anyone/everyone), as I imagine that I'd learn a lot from them!

It's a shame that no one has seen Hunkering, The Last Gabberjabb, as it would easily make any best-of list for the 2000s. By any metric that isn't literariness or accessibility, Hunkering surpasses almost every book in the past 25 years. Check your closest special collections library for a copy!

>65 DenimDan: https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/specialcollections_artistsbooks/353/

A few pictures there.

>66 SDB2012: Yeah RISD has high-quality photographs of a ton of artist's books. They're wonderful stewards of their collections! That third image of theirs (of the human skeleton) is printed on some kind of muslin/fabric. If I can get a good picture of that spread from my copy, I'll share it.

>63 ultrarightist: I shall decline, as I have learnt from experience that people don’t respond well to criticism of what they love, and I simply can’t be bothered trying to labour any points I have in arguments on a forum thread. I save such conversations for being in the actual company of people I would have them with.

>66 SDB2012: Here's a couple of that spread from my copy:

>69 LT79: A Bonsai-Shaped Mind deluxe can be had as a relative bargain on eBay at the moment ... But I know what you mean. One lesson I have learned is that it usually pays to jump at a new title from a respected press because it will likely only be hard to find in the future and, when found, be much more expensive.

>71 A.Nobody: It is interesting that this title is getting nominated. All three states are still available from the press, and these have been offered less than initial price on secondary markets. However the title before and after (Descent into the Maelstrom, The Poet) have fully sold out all states.

>72 DMulvee: FWIW it’s a nice book: Richard Wagner engravings, nice decorations and printing. I suspect the topic and price point have some impact on sales. Someone less favorable to the book would say the different sections are a little disjointed, but I found I liked the selection.

I’ll also vote for Pericles and 1984, with the upcoming Bordering on the Sublime one to look out for. James Freemantle’s Paradise Lost will likely be a strong contender eventually, but is likely years away.

>70 DenimDan: A fascinating book. I will have to try to see it in person.

Well, I guess I'll add votes to Mandeville, Sylvae and Cascadia. As lauded as Pericles is, I also have some reservations about it taking the top spot.

>55 A.Nobody: I may have caused some confusion by posting "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" publisher as La Mano Press. It is the same book as published by Taller Martin Pescador, the only difference being La Mano was given around 10 copies to publish by the printer and designer Juan Pascoe, some with brown instead of green paper boards. It's a bit of an interesting variant/piece of trivia.

Ah, if accordance votes for titles already submitted are useful, then please add my support for these as well:

The Death of Ivan Ilyich (No Reply Press)
What a Word Dreamt (Sutton Hoo Press)
Lohengrin (Tudor Black Press)

Again, only speaking to those which I own and have direct experience with. I suspect that if I had Ornata (Evergreen Press) or Sea of Cortez (Arion Press) that they would be on my list as well, but alas I do not.

>78 Sport1963: Thank you for the clarification. I have updated >1 A.Nobody: with this adjustment and the latest (re-)nominations.

Keeping to those books with which I'm familiar, I would like to cast further votes for Sylvae, Don Quixote, both Pages from the Presses, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, 2020 Vision, and The Story of the Fisherman. I also agree with something Bill Woodbridge has said in a separate thread that Of a Feather likely represents the magnum opus of Gwasg Gregynog and it should perhaps therefore be included (this certainly a vote to include it).

I do have a few further additions to the list, which are the favorite books in my collection. I don't expect they'll make the final cut of twenty-five, but I would be remiss not to mention them:

Roots to the Earth from Larkspur Press is an obvious work of love, aided I'm sure by the close friendship between Gray Zeitz and the Wendell Berry. The two papers Mr Zeitz used, mouldmade Somerset Book from St. Cuthberts Mill and handmade Gampi Torinoko by the late Masao Seki in Japan, are perfect for the project and the book is richly illustrated. The paper used on the boards is also remarkable. Jveezer has reviewed it here: https://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2015/04/12/roots-to-the-earth-by-wendell-...

