Limited Editions - The Finalest Chapter, Part 1

I hope you won't be angry with me about opening yet another thread, but we reached more than 120 posts in the last one, and the topic still seems to interest us, so...

Besides, there is at least one additional semi-good reason to do so : A new LE is being offered by the FS, it being Ovid's Metamorphoses: http://www.foliosociety.com/book/MTS/1metamorphoses

I like the cover a lot, don't have a strong opinion about Titian's paintings as illustrations yet, and have found Golding's translation online, in case some of us would be interested in checking it: http://www.elizabethanauthors.com/ovid01.htm I haven't read it before, and found it a bit ... well, stuffy. However, the FS site speaks about it as of one of the milestones of literature in English, so it must be me.

How much is it? Can you say a little more about it? Like the Alice book, I can't see it when I log in. Does this happen to others?

Oh, my. Looks very pretty.



$640 Canadian

Here is a link to an interesting article about translating the Metamophoses, with a comparison of how several translators approached the task, including Golding.

http://www.editoreric.com/greatlit/translations/Metamorphoses.html

The version I read in college was by Rolfe Humphries, which I thought was excellent, but now I'm tempted to look into Melville's. Golding's translation doesn't hold much appeal for me.

A comparison of Golding and Humphries:

Before the Sea and Lande were made, and Heaven that all doth hide,
In all the worlde one onely face of nature did abide,
Which Chaos hight, a huge rude heape, and nothing else but even
A heavie lump and clottred clod of seedes togither driven,
Of things at strife among themselves, for want of order due.
No sunne as yet with lightsome beames the shapelesse world did vew. ... I.10
No Moone in growing did repayre hir hornes with borowed light.
Nor yet the earth amiddes the ayre did hang by wondrous slight
Just peysed by hir proper weight. Nor winding in and out
Did Amphitrytee with hir armes embrace the earth about.
For where was earth, was sea and ayre, so was the earth unstable,
The ayre all darke, the sea likewise to beare a ship unable.
No kinde of thing had proper shape, but ech confounded other.
For in one selfesame bodie strove the hote and colde togither,
The moyst with drie, the soft with hard, the light with things of weight.

Humphries:
Before the ocean was, or earth, or heaven,
Nature was all alike, a shapelessness,
Chaos, so-called, all rude and lumpy matter,
Nothing but bulk, inert, in whose confusion
Discordant atoms warred: there was no sun
To light the universe; there was no moon
With slender silver crescents filling slowly;
No earth hung balanced in surrounding air;
No sea reached far along the fringe of shore.
Land, to be sure, there was, and air, and ocean,
But land on which no man could stand, and water
No man could swim in, air no man could breathe,
Air without light, substance forever changing,
Forever at war: within a single body
Heat fought with cold, wet fought with dry, the hard
Fought with the soft, things having weight contended
With weightless things.

chase, you can't see them until you renew
I had the same problem with Alice
I think it's a bait to try'n catch the reluctant renewers

chase, for those of us in the U.S., it's $595.

more info from the page:

"Bound in Nigerian goatskin leather, blocked in gold with a design by Simon Brett based on Bernini’s sculpture of Apollo and Daphne.
484 pages; size: 13" x 9¾"

"This limited edition includes an introduction to Golding’s translation by Madeleine Forey and a new essay on Ovid and Titian by Michael Prodger, as well as a complete index of all the figures and myths included in the poem, with spelling variants."

I'm still a bit puzzled by the FS Limited Editions department's decision to publish The Wind in the Willows again.

Back in 1995 they created a limited state of their Wind in the Willows illustrated by Lynch. Only 100 copies and signed by the illustrator. The unlimited edition went into eight printings so I assume it was deemed a very successful edition. No idea what the limited edition went for back then. But I assume it passes part of the Django test for limited editions: signed by Lynch and a small limitation. I've never seen either the regular or limited state of this edition but would like to...

Now they have a new and I assume equally stunning edition of the same title. Extra illustrations over the regular state, a tipped in etching on the limitation page signed by the illustrator. Everyone has raved about the regular state so I assume this will be magnificent. (Note: Folio 60 does complain about the paper in the first printing, and then the degradation of the illustrations in the subsequent printings where they improved the paper). I lasted all of 2 seconds before ordering this when I saw it on the website.

