Moby Dick limited edition

New limited edition of 750 coming https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/limited-edition-sign-up Which one? Easton Press has one 1200 limited which will be cheaper. https://www.eastonpress.com/deluxe-editions/herman-melvilles-moby-dick-deluxe-ed...

Preview images at:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXt2uE9l10F/?img_index=1

https://www.facebook.com/TheFolioSociety/posts/pfbid0sn4e9xWAyH1sZDAwaxXVUr7Hk92...

In terms of which one, I wouldn't shelve that Easton Press version even if it was given to me as a gift.

Will have to wait and see on the Folio price, but, if it's too high, I'll just wait for the inevitable standard edition.

This new LE looks interesting, I'm curious about the art. However we got my sister the 2009 LE as a birthday present back in the day; when she moved overseas she gave it to me to look after so its now on long term loan in my library :) So I probably won't go for this edition.

I'm not sold on either. If pressed, I'd choose the Folio. I don't much care for the cover, though. That said, I'll be curious to see the interior art.

I've been waiting a long time for another stab at MD from Folio. I'm caught off guard by a new illustrator, hope to see more previews of the illustrations soon!

Just a personal opinion but I find this a rather disappointing way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Nothing about this novel reflects on the truly revolutionary upheaval that created the United States. This edition feels completely unnecessary to me given the very fine LE from 2009 that this in no way surpasses. A sadly missed opportunity by Folio to do something special.

I did a google search on the illustrator. Not my cup of tea at all and a rather strange selection to illustrate this work. Will be curious what he came up with but this will be an easy pass for me. I’m sure there will be plenty of others who will enjoy it though.

>6 UK_History_Fan: The 2009 LE is a beauty, but it was a facsmile of the Rockwell Kent artwork from 1930 that's been done to death by everyone under the sun. This'll at least be an original edition, which will pivot on how much you enjoy the Mu Pan artwork (like other Folio abstract artists, I suspect there will be quite a difference of opinion on it).

While the illustrations here are likely to be just as divisive, Copperhead Press is working on an edition as well. More in this post: https://www.librarything.com/topic/357945#9061546

>7 HonorWulf: couldn't agree more, and all the love of the earlier LE is great but sorry I cannot buy it second hand at the price people are demanding. Folio takes lots of risks/chances, sometimes it works and sometimes not. MD is so good alone which helps...

>7 HonorWulf: While I am not a fan of the revealed cover, I am very interested to see what we get in terms of illustrations.

Mu Pan illustrated FS's edition of Monkey, and personally the artwork was a big part of my decision to buy that particular book. A quick search also shows he is no stranger to drawing some breathtaking whales, so I'd say we are in good hands.

>6 UK_History_Fan: Actually it was a vote of the greatest American Novel so even though they said to mark the 250th anniversary it was more about the best American book written.

>11 Carl64: FS did say they were holding the vote for Great American Novel specifically ‘To mark the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence’ - so technically it does have a lot to do with the 250th Anniversary as that's the reason why they held the vote in the first place & why the release is this year rather than any other random year.

Between EP, FS, and Copperhead editions of Moby Dick, I'm leaning towards Copperhead -- especially if it is a two volume edition. I'm underwhelmed by the FS cover. Also, I'm not a fan of huge single book editions of large works, and am happy to pay extra for multiple volume editions.

>13 sdawson: I would not buy any expensive/fine copy of the book unless it was a two volume set. It is too long to be read comfortably as one volume.

>10 AdPacem: I'm a fan of his art as well, but my personal tastes run more abstract.

The illustrator Mu Pan's website is fascinating - some lovely stuff there. One of the folders in the Categories tab was labelled 'Dick', and fortunately contained pictures of whales. Probably not for this production, as they were all done in 2018, but I expect they are why Folio commissioned him:

https://www.mupan.com/category/paintings/dick/

>12 antinous_in_london: I agree but the vote for Moby was the winner. Which I can see since it’s been so popular.

>3 zorg2099: I got the same 2009 LE with the black leather cover. One of my most treasured books, actually . This new one looks nice (though I'm not too sure about that cover. Looks like Moby has whiskers), but not interested in it.