The Mad Farmer Poems from Bob Baris' Press on Scroll Road. I don't expect this to make the cut, with a run of only sixty copies, it's unlikely that many people have seen it. It's another obvious labor of love, helped a great deal by the friendship between Mr Baris and the author. I've spoken and corresponded with both Mr. Baris and Abigail Rorer about this volume and it seems that everyone involved considers the book a masterpiece. I couldn't agree more.

Ecclesiastes from Sutton Hoo Press. In spite of Chad Oness' recommendation, I have not read or handled What a World Dreamt, but I can absolutely speak on the quality of Ecclesiastes. If there are not further votes for more of Mr Oness' work, then please consider this a less-informed vote for What a World Dreamt

>81 jbrnewman: Ecclesiastes from The Last Press.
Ecclesiastes is from Sutton Hoo Press I believe.
https://www.thelastpress.com/suttonhoopress/p/ecclesiastes
I have just acquired it but haven't set my eyes on it yet.

>82 Pendrainllwyn: You are correct, thank you. I've edited my post for clarity.

>82 Pendrainllwyn: The imprint on Chad's Ecclesiastes reads 'Sutton Hoo Press at The Last Press', so I would give primacy to Sutton Hoo. It is basically the last book under the Sutton Hoo imprint.

Chad's work is impeccable and there are several works worth consideration beyond Ecclesiastes and What a Word Dreamt. Under Sutton Hoo, there is also Mark Doty's Fire to Fire: Poems and under The Last Press imprint I would nominate Juan Delgado's Hairnets and Gloves (50 copies total).

And I simply must nominate No Reply Press' Enūma Eliš.

I think I'll stop now....

>84 Glacierman: Hairnets and Gloves

Agreement.

Enūma Eliš

Very strong agreement. Still my personal favorite of the NRP releases so far.

I vote a third on Enuma Elis!

>1 A.Nobody: has been updated with the latest noms and re-noms. Thank you again to everyone who has contributed.

Like many others, I have personally seen some of the nominees but definitely nowhere near all. That said, I have a few suggestions.

1. Arion Press Bible
2. Sylvae, Midnight Paper Sales
3. Ecclesiastes from Sutton Press (I have the handmade flax cover version)
4. Black-letter: an interpretation of events relating to the time and presence of Johann Gutenberg by Jeffrey Atherton from Bieler Press (Gerald Lange is not well enough known IMHO)
5. Thornwillow Press Genesis
6. The Gospel According to Philip by The Petrarch Press

>88 dpbbooks: Thornwillow Press Genesis is an interesting choice. Which state do you have?

>89 ultrarightist: The one I could afford! ;-) The half-cloth.

>90 dpbbooks: I have the same. I regret not getting the vellum binding. What about the book prompts you to nominate it?

>91 ultrarightist: The vellum binding would indeed be ideal, but the timing was not. While it is not the Allen Press or even Arion Press Genesis (with the new Alter translation), I am drawn to it providing some new and different scholarship, rather than just doing an exquisite reprinting of the KJV.

My nominations:-
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, Foolscap Press
Ornata, Evergreen Press
Enuma Elis, No Reply Press
Spitsticks & Multiples, The Fleece Press
The Case of Death and Honey, Arete Editions
The Letterpress Shakespeare, The Folio Society
Nineteen Eighty-Four, St. James Park Press
The Death of Ivan Ilyich, No Reply Press
2020 Vision, Nomad Letterpress
The Story of the Fisherman, Foolscap Press
Weiss: The Typography of an Artist, Incline Press
Battle of Waterloo. Extraordinary Editions.
Lohengrin, Tudor Black Press
Coastline, Nomad Letterpress
Brief Loves That Live Forever, Foolscap Press
Stardust, Lyra's Books
The Diary of a Dead Officer, The Old Stile Press
Palladio’s Homes. Old School Press

>88 dpbbooks: 6. The Gospel According to Philip by The Petrarch Press

I can get on board with that one. Let me 2nd that nomination.

Kudos to A.Nobody for initiating this thread. If only so many of these books weren't already out of print!

It is interesting to observe what is absent. For example there are no books from the well regarded Suntup Editions or Conversation Tree Press - not even any of their luxurious and highly priced lettered editions. It's good to see so many smaller presses being recognised.

