I just ordered ~ received.... (2)

This is a continuation of the old thread I just ordered ~ received.... which was getting too long.

I've gone a bit Wodehouse crazy and ordered the new 3-book set and took the plunge on a 5-book set too, meaning I've got all the FS Wodehouse. The combination of Plum and Paul Cox is just too great. I paid more than I wanted for the 5 books but justified it that a. you see so few copies of it and b. I just got a big rent rebate so wanted to do something frivolous with part of it. I've also got eight random older Folios coming so let's see what they're like too.

# 2 From where did you obtain your 5 volume set?

I got it through Ardis. There was another one - slightly more expensive - on Abebooks in the UK but I don't know the seller and he seemed a little unfriendly when I contacted him. I object to paying as much as you would new for something second-hand but my obssessive-compulsive gene kicked in this time and I took the plunge.

Just received 18 volumes of the complete novels of Thomas Hardy, and very nice they look too! Bought via Abe Books from a bookshop in Hey on Wye, they are less than half the price of some such sets being offered.

With the exception that some of the books have got bookplates in (which I knew about, and which doesn't bother me at all - in fact, with secondhand books I think it almost adds something to have at least the name of the previous owner), they are all fine or very good condition.

They're all nicely tucked away for my wife's birthday in a couple of weeks. And I am sure she will now agree that we need some new bookcases!

Finally finally finally received my copy of the Lord of the Flies. That has taken a while! I ordered it somewhere in the summer of last year, and it was shipped over when it was released. The book never arrived though (a first in a sequence of many FS packages), and I've been waiting patiently untill it really was taking far to long, somewhere in Februari of this year. I contacted FS customer support and they sent out a new package right away that arrived a few days ago. It was worth the wait. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and perfectky capture the tense and charged atmosphere of the book. I would go so far as to say that this is one of the best examples of how illustration and story go together. A bit like the perfect Wind in the Willows L.E., but with much less illustrations and a fraction of that books price tag ;-)

I'm going to try to resurrect this thread as my computer - well my mobile - has difficulties handling the size of the first one of these. I've now got both Jeeves sets and must say I do like the feel of the older one more than all the other FS Wodehouses. It is not printed on cloth but on "cambric grained material", which renders the cover picture more truly and also makes it look more brilliant and shiny. But I'm currently tucking into the new Jeeves set and enjoying it and its illustrations too. On the side, I've also started His Dark Materials, which I've just received.

And to return to the topic on the other thread, I must be one of the few people who love listening to all types of music as I read, in fact, as I do almost anything. This morning I've been reading Jeeves along to Led Zeppelin, not the most obvious of companions!

>7 khaa9481: "This morning I've been reading Jeeves along to Led Zeppelin"
I hope you won't mind me saying so but that is absolutley blasphemous!

My recent purchases are starting to arrive. Friday was the Westvaco edition of Red Badge of Courage, absolutely lovely right down to the bullet hole (placed in such a way as to imply saving a life; i.e. it stops about three-quarters of the way into the book) and the bloodstains. The only complaint I have is that it is very disconcerting to see the author's name going from bottom to top along the spine.

Today was the FS Epic of Gilgamesh which is also great. Francis Mosley's illustrations are right on the mark but there aren't enough (only eight). This book is an example of the other reason I like the Folio Society. Besides filling my library with quality books I'm familiar with it (either through borrowing from the local library or from already owning a cheap copy) it also tempts me with books I've never had a chance to read but always wanted to. Of course that means my "To Be Read" pile has grown rather rapidly but at least I'll never be able to say I've got nothing to do (right now I've got four books on the go).

>7 khaa9481: ...Led Zeppelin...your statement brings back memories of reading Lord of the Rings to Iron Butterfly many moons ago, In-a-gadda-da-vida in Shelob's Lair!