I don’t have a physical copy of Moby Dick but would consider getting nice copy so either the Easton or Folio. Any recommendations would be appreciated!

Perfect choice for The Great American Book! In terms of will I purchase it -- I'll need to wait and see. I will say this, the cover for the FS edition is quite striking. Although the more I look at it, the more it looks like the eponymous whale is grinning (is it just me?) --



The illustration on the EP Moby Dick slipcase could have been SO much better! But, the illustrations inside the book are quite lovely --



I assume neither edition is printed letterpress... so Arion Press and Lakeside Press have nothing to really worry about :)

>21 astropi: Taken with the eye it sort of looks like he's sneering. "Those harpoons all you got, tough guy?"

'Ahab? You're not all that.'

I think it looks spectacular

Well I think the red, white, and blue colors are meant to evoke the 250 anniversary. They could have maybe switched the blue on the slipcase and made it the color of the book and vice versa, but I think the red doesn't look bad either.

I'm optimistic I will be a purchaser of this book. The size of the book will be an important influence. I don't want a huge art book that can't really be read. But from the artist examples on his website, I wouldn't necessarily call it abstract. It's a modern viewpoint, but not as abstract as Clive Hicks-Jenkins's Homer abstract or La Boca Ubik or 1984 abstract. I liked the illustrations for Monkey, but I really couldn't spend any money for the translation. I would definitely just be buying the book for the pictures with no intention of ever reading it and I like to constrain my spending by at least having a plausible expectation of reading my purchases.

I also am glad that the edges are just a slick metallic silver. Any of the more extreme edge painting that FS seems to like nowadays would have been annoying, though possibly not conclusive in passing on the purchase.

So, I'm optimistic I'll purchase the LE. I've wanted a nice edition of Moby Dick.

Also, I would chime in that while they were asking in the survey for a Great American Novel to celebrate the 250th Anniversary, it wasn't exclusive to the extent that the 250th Anniversary significance was huge. It had to be "American" and a great work. I don't know any work that would necessarily scream 250th Anniversary except Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" or a compendium of the Federalist. Is there a novel that specifically addresses the Declaration of Independence or something similar. I would say "Rip Van Winkle" in the sense that Rip sleeping through the Revolution is significant. But, I can't think of a work, especially a good one that is especially significant in terms of the American Revolution. I could see Twain or Whitman, but I would opt for 2061, the 200th Anniversary of the Civil War for those.

>25 imaginarydata: Interesting observation about the red, white and blue color palette! Maybe it's a coincidence, but still fitting nonetheless.

I'm particularly pleased it's a full leather binding - it's something I always look out for in the Folio LEs I get.

The favorite Folio LEs in my collection are quite literally because of the full leather bindings (it also helps I got some of them during the 50% off sales) - Beowulf LE, Peloponnesian LE, Casino Royale LE, Les Misérables LE.
Honorable mentions are Last Unicorn LE and Rob Roy LE.

I think this new Moby Dick LE from Folio will be joining the collection.

>25 imaginarydata: >26 Ibkay: That's a good observation indeed -- I'm sure the colors are meant to represent the USA but of course the blue also represents the ocean, white is emptiness (oblivion), and red is blood (of the whales and people).

Interesting take just announced by NYRB, it's a children's book - Ahab and the White Whale.

Where's Whaley?*

*(maybe Whale-do in the U.S. ...)

Sigh... well, Moby Dick is in the public domain, so anyone can go ahead and, uh, mutate it -- but for what it's worth I will say that the illustrations are very well done --
In this exquisitely illustrated story inspired by Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, Manuel Marsol turns Captain Ahab into a sympathetic, driven goofball with valuable lessons to impart about life, leviathans, and not letting our goals obscure the world right in front of our eyes.

I do think the "moonlight on the water also being the whale" image is especially nice. It is a curious choice for a work to adapt for children, but if it's going to be done this particular take does looks like one of the better outcomes at least.

>30 astropi: "A sympathetic, driven goofball" made me laugh out loud. But, yes, the illustrations are very good.

Pages and prices for the upcoming Moby-Dick LE have gone live, tho' publ. details are yet to be appended.

Bound in blocked full-grain cowhide leather, w. an inset leather white whale label. Housed in a clamshell case w. a blocked leather inset label, lined in Suedel Alaska cloth.