I've never really seen any other publisher of limited editions revisit a title in this way. If you owned one of the rarer first limited editions (10x smaller print run), would you be perturbed? Since I wasn't around for the first limited edition, I was only too happy to snap up the second one but I would be very curious to compare it to the other. Now that I think about it, maybe the Limited Editions Club did two different editions of some titles? What do you think about multiple limited editions?

On the website the FS states that their limited editions are...Strictly limited, bound to order and never repeated, these are outstanding works of literary or historical significance reproduced in editions that are works of art in their own right. Hmmmm.....

Re #7: jveezer, it's interesting about the earlier version of Wind in the Willows; I was a Folio member back then, but don't even remember that limited edition. Perhaps it was not advertised heavily, or perhaps the low limitation meant it was offered only to select members. (I don't remember getting any offers on limited editions from the Society until recently--say the last 8 years; had I known about the Complete Pepys, I would have probably gotten it.) Perhaps one of the longtime members can answer this.

The Limited Editions Club DID, in fact, bring out the same work more than once, but in very different trappings:

The Brothers Karamazov in 1933, 3 volumes, illustrated (trenchantly) by Alexander King,
The Brothers Karamazov in 1949, 2 volumes, illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg (as part of the LEC's loose plan to have Eichenberg illustrate all the major Dostoevsky; both printings used the Garnett translation (revised by Yarmolinsky), and the bindings, size, typography, etc., were very different.

Don Quixote in 1930 (?), 2 volumes, illustrated by Ricart,
Don Quixote in 1950, 2 volumes, illustrated by Edy Legrand; both editions with the Ormand translation, and again, each were very different in their publishing details--the Ricart Art Deco-influenced illustrations being actual wood engravings and the Legrand line drawings (etchings?) were hand-colored via stencils.

Gullivers Travels was done twice, sort of, as the very first book of the club, and again in the early 50s, but the later version included only the first 2 books, the Voyages to Lilliput and Brobdingnag, in a 2 volume set wherein the Lilliput book was printed in 32mo (the smallest book the Club ever produced) and the Brobdingnag book in Elephant Folio--the largest--and was quite properly called a "stunt" by Macy and the designer, Bruce Rogers. (The slipcase designed to house both has to be seen to be believed.)

The Three Musketeers was done twice, again over 25 years apart and with different illustrations. All of these, plus Les dame aux camelias, were done when the club was directed by the founder, George Macy, his widow, or his sons.

The 1999 Heart of Darkness has 8 etchings by Sean Scully, that I have only seen reproductions of, and was done under the Club's current Directorship in an edition limited to 300 copies. The 1969 printing, made under the tenure of the Macy family, has photolitho illustrations of paintings done in semitransparent paint on huge sheets of plywood by Robert Shore that are, to my mind, in the level of artistry and aptness, the best illustrations I have ever seen. That edition was limited to 1500 copies and can be bought for $100 US. The 1999 edition costs 50 times that much--when you can find it.

I think it's valid for a publisher to bring out an alternate limited edition, provided there is a sufficient reason for doing so. In the case of the Folio's Wind in the Willows, it's strange that there were two versions in such a relatively short period, but I think the obvious reason for doing it is that Sandwyck's illustrations are extraordinary, and deserved a very special edition--signed by him.

I'm reading Ted Hughes' Tales from Ovid now, which is modern translation of a big chunk of the Metamorphosis.

Here is his version of the stanza noted by Django above.

Before sea or land, before even sky
Which contains all,
Nature wore only one mask-
Since called Chaos.
A huge agglomeration of upset.
A bolus of everything-but
As if aborted.
And the total arsenal of entropy
Already at war within it.

Has anyone out there seen one of the Wind in the Willows limited editions? I just got a letter that they are pushing to get them bound but that they might be able to get everyone's out by Christmas. Since I was told (earlier) that I got limitation #17, and assuming they ship somewhat in order, I assume that means that less than 17 (if any) people will be getting them before the new year. Bummer. I was starting to get in that mode of daily expectation but at least now I know and can relax...

RE #1

I received my offer this morning for Ovids Metamorphoses and the offer states that it's a " priority application form" valid only for me.
The price is £295 plus £25 p&p.
Its limited to 2750 hand numbered copies of which 1750 will be releaed this year.
It looks absolutely stunning , but I'm not sure if I want to spend that much on one book at the moment.