>95 Pendrainllwyn:
Good point.
Flowers for Algernon by Conversation Tree Press should really be considered.

>95 Pendrainllwyn: I was thinking the same thing. Will I be laughed at if I say that I do like Suntup's Divine Comedy very much, even if I only have the numbered edition?

>95 Pendrainllwyn: I like Suntup's The Yellow Wall-paper very much, and hope to be wowed by Gormenghast when it arrives. The CTP Treasure Island deluxe would get my vote here as well.

I created a list of my top 25 and a few that haven't been mentioned made the list so I'm going to throw these out:

The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock - No Reply press
A Clockwork Diorama - Fine Press Poetry
Endgrain Editions 4: Simon Brett - Barbarian Press
Flowers for Algernon - Conversation Tree Press
Sudden Immobility - Barbarian Press
Ebenezer Le Page - Extraordinary Editions
Graveyard by the Sea - Corvus Works
The Intruder - Midnight Paper Sale
All Around the Block - Fleece Press

>99 DMulvee:

A Clockwork Diorama - Fine Press Poetry
Ebenezer Le Page - Extraordinary Editions
Graveyard by the Sea - Corvus Works

All excellent selections. Almost nominated the EE book as well.

>99 DMulvee: Ebenezer Le Page - Extraordinary Editions is one of my favourite books in my collection. However, it's not letterpress and I wonder if that excludes it from this sort of list.

>101 EdmundRodriguez: If my memory is correct, two of the books on the Grolier Club 20th century list were printed offset. Personally, I'm fine with non-letterpress books being nominated, as the factors that constitute the best-produced books will be different for all of us.

Also, >1 A.Nobody: has been updated. Interestingly, we now have exactly 25 books that have received three of more nominations.

I would propose for consideration the following as well:

Shakespeare's Sonnets, New Albion Press, 2009 -- The deluxe state, beautifully printed on Twinrocker handmade paper, with an unusual binding architecture, is distinctive (unless reprising the Doves press text design is a disqualifier on originality grounds).

Also The Importance of Being Earnest, Bowler Press, 2009 -- a real gem of a book.

I've had Sea of Cortez on my to buy list for quite a few years, but have always held off for the next sale, or in case I ever subscribe. I may have to finally pull the trigger!

A Modest Proposal, Officina Athelstane, 2015 -- another lesser-known gem.

>93 wcarter:

Brief Loves That Live Forever, Foolscap Press

This would be my number 1, probably.

The Letterpress Shakespeare, The Folio Society
The Death of Ivan Ilyich, No Reply Press
Weiss: The Typography of an Artist, Incline Press

Co-signed.

I'm curious why people are nominating Lohengrin over Arden or Doctor Faustus, both of which seem superior to me (comparing similar states). Of those three I'd choose Arden first for its overall unity of aesthetic and interesting choice of title, and Faustus second for readable and influential title.

>102 A.Nobody: one offset printed book that definitely deserves the status is the Folio Society Rabelais LE with the complete Doré illustrations and appropriately gargantuan proportions.

>109 abysswalker: I have the specials for all three books, but the specials for ‘Lohengrin’ and ‘Arden’ use materials at a much higher standard than ‘Faustus’, and so it was always likely that it would be one of those two that got my nod.
‘Arden’ is very good, and I do slightly prefer the engravings here, however overall it is probably in a tie with Lohengrin for me, so I could have opted for either.

>107 LT79:

You are making the same mistake many collectors on the LT FPF made 5-6 years ago and you are 'overlooking the forest for the tree', focusing on a minor point and not fully appreciating what a remarkable achievement this edition is. At the Foolscap Press offering price of $1,200 it was a ridiculous bargain. For those collectors who nitpicked this book to death and talked themselves out of a purchase, it is now almost unobtainable and rarely appears on the secondary market. When it does, it sells for $4,000 - $4,500.