11½ inches × 8 inches (29.2 × 20.3 cm)

£530 | £610 ROW | $750 USD | $1,060 CAD

https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/moby-dick-limited-edition
https://www.foliosociety.com/row/moby-dick-limited-edition
https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/moby-dick-limited-edition
https://www.foliosociety.com/ca/moby-dick-limited-edition

The illustrations are beautiful, if perhaps a little unemotional for such a wildly dramatic book - but it looks a fantastic job by Folio.

I really ike the illustrations so far. I will be hoping for an SE to follow.

I like almost everything about this, except for the choice of bright red leather. $750 is actually less than I was expecting but I still think I will wait and keep my fingers crossed for an SE.

>33 FitzJames:

The cover is too cartoonish for me. Bright red leather...no comment. Interior illustrations are quite good but the style is a bit too satirical for me. Rockwell Kent is the only artist I know who has attempted to depict the cosmic indifference of the White Whale amounting to a kind of negligent cosmic horror. Other illustrators seem to focus on the adventure aspect or the crew, all boring and interchangeable except for Queequeg and Ahab. Or make Moby Dick into a Hollywood blockbuster monster.

I will never get over a tipped in (albeit letterpress?) limitation page; and find it to be the elephant in the room.
Big head, big head, big head...!! 😁
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfUyElkW7Oo&t=47s

I can't quite decide what I think of the illustrations. In my experience, that usually means I'll end up liking them.

Not at all a fan of the cover. Or the tipped-in limitation page. Still, it's a monumental novel, and one I don't have in a nice edition. Going back and forth on this one.

I think the illustrations are fabulous. I also like the cover, albeit the eponymous whale is grinning, but hey. Of course I wish this was letterpress, and I keep thinking if I should wait until Suntup publishes Moby Dick, or bite the bullet and purchase this FS edition?

>40 astropi: Agreed! Beautiful work. Folio released more images here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DY2TwV5jfU3

I'm quite impressed by the artwork. I especially love the big foldout of the whales as well as the double page overhead of the Pequod. It actually got me thinking an interesting approach to illustrating Moby Dick could be to purely focus on the dispassionate digressions (or info dumps if you will) about the biology of whales and the logistics and technical aspects/methods of whaling while leaving depictions of the plot purely to the reader's imagination. Maybe I'm the only one who would like that heh.

Anyway nice as the illos are, I'm still not too fond of the binding and as I mentioned earlier I do have the 2009 LE in my library so I will somewhat regretfully pass.

Unless Suntup or some yet-unannounced private press does the book beforehand, I'll be waiting for the Copperhead Press edition.

>42 zorg2099: "It actually got me thinking an interesting approach to illustrating Moby Dick could be to purely focus on the dispassionate digressions (or info dumps if you will) about the biology of whales and the logistics and technical aspects/methods of whaling while leaving depictions of the plot purely to the reader's imagination."

Your description is very close to Barry Moser’s approach in the 1979 Arion Press Moby-Dick.

Moser "chose to focus on the technical aspects of whaling rather than the dramatic events of the story" with engravings of tools and men at work.

(Source.)

(The Arion Press edition is not only probably the greatest edition of Moby-Dick there is, it is also one of the greatest fine press editions of all time, so I do not think you are the only one.)

>40 astropi: I would likely be getting this one just in case. If Suntup eventually releases a superior numbered edition for about the same price, the Folio LE will likely be easy to sell on the secondary market. Might even make some small profit depending on timing.

I'm having an opposite reaction, love the binding but am indifferent to the illustrations but I appreciate seeing new MD illustrations nonetheless. I missed out on the prior LE and considering those still go for well over $1,500 on eBay (hoping they drop with this new one coming) I may have no choice but to go for this one.

>46 simbae:
I count 8 copies of the limited edition on eBay and 8 on Abe.com, so they obviously aren’t rare. The asking prices ranging from $1,670 and $3,899 are ridiculous for a book so readily available.

>44 abysswalker: I was about to make the same point about the Arion Press illustrations, but you beat me to it.