John

#11

Well, I'd call that nifty marketing, as that is the same price as appears on the site.

It does look great, but I still have reservations about the translation, and like you, about the price as well.

The price does seem a bit high for an edition limited to 2750 (limited?), with public domain illustrations and translation. I think its appeal would be to libraries and specialists who were mainly interested in Shakespeare's influences, and to collectors who might never read it. I find the translation tough going.

I really want a copy of Metamorphoses as I haven't read that one yet. I'm holding out since I don't really want to buy anymore pricey books this year. One thing that helps is that I believe the Barbarian Press is contemplating doing Ovid, so I would want to see that first. As that is probably years away, I guess that will keep me safe from the temptation of the FS edition.

Since we have been talking about translations a lot, I wanted to bring up another point. I would assume that the older translations might not have copyright issues. So it is easier for the FS to use Goldings, say, than Mandelbaum's recent translation. I wonder if that also plays into their decisions on what translations to use? In other words, a translation might not be selected just on it's merit but also for "business" reasons.

Another good example is Don Quixote. EP used Clark's edited version of the Motteux and Jarvis translation. FS used Smollett. Maybe both of those texts are public domain? Arion Press will be using the new Edith Grossman translation for their edition and I assume that their had to be some negotiation with Grossman or the publisher Ecco.

#14

As a side note, older translations might not always be worse than contemporary variants - I enjoy Richard Aldington's translation of The Decameron enormously for its readability and style, much more than the modern version used in the Penguin Classics edition (which they define as definitive).

Of course it is rather the exception than the rule, but nonetheless.

P.S. It'd be really interesting to know how they determine the price of the LE books - why is Ovid twice as expensive as Les Miserables and the Decameron?

The UK to US conversion rate right now would be really nice for the FS Limited Editions. Ordering the Ovid book in pounds saves $100 US from the US price of the book. Who wants to scheme (just kidding of course)?

Has anyone picked up the limited edition Alice? Would be curious to hear your impressions.

Also, has anyone received the Metamorphoses? I am seriously contemplating purchasing it.

Chase, I've seen it 'live' in the members' room. If you can wait for 2-3 days, I will post a full account once I'm home (my internet time is running out at the moment...)

That would be most excellent, thank you

Does anyone remember how much the FS Limited Edition of Le Morte De Arthur cost? I thought it was over a thousand but I can't remember. Any information would be really appreciated

$795 back in 2006, according to the brochure I dug up. BTW, I used to have an Easton Press version that was a facsimile of the same edition. It was definitely cheaper but was still nice.

I found one for $350 US and I am debating buying it or waiting out for the Metamorphoses book that I really want. Thanks for the info!

Four Gospels limited edition for sale on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360130662055&fromMake...

Also, War and Peace

http://cgi.ebay.com/Folio-Society-Limited-Edition-Tolstoys-War-and-Peace_W0QQite...

The Four Gospels listing now has a buy it now option at 100 off the list! Drat that I bought it at full price. War and Peace is also a good buy.

What do you think about this? It couldn't have been the LE, could it? (It's interesting that it features the exact same photo as in Chase's link)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Folio-Society-War-and-Peace-Tolstoy-in-Mint-Condition_W0QQit...

If any of you have been wavering about buying The Four Gospels, hear's your bargain of the year. In terms of production quality, this is the best of all the FS titles that I own, not to mention the gorgeous design.

It is the LE. I have the LE and it is the exact book. Sometimes people will take photos from other auctions if someone took a particularly good photo and use it for theirs, particularly if there is little or no difference between the two. Both auctions say excellent or near mint so it probably isn't a big deal, though probably not the best way of going about it. If I were looking at it and was concerned, I would just ask for more pictures.
I agree teebweeb. The Four Gospels is just supurb, and I am disappointed it was not listed before I bought it from the Society!

It appears as though War and Peace got sold, but Four Gospels is still there!

I was perusing some book websites, and came across Taschen Books. They have a beautiful edition of the Temple of Flora for $150 and it looks like the quality of the prints is extremely high. The books is 17X21inches! I'm not into the garden and horticulture books, but for this price and this quality, I am thinking twice about it A good subsitution for the astronomical price from the FS for their edition.

http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/classics/all/00347/facts.thornton_temp...