The link below will take you to the excellent (as always) review by wcarter. As you read the comments that followed, you will better understand how several experienced collectors talked themselves out of purchasing it. Apparently, they were not alone because this remarkable book did not sell quickly, languishing in the Foolscap Press inventory for over one year.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/317756

>112 dlphcoracl: I'm one of those 'detractors'. However, after having gone over wcarter's review and with the passage of time, I have revised my opinion and now think much more of it. Had I had the means to have acquired it in the first place, I would now be regretting my initial assessment, but as it is, I have but to say I have changed my mind. Your discerning eye had the right of it to begin with and I, I fear, was quite mistaken in my criticism.

Live...and learn!

>113 Glacierman:

Been there, done that.

When the Arion Press edition of Leaves of Grass was announced at an offering price of $1,200. I thought it was overpriced and, as was typical of the time, would be able to purchase it in the secondary market for much less.

Au contraire. Not only did I fail to recognize how flawless the design and execution was, I was completely mistaken in thinking I could purchase it for significantly less at a later date. Eventually, I had to pay several multiples of the original price to acquire it, albeit not at today's egregious prices.

>114 LT79:

I wish I had friends similar to Janet.

>111 DMulvee: Pretty much same position here. I would happily back either Lohengrin or Arden for the slot, and find Faustus a fine title as well but not as richly realised as its siblings.

These are my top 5 nominations.

1. 1984, St James Park Press
2. Weiss: The Typography of an Artist, Incline Press
3. All Around the Block, Fleece Press
4. The Hunting of the Snark, The Reading Room Press
5. Claude Garamond, Corvus Works

I do not personally own a copy of 1984, but I have been able to peruse a copy at my leisure and it is a phenomenal piece of work by James, he has certainly excelled himself in this masterpiece.

My only vote goes to Pericles (Barbarian Press). It could have used better paper though.

>107 LT79: The Death of Ivan Ilyich was offered for $785, if I’m not mistaken, even though the site lists it at $1785. It was kind of a word-of-mouth offering that originated in this forum.

>110 abysswalker: I agree with G&P LE. I doubt something like it will be repeated any time soon.

>110 abysswalker: My personal, non-letterpress pick would be the Folio Society limited edition of The Divine Comedy. While I’ve really soured on Folio over the past couple of years, I can’t fault the Divine Comedy LE. It is boldly designed and quite unlike any other edition in my collection.

>122 LT79: I believe the only reservations available going forward will be through the recently created membership group, The Collectors Circle.

>122 LT79: >123 Shadekeep: This is correct! No more pre-orders from No Reply Press. When a book is finished, I'll announce it, and orders will ship shortly thereafter. The only exception, as Howard points out, is that I am inviting a number of longstanding collectors (those who have acquired half or more of my books) into a modest no-cost membership program, one of the benefits of which is a three-day window before public announcements to place early reservations. The hope with all this is to simplify the process, cut the wait times to zero, and provide full photos of the actual finished book for collectors when they make their decision whether to order or not.

>46 AdPacem:
>93 wcarter:
>109 abysswalker:
>118 TudorBlackPress:

Although this book was published in 1998 and doesn't qualify for this list, those of you who have nominated Weiss: The The Typography of an Artist should look for and research the following:

New Borders. The Working Life of Elizabeth Friedlander by Pauline Paucker, Incline Press (1998).

This is an early Incline Press title and it has many similarities to 'Weiss', with many more tip-ins and inclusions. Friedlander was a multi-talented woman involved in typography, book design, calligraphy, and decorative design. Her story is more interesting than the life of E.R. Weiss and this book is Graham Moss' Magnum Opus (imho). As an aside, she studied design and typography with E.R. Weiss at the Berlin Academy.

This is a fabulously interesting thread!

The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a great book, I'll admit, but it shouldn't be anywhere near the top spot. I'd happily accept Top 50, though! @A.Nobody: Using my godlike powers having made the book, I hereby subtract 7 points from Ivan's total. ⚡

When I think of what makes a book a masterpiece, and therefore in consideration for "best books of the century," I think it must both be a supreme editorial achievement and a supreme craft achievement. I'm all the more enamored if both achievements rest with the same person(s). The obvious choice, then, is Pericles.

>124 LT79: But one worth striving for!

>126 dlphcoracl: A superb recommendation. Agree with every word here!

>1 A.Nobody: Lohengrin
>2 Nightcrawl: 1984
> Weiss

>125 grifgon: Aka, a rights system?

>127 grifgon: Haha sorry Griffin, you’re too close to the project to have a say in its ranking. The people have spoken!

>1 A.Nobody: Should be up to date, ignoring of course Griffin's non-nomination :)

>121 Nightcrawl: I collect editions of the Divine Comedy, and do like (and own) this LE, but would not include it in this list for the following reasons.

First, on reflection, after having read the Kirkpatrick translation several times now, it is no longer one of my favorites. There are at least 3 that I can think of off hand that I would prefer, with the Hollanders head and shoulders above all of them. There are several reasons for this, with the primary being some poor choices of diction. "Rotten pockets" for Malbolge being one of the notable offenders (yes, it is kind of literal, but that is no excuse). The narrative also becomes rather confusing and hard to follow at times, which is particularly obvious when compared to the Hollanders.

Second, the "33 thoughts" intro is not particularly interesting or insightful.

The illustrations are fine, with the style yielding a nice midpoint between traditional and modern, which I appreciate, but the details are too fine for size of the reproduction, and that is coming from someone with 20/20 vision.

The binding, layout, and paper are all wonderful though.

>131 What_What: My understanding of a rights system is that it works like this: If you buy this book, you have the "right of first refusal" on the next book. (I'm pretty sure that this is basically Paul Suntup's invention?) Absolutely no criticism here of Paul (who is a terrific guy and who I really admire for all that he's done) or any other press that uses this system, but I really dislike it personally. My fear is that it creates a circumstance in which collectors feel pressured to order a book, not because they want that particular book, but because they want to preserve their ability to order books in the future. That seems to redound to the detriment of the press, because you end up with collectors owning books they don't actually want. It also locks the press into making a certain number of books with each edition.

Unless I'm misunderstanding what a "rights system" is, then there is basically nothing in common with my program.

>121 Nightcrawl: I think it is a good looking book, and one of the stronger recent releases however I ended up having a number of FS titles in front of it including the LE of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, The Malay Archipelago and the LE of Gormenghast - the last of these might be controversial!

>137 DMulvee: Absolutely agreed on the Gormenghast LE, I honestly believe most people who get to hold these books will "get" it, the photos can't do them justice. The Malay Archipelago is of course a known gem as well.

>110 abysswalker: Also in favour, one more vote for G&P!

>126 dlphcoracl: Thank you! Will be looking out for this one

Just want to add that if I could read Dutch there would be a Factotum Pers book on this list from me. It's hard to quantify exactly what makes Geert's printing so beautiful, but when it comes together on the page it is sublime. My nomination would likely be either Openbaring van Johannes or Over de vijftig tafelmanieren.

>1 A.Nobody: Thanks for linking the Parenthesis review of the Bowler Press “The Importance of Being Earnest” — I had no idea Crispin Elsted was a fan!

An obvious oversight in this discussion are the magnificent Sidney Shiff Limited Editions Club books. A number of them were published between 2000-2010.

>141 dlphcoracl:
Three nominated, but only one vote each.

>135 grifgon: Thanks for the explanation. Out of interest (and I'm not a member so have no skin in the game) are there any obligations associated with No Reply membership? From the way you describe it, i.e. no pressure on members, it seems not. But almost all other presses that I'm aware of who run a rights or subscription model oblige the members to purchase either the next book or a certain number of books in order to keep their membership/early access window/discount. Are you saying that your members will be members for life without any obligation to ever purchase? I'm also interested in whether you'll announce the title and public order opening time at the same time as members get access, or will it be a sort of secret amongst members for those three days?

Btw: I see that Ivan Ilyich has dropped off the top spot so another vote from me! I'd also give votes to the following, which I'm surprised not to see on the list at all: The Wind in the Willows (Mad Parrot), Moving (Nomad Letterpress), A Christmas Carol (Lyra's).

>135 grifgon: Rights weren’t invented by Mr. Suntup - he modelled it after the system Grant used for their Dark Tower limited edition books back in the 1980s. A system he’s familiar with as huge King fan.

The goal of a rights system is allowing serious collectors of a press the opportunity to privately order new books, as a recognition and reward. Inherently of course, this creates a disadvantage to someone new to the press. Certain implementation details may differ, sure, but at the end of the day it’s the same principle - special treatment for certain people.

So I’d say your system has quite a lot in common actually, and it’s good to see you’ve reconsidered, and implemented a variation of it. Presses should be able to reward their high-value collectors.

>143 Levin40: Moving (Nomad Letterpress)

This gets vigorous assent from me as well.

>143 Levin40:

Are you saying that your members will be members for life without any obligation to ever purchase?

Yes, exactly this.

But almost all other presses that I'm aware of who run a rights or subscription model oblige the members to purchase either the next book or a certain number of books in order to keep their membership/early access window/discount.

My program has very little in common with the subscription models or rights models of other presses. It includes no obligation or even incentive for ongoing or future support.

I'm also interested in whether you'll announce the title and public order opening time at the same time as members get access, or will it be a sort of secret amongst members for those three days?

This is a great question. It certainly won't be a secret, per se. All I'm doing is sending a link to the edition three days in advance of the public announcement. If people want to discuss, they're more than welcome to.

>144 What_What: What_What:

I think that the difference between my program and what people mean by "rights system" is so large as to make calling my system a "rights program" misleading.

For example:

My program does not oblige members to do anything to maintain their maintenance. Every rights system I've seen obliges ongoing "all or nothing" purchasing.

My program does not guarantee members the ability to order any particular edition. For example, I might have 70 members and announce an edition with 60 copies. Every rights system I've seen does provide this guarantee, often by holding edition sizes stable across editions.

My program has a very high bar for entry. Every rights system I've seen requires only a single book purchase to enter, and sometimes rights can even be transferred or sold between people.

But people can make up their own mind:

https://www.noreplypress.com/thecollectorscircle

I'm gratified that you like this direction, though! Though we don't always see eye to eye, I always appreciate your comments.

>146 grifgon: >147 grifgon: Thanks. It certainly is different from other systems then, and it sounds like a good way forward for the Press. Though a bit of a shame that those of us on the outside might not get a look in for some titles.

>148 Levin40: Surely if supply is limited it should go to those who have supported the press?

>149 DMulvee: And what about those who are just discovering the press now, or will do in future? What this system does is lock in a group of customers who've supported the press up until 2025 for life whether they continue to support the press or not. Seems a bit rigid and arbitrary. Not necessarily saying the system as described is bad btw, but it's an interesting discussion and it's clear that any system will have it's advantages and disadvantages. I think that's unavoidable.

Perhaps the rights discussion should move to a different thread as we are getting pretty far off topic.

>152 LT79: I have 10 of the numbered items, 5 of them at 25 or higher, so I'm pretty happy with this horse race so far.

I approach this from a wider angle: despite not being much older than 25, I think a list for a quarter-century is relatively insignificant, especially as a response to the Grolier Club's findings. I echo that some incredible work—judged by objective or widely-accepted standards for private press (see >127 grifgon: for a succinct explanation)—has been regrettably overlooked.

Of released books, I believe only a few are entrenched in their positions as titans of the age, including the Intima Press newcomers. Of course, anything that exemplifies the finest private press of the century naturally earns its standing in the quarter-century as well.

My primary goal is to introduce more beautiful productions to the discussion of hundred-year mainstays. The books for which I join the chorus of praise are ones I consider firmly planted at the zenith of literary craft (i.e., I would be shocked if they do not hold their places as crown jewels of the twenty-first century). The novel nominations I hold to a looser standard as I cannot argue that all of them will inevitably join the next "Century for the Century"—but they are fully worth examining.

My selections:

Soft!

Caliban Press: A Ghost Story of Christmas, Being a Christmas Carol (Dickens, 2017)
Intima Press: A Golden Thread: The Minotaur (Hawthorne, 2018)
Intima Press: The Golden Hair of Medusa (Hawthorne, 2025)
Limited Editions Club: Arabian Nights and Days (Mahfouz, 2004)
Pennyroyal Press: Billy Budd (Melville, 2024)
Plowboy Press: Phaenomena of Aratus (Aratus, 2022)
Scripps College Press: Ruminations (Rumi, 2011)
Shanty Bay Press: Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite (Greek Poets, 2003)

Hear, hear!

Barbarian Press: The Play of Pericles
Caliban Press: The Tempest
Foolscap Press: The Travels of Sir John Mandeville Beyond the Holy Land
St James Park Press: Nineteen Eighty-Four
Taller Martin Pescador: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

I have high hopes that our community will soon be discussing the immortal brilliance of SJPP's Paradise Lost, NRP's The Waste Land and Barbarian's Metamorphoses.

I am certain I have missed things, and I have exercised discipline in omitting certain books that I am deeply fond of but cannot place in either silo. Nonetheless, I hope this list introduces the community to some overlooked gems.

>142 GusLogan:

Interesting, because the three Sidney Shiff LEC books in the years 2000 to 2008 I find most exceptional are:

1. Arabian Nights and Days

2. Bookmarks in the Pages of Life by Zora Neale Hurston

3. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King. Because of its immense historical importance, this would be my 1st choice amongst the Shiff LEC books.

Regardless, it is testament to just how good the later Shiff books are.

>152 LT79: that’s sort of the nature of the thing though, I propose some solutions below if anyone has more ideas to work from.

It could be fun to do a committee with a few of the more prominent members, and have them work out at least the top end of the list. (The issue is that they are perhaps the few people that wouldn’t agree to it).

The other semi-scalable one is to have public voting in a couple rounds of RCV, like selecting the slates for top 5, the following 5 and then the remaining 15. Or maybe just all at once. The hope is to try to encourage discussion on what titles should be included in what sections or like what would be the best pick.

You could then do a google survey to collect results, and if you had everyone enter a unique ID (UUID4 or something, just search UUID generator and tons come up) into the form, then post that in a dedicated thread later, allowing confirmation that people have an active LT account without having to collect emails/IPs etc.

>155 LT79: Most kind, but really I'm a dilettante collector compared to the leading lights of this forum. If you subtract the chapbooks and oddments that few other people collect, you'd probably have one shelf of hardcore fine press with me. My overarching interest is in active presses, which means I have little to no Ashendene, Doves, Whittington, Golden Cockerel, Grabhorn, or Cranach. These lacunae alone likely bar me from the fine press elite table!

>154 a.friend: Kudos for mentioning Intima and Plowboy. Those are volumes I covet.

Not to complicate things, but what I'd find interesting is:

1) A vote or discussion among the few that have had direct experience with many of the books/discussion among the veterans and professionals in this forum

and have that separate from

2) just a popular vote among those of us who have maybe only seen a few of the books in person...

(In the end, I am more interested in 157>ensuen's idea of some of those with some expertise having greater input...)

All that said, if neither of the two happened, this thread as it stands is super interesting. Thanks!

>152 LT79: I think you underestimate personal opinion. I have 10 of the 27 books that have 3 votes or more. However only 5 made my list of the top 25. So I’m disagreeing with the general opinion even though I own some of those more esteemed books.
To complicate things, some of the books are available in multiple states, whilst others are available in a single state. For some books it might be the case that the highest state only is the one that is being nominated, whilst for others any state is deemed to be good enough.
At the moment there isn’t a tie breaker for those books with the same number of votes. It would be interesting to know how many members own each book. If a book has three votes but is owned by nine members, this is less impressive than a book that has three votes but is owned by three members.

Sorry, having given this further thought I think that points should be given to each title in a list with descending order. So if someone lists books 1-25 then these earn 25 points, then 24, 23, … and the 25th choice receives 1 points.
If someone lists 11 books and they are all equal then in this case they would all earn 20 points (the sum of the points of the top 11 divided by 11).
If someone has a top 3 that are even, each of these 3 earn 24 points.

This would be more complicated but it has the advantage that a book in 25th place on someone’s list no longer receives the same vote as a book in first.

One possible way of determining the final list would be to take all those with multiple votes (or those with, say, 3 or more votes) and have a second round of voting on those, with each poster having 5 votes to distribute. It does unfortunately mean you may not get to vote on all the ones you think make it into the top 25, but it does insure a somewhat equitable distribution of votes. Just a thought.