I would tend to piano works by Debussey, Chopin, back or Mozart. The piano in my mind at least lends my reading to a more concentrated level, anything more then that requires a more actrive listening. That is not to say that I cannot listen more actively to the mentioned above as well.
I would add that music by James Taylor or Gordon Lightfoot would be approriate for me as well.

Just received Beowulf. I've spent the last fifteen minutes gazing at it with a stupid grin on my face! Folks, for those of you who have a copy on the way, you are in for such a treat.

Huxley - one more item on my to buy list - the rate I am going I don't hope I will die poor but nevertheless happy

#12
Not fair, mine is still listed as At Warehouse. And with my sister working days this week and away for the next two weeks I'll have to wait an extra day every time a package comes. I did hit it lucky for a while as the postman was getting the undelivered parcels to the post office in time for me to pick them up the same day but that didn't last long. Now when a parcel pickup notice shows up I'll spend a whole day wondering if it's The One. I'm beginning to regret being able to get another set with Beowulf--if it was coming on its own the postman might be able to leave it between the doors like he did for Gilgamesh.

Huxley, would you be able to take some extra in debt pictures of the volume?

I received a portion of my first Spring sale order yesterday; it was Eyewitness To History and the umbrella. The slipcase on the set was split on the top and the Society as usual is replacing the set. They do want the initial set back though but will be sending a postage paid label for that purpose.

15> I could, if it would help you make up your mind over whether to part with your cash or not - I know this volume isn't cheap. But if you have the brochure for it, I'm not sure how much extra I can add.

Spoilers ahead - if you would prefer not to know more about the book before getting it then please stop reading here!

Some of the delightful aspects of the book just won't show up in images, e.g. the fact that the printing of the horse head on the slipcase is really thick so it is almost like embossing rather than printing, and the cloth is woven so that it changes from red to almost black depending upon the angle that you look at it - if you have the silk-bound George Eliot books the effect is the same.

What else can I tell you? - where there isn't an illustration on the page, the border from the top is repeated below, and it always wraps around the page numbers; the dragon device from the front cover is repeated on the rear. One slight oddity is that the dragon on the book in the brochure is blocked in green, whereas mine is not blocked at all - not a problem to me, as I think I prefer it, but I was surprised to see the difference.

Oh, and the way the binding smells I don't hink there is any doubt that this is genuine leather.

If anyone would still like some pictures then just say the word and I'll see what I can do tomorrow evening.

Alice's Adventures Under Ground came today (well, yesterday but I picked it up today) which has me totally confused because it still shows as At Warehouse and none of the books that are listed as Despatched (other than Gilgamesh) have arrived. The book is tiny, about half the size of the box it comes in. If this really is like the book the real Alice received she must have loved it because I know I do.

The Westvaco edition of Poe also came today and I am just as pleased with it. Of course anything that has bats on the slipcase will make an impression of me. The type is smaller than my old eyes usually like but not too small. My only complaint is with the lettering on the spine which goes from bottom to top--I've already put it back in the slipcase upside down.

All in all a rather nice day even if it's been pouring rain for the last few hours. And most of my orders are still to come. Yay!

Thanks for mentioning the leather, Huxley, I mean I had to order the book when I saw it but I wondered...should only be a month or so until it arrives, I must say I would gladly pay a priority charge for 2-week shipping, the heck with patience is a virtue.

>9 haniwitch:
My Red Badge arrived last week as well, it's a wonderful item with such attention to detail. The introduction even describes the creators test-firing .45s into dummy books to check penetration etc. Love the reproductions of the Army musket care manual: "In the inspection of arms, officers should attend to the qualities essential to service, rather then to a bright polish on the exterior of the arms."

I bought the Westvaco Lardner at the same time, which luckily arrived on the same day. Also a beautiful book, albeit less dramatic then the Crane. Great series, shame it's discontinued.

Time to start rearranging the bookshelves. My Spring Sale orders are starting to show up. Thursday it was:

Beatrix Potter sets - They're small enough that I can stack them on top of each other and save shelf space. I've only read a few before this so I didn't know that they ranged from almost just picture books (i.e. very little narrative) to more extensive stories. And not a child in sight to read them to.

Eyewitness to History - Definitely bigger than the Potter set. Set out in Sections with each section having several articles. I wish each article had an initial page number listed in the table of contents rather than just the sections.

Diary of a Young Girl - It really does look like a diary on the outside. The inside front and back covers show photos of pages from the diary which is interesting. Illustrations are photos of Anne, friends, family, the Annexe. A book I've always intended to own and the FS edition is perfect.

Remains of the Day - Type smaller than I like so this one will not be read after a hard day in front of the computer. Only seven illustrations but full-page ones at least. Another book I've been meaning to read but never got around to.

Comic Short Stories - I love the Paul Cox illustrations. Just started the P.G. Wodehouse entry.

Shakespeare's Sonnets - Didn't realize the cover had crushed sides (guess I should read the book descriptions) which was a nice surprise. Slight problem in that the cover appears to be on upside down. I don't think I'll return the book though. The only place I'll be reading it is here at home so no one will think me crazy for reading a book the wrong way up.

And of course the first two of the (possibly) three umbrellas which really are quite sturdy. And now that they're here all the rain that we've been having has quit with nothing but sunny days in sight.

#20
I haven't really looked at my Red Badge of Courage other than to show the bullet hole to my nephew in hopes of getting him to read it. No such luck but he might be interested in the musket care manual (which in a perfect world would lead him to turn the pages and read the actual book).

>21 haniwitch:

When my Best of Blandings set arrived (purchased as payment for Dark Materials and Wealth of Nations in the sale), Summer Lightning was bound upside down. The other books were normal.

I contacted them straight away and they responded very quickly with advice that they would set me a new copy and there was no need to return the old one.

Personally, I find a book bound upside down quite disorienting. However, I've started reading Summer Lightning (on the basis that I did not have to look after it as much as other folio books because it is being replaced) and I'm getting used to it slowly. But I still don't like it.

In my view, the price of the books factors in the need to replace a number of books due to errors in binding, printing, etc and that I'm paying for it when I order the books. I think Folio thinks the same way, given the efficiency of their responses.

Oh, and given the title of the thread, I should report on my purchases in the Spring sale, which all came together:

Byzantium - they are solid books that look stunning. Large print and I look forward to reading the set.

To get this I bought:

On the Road - a lovely surprise. Easy to read - a nice size. What makes this book though is the selection of black and white photographs that illustrate it and the way they're handled. They used excerpts from the book as captions, with the actual descriptors of the photos in the illustrations listing at the front of the book. I'm reading it now.

Devil's dictionary - delightful, but the book is surprisingly small and feels a little cheap. I imagine that it is designed that way to capture the way it would have been originally published.

Folio Poets Wordsworth - the one I really wanted. Pleasantly surprised to find that the design matched the Golden Treasury that I bought second hand last year.

Wealth of Nations - a fine set - no surprises - illustrations are plentiful and captioned with relevant comments from the books. Like On the Road - but not with the poetic sense that comes with the Kerouac.

His Dark Materials - actually bought for my 19yo son, who loved the Pullman series. Again, no surprises. Beautifully bound and illustrated. A lovely package.
He loves the Folio books. I'm so sorry for you Haniwitch, having nobody to admire and look forward to inheriting your books. You can always leave them to my son - he'd appreciate them!

These two sets came free in the sale with:

Best of Blandings. I love the colourfulness of the series covers and Paul Cox's illustrations. Would have been nice if they had been in colour too, but there you have it.

I didn't actually think this set was good value at full price. My view was that the Adam Smith and the Philip Pullman set together were good value at the price I paid for the Blandings - and the Blandings was a lovely bonus. I'm happy.

And of course the umbrellas are very handy as we enter a Canberra winter.

His Dark Materials - Love it. Hopefully will be enjoyed by two sons.