If you can't afford the Arion Press (I sure can't), the University of California Press published a smaller edition of it (without the letterpress printing and other features I'm sure). It's the edition I have, and I think it's superb.

>44 abysswalker: >48 coynedj: Thanks! Very interesting.

I dread to think of how much the Arion edition sells for given it seems to be one their best regarded titles. Even the UC Press facsimile last seems to have sold on eBay for ~$1,400. I assume the Arion Press edition sells for well north of $10,000?

>48 coynedj: same! For those looking, the high quality facsimile is the University of California "Deluxe" edition (they also release a trade hardcover which some unscrupulous or clueless sellers occasionally price obscenely, hoping to hook a whale). It is big and blue and has a slipcase. I got my copy for around $500 CAD a few years ago (that was a deal then) and I think the price has crept up slightly since. I would expect a comfortably market clearing price to be closer to $1k USD now, but if you wait and watch you can probably do better.

While it is slightly reduced in size from the original, it is still probably one of my larger books, especially if you consider mass in addition to page dimensions:

>47 jroger1: exactly, insane prices for it despite my desire for it! It's been this way since at least 2020 when I started looking.

>40 astropi: "I also like the cover, albeit the eponymous whale is grinning." He's also grinning on the old Easton Press version, that I bought in 1981.

Maybe he knows something we don't?

>52 RickartAllen: Given the number of teeth sperm whale possess - can they do anything else?

Further released illos from Moby-Dick, showing Mu Pan's coloured illos and their original drawings:

Yeah, in general they seem to "smile" because of their anatomy, but the cover art takes it a step further -- and hey, I do like the cover :)

https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/animal-care/learn-about-marine-mammals/cetace...

>52 RickartAllen: Surely it's because he's having a person of a time.

I would have preferred alot more illustrations given how long the book is. The previous LE had alot.

>54 FitzJames:

I think I prefer the drawings to the coloured ones.

Looking at both Easton and Folio LES leaning towards the Easton one less cost and nice illustrations.

>59 Carl64: I posted this note in the Easton Press forum:

“It’s hard to say for sure without seeing the FS edition in person, but I’ve been very impressed with EP’s edition. The illustrations and paper quality are excellent. The only downside is that it is quite heavy for reading on the lap, but I did it anyway.”

>60 jroger1: Glad to know will probably pick that one up. Free shipping also since I am in the states.

Love the artwork in the Folio, but I'll probably hold out hope for a standard edition.

Two hours until the folio release will it sell out quick or will it be a slow mover? https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/moby-dick-limited-edition

>63 Carl64: I think it'll sell out pretty fast even with that price tag. Some portion of those sales will be flippers, just look at the strange behavior of returns for the American Psycho LE.

>64 A.Godhelm: True there’s always the flippers trying to make extra money. Will be interesting to see how fast it sells.

what was the sell-out record time ?

>66 Macumbeira: Under Statistics:

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Groups:BOOKS_PUBLISHED_BY_THE_FOLIO_SOCI...

>66 Macumbeira: Stephen King's It sold out in under 7 minutes. The Hobbit in under 15.

I nabbed the Stephen King IT. It was crazy a lot of people complained they were unable to purchase.

Well, according to the web site, I placed the first order (counter read 749 for at least 15 seconds after my order. Of course, I’ll probably get number 354 or something. This is my one and only US 250th DoI anniversary purchase.

Good luck to all the LT members who want to purchase it.

250 sold so far.

Theres one already on Ebay for £1327.

Over half gone. Looks like a sell out soon.

I grabbed it right at the time it was on sale, also said 749 left when I placed the order. I was scared I wouldn't get it, but glad it's still open for others to fish it! My first LE Folio, special being one of my top books and this most likely one-off 250th edition (hoping there's still an SE for everyone though too) so it better at least smell good when I open it.

>74 simbae: I decided to get one also wasn’t sure until I saw the illustrations and compared the Easton Press one a bit more but seems better quality.

237 remain at the ninety-minute mark.

Slowing down 142 left might be a a while.

Actually surprised it sold that much so soon but it is a great novel.

No broken record : )

Just checked at 1:56 pm Mountain Time... shows 101 left in stock.

Down to 65!

43 last count should sell out soon.

>82 Carl64: I caved and ordered a copy.