I can vouch for Taschen Books. I haven't seen this particular edition, but I have another facsimile by them - The Adventures of Theuerdank. The binding is of course simple cloth, but the quality of the facsimile pages does not fall from the quality of the FS facsimiles, at least to a non-professional reader. It cost €75.

(P.S. A wonderful book, by the way!)

Re #28:

At $85? Darn... At that price I'd buy it too, old translation or not.

Yes, it was one of the first books I bought from FS. Very beautiful and just looks and feels so delicate. The leather is very soft, with pages as true to the original manuscript as can be (with gold around all three edges). What sets this apart from other facsimiles (particularly ones sold by the British Library) is the presentation case and presentation booklet that accompanies the book. It tells the true story of how the book came to be, which I believe is what enhances its beauty further.

I was wondering what people are thinking about the Kelmscott Chaucer book. I remember when the Norton Folio of Shakespeare came out, it was extremely expensive like the Kelmscott is now, but you can easily find one on ebay for $50-75. Do you think Kelmscott will get that way too? I noticed that they have already basically halved the original price on the website during this sale.

Re #33: I think I have mentioned my prejudice against the Kelmscott Chaucer before, but I see it of antiquarian interest only--not as a suitable reading copy and not really attractive enough to want as an objet d'art--as would be a copy of the Luttrell Psalter--could I afford it.

What are people's thoughts on the balance between price and limited edition. Obviously smaller printings are generally cheaper by supply and demand, but I was wondering if there would come a point where the number of copies of a certain edition would stop you from paying top dollar for a book. For instance, the Four Gospels and Metamorphoses are both almost 3000 copies, which really is quite a few books floating around. From a collectible standpoint, the fact that the Four Gospels limited edition went for just over $400 on ebay the other day makes me question my purchasing of limited editions straight from the Society. Like I said above, I purchased a copy of Morte d Arthur for half the publication cost, bought a copy of the limited edition Decameron for just over $100, and just recently bought a copy of Letters from the Highlands limited edition for $80! I was seriously considering buying the Metamorphoses, but after seeing these books coming onto the second hand market at a significantly smaller price, it sort of got me wondering. I have seen earlier limited editions of the FS books go for more than the price (Ulysses and Don Quixote come to mind, and I expect Wind and the Willows to maintain a similar value) but I wonder with the spreading popularity of the books, if the brand is becoming somewhat "popular," not in the collectible sense, but in the sense of people buying the books on whims and then putting them on the market, driving down costs.
Now I know that most of us buy FS books because we love them and not because of any, or very little, expectation of them maintaining value, but I was just wondering if anyone else has mused on this. Sorry for the stream of consciousness here, as it is late, but I was just thinking about this and was wondering about other peoples' take.

More temptations in the mail today - Leonardo da Vinci's Notebooks 3 vol, £150 plus £12 delivery and insurance. Plus a free gift, Mirror of the World by Julian Bell.
The flyer mentions that there are only 40 copies of the special edition Wind in the Willows left.

Came across a new Limited Edition/Special Edition on my perusing: The Complete Letters of Joseph Conrad for a modest $1200. Yikes
http://www.foliosociety.com/book/JCL/collected-letters-joseph-conrad

Can someone tell me what wibalin is?

It appears that Wind in the Willows has been sold out. Also, some lucky person got the FS Night Thoughts for $1000 on ebay yesterday.

Wibalin - http://www.winterhk.com/wibalin.htm
Have never seen it mentioned in bookbinding (at least not from the FS)

Just received a copy of Metamorphoses ...it is exquisite . A lovely hefty tome , beautiful paper , lovely print - can't tell if it is *not* letterpress - it has a weighty feel to the print that suggests it is but I am guessing it is not . The Titian prints are really tipped in ie they are not printed on the page but rather separate prints which have been attached . Paper and binding all done in Germany if anyone cares . The Brown leather binding is well done and looks and smells great . Only the Top edges are gilded . Comes with a study page ribbon . Introductory chapters on both Golding and Titian complete with by-painting description/summaries . Bibliography to the rear . My copy is issue 476 . Well recommended .

Thanks for the review; I'm sorely tempted.