Excellent topic! Having noted 2 titles earlier, just returning to add support for Don Quixote and Stardust.

I hope Thornwillow’s Ulysses impresses, but still waiting and curious to see how the leather editions stack up against the titles that have been noted in this topic.

>165 LT79: My criteria are going to sound very "salad bar", but at the end it's the synthesis of the whole that determines the quality of the book for me. The important parts that make that whole are:

1) The text itself - Should be worth reading and re-reading, and if it's a lesser-known or even wholly original work, all the better.
2) The printing - Good bite is preferred, as are generous margins, but especially important are page design and typeface selection.
3) The binding - Easy to overlook until you see really brilliant bindings done. Doesn't have to be flashy, but you develop an eye for what's sufficient versus what's inspired.
4) The illustrations - Assuming a book has them, they should be suited to the text and also worthy of regard on their own merit. I'm a sucker for woodcuts, but every kind of art has its place in fine press if it's well-executed and enhances the text.

My nominations and secondings meet all these criteria. Presses which tend to nail the list these days include No Reply and Tudor Black, and former such presses include Gwasg Gregynog and Fine Press Poetry. Pure personal opinions, of course!

Thank you again, everyone, for your nominations and sharing your knowledge and love of well-made books. >1 A.Nobody: should be updated with the latest.

I had never intended to try to come up with a list of the 25 best books of the quarter-century (although I can see the title of this thread as giving that impression). Rather, I was looking to further my own knowledge and understanding of the standout work so far in the 21st century. Mission accomplished.

So I will take a step back from compiling nominations. I would be happy to update >1 A.Nobody: if anyone wants, but I think the goal of singling out great works from the last 25 years has been met. If others want to pick up the ball and try to hammer out a final list of 25 with the help of a blue-ribbon panel or some other method, the floor is theirs.

I appreciate the eclectic tastes of the group and your spirit of collaboration. There's a good chance I'll be around in 25 years, so maybe I'll start a Half-Century for the Half-Century thread at that time!

>166 Shadekeep: Not paper?

I'll be relatively boring:

Heart of Darkness, Chester River Press
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Taller Martin Pescador
Pedro Paramo, Arion Press
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville Beyond the Holy Land, Foolscap Press
Nineteen Eighty-Four, St. James. Park Press

>168 kdweber: For me personally, paper choice can ruin or elevate and addition for me, but it’s never the deciding factor.

>168 kdweber: Fudge, that was actually in my head and didn't make it down in the post. Thank you, yes, paper is an important factor as well. It's one like binding, at least for me, in that I had to acquire the appreciation of it slowly over time. But now paper does play a contributing part in the quality of the final work. It's especially important when illustrations are involved, since they can have different requirements than text, so it can be extra work to find a paper that suits both well.

>170 NathanOv: Would you think Nawakum’s The Poet is deserving of being considered for this list? My copy just arrived and I am very impressed!

>172 DMulvee: That’s the dilemma of a list like this - there’s at least a dozen nominees that I’d rank it above, but Cascadia is the must-include Nawakum book for me, and A Bonsai Shaped Mind & A Kerosene Beauty would probably come in second and third.

I splashed out 10 dollars for a copy of “A century for a century”, my initial sense is that they mostly just picked books they liked, and it seems to work because they have great taste. If theres still some cheap copies left I’d recommend a copy, mine was murdered by in shipping, but it is what it is. Planning on taking a few more passes through it though.

There’s an offhand reference to selecting some books for the binding, but the bulk of the essays was on the experiments/progress with printing (as you might expect).

I’m curious if rebinding was still more prevalent back then, but I think it would have already fallen off a bit. A research note perhaps, I have the sense the the range of bindings offered for a single edition by presses these days is something of a fad, but it’s been terribly hard to do data analysis here. Maybe a shift in the last decade or so?

The range of illustrations also surprised me, I think the contemporary market has sort of collapsed into woodcuts and tipped in illustrations, so the range was cool to see.

Funnily enough there’s also a printing of Ecclesiastes in the original list (no 68, the spiral press). I find Chad’s printing preferable.