I decided to buy (UK price). Not an instant decision. Never read it before, but skimmed a bit online to see what the text is like and it seemed agreeable.

Counter went from 32 down to 24 during the short period of my consideration.

Gone the eight and a half hour mark, 21 remain.

And the nine hour mark, 13 remain.

Nine hours twenty, 3 remain.

>83 Ibkay: Cool I think it will be one of the better copy’s of Moby Dick especially with the new illustrations.

And a new no. 11 on the list of fastest-selling LEs, at nine and a half hours.

Bring on the SE!

And four on Ebay already for up to double original price.

Just sold out.

The eleventh fastest selling FS book.

Wonder how the 2,000 USD Game of Thrones will do? Won’t be buying that one but will be fun to watch how that sells.

Currently six copies of the new (2026) Moby Dick LE and six copies of the previous Moby Dick (2009) LE for sale on Ebay. Although there is a great range of prices, the 2009 edition is significantly more expensive than that of 2026 with none of the 2009 editions being cheaper than the 2026 edition.

>95 wcarter: I'm looking forward to a side-by-side comparison of both LEs :-)

The 2026 LE is truly oversized at 11,1/2'' x 8'' which places it among the larger Folio LE trim sizes - larger than Howl's Moving Castle LE and Casino Royale LE.

Haven’t received email on shipping yet will see if I get it this week or not. I like that it’s bigger than a lot LE’S will make the illustrations even better.

Just said shipped so maybe this week.😎

I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly this one sold. It's quite divisive, I believe. (Oh, Goddess, starting to sound like an effing AI.) Some people (me) love its digressions; others (a guy who died much too young and whom I miss) hate them.

I look forward to its arrival. I bought the previous Folio LE at the time and loved it. This should be an interesting comparison for the artwork which looks pretty bloody (what would Mu Pan make of Patrick Bateman?).

i missed it because i was busy with work, and now i am inconsolable 😢

It was appearing at 1am my time (Australia) and I didn't feel like getting up for it. I figured if there were any left in the morning then fate was telling me I should have it. At 7am there were 89 copies left, and by the time I'd fought my way through FS site's login (which clears the basket) and various pop-ups, there were only 69 left. Anyway, one is already despatched in my name.

I love the cover and illustrations. I've been delaying reading it and this will be a wonderful first experience.

>100 Korius: There is a decent chance some could be restocked from returns if some of the scalpers struggle to sell them. Probably not to the extent of American Psycho though (it was restocked multiple times, 50+ the last time, perhaps 60-70 total iirc).

You could sign up for the email alerts at https://lazybookcollector.com/ they seem pretty good at monitoring and alerting restocks.

>102 zorg2099: wow thank you so much for the link! i had no idea this thing existed. praying i'll still be able to snag a copy from the Folio Vault someday 😭🙏

Some snaps and size comparisons with the 2009 LE. I will say off the bat I still have a preference for the 2009's understated aesthetic and Rockwell's illustrations, and the suppleness of the leather they used for that edition is imo still to this day unmatched by any Folio binding. That said I am a huge fan of the boldness of the 2026 edition, I love the contrast in their whale designs, Moby in the 2009 cover is just pure elegance as he gracefully swims through his own swirl of bubbles while in 2026 it looks like Moby just rocked up from the hood with no other elements distracting from how fed up he is of everything. While it doesn't appear they list the type of leather used for the binding (nor the label) in the colophon it's still a very nice grain. Their use of blue drop caps reminds me of the Arion Press edition which is not an unwelcome nod, intentional or otherwise, and the spacing is your usual Folio fare, it's quite easy on the eyes, the only struggle is for those that don't use book pillows as it's a heavy beast. One final thing that I think the official page photos don't quite capture well are the textured endpapers, definitely quite fitting as it is absolutely reminiscent of whale skin, at least for specific types, I think of the baleen variety but I'm no cetologist but with the fold out whale guide I've got not excuse not to be.

>104 wongie: Wow, thanks for this comparison! I've been looking forward to it :-)
And copy number 3!

>105 Ibkay: Seconded! What nice copies to own @wongie. Enjoy them!

>104 wongie: Great to be able to see these side by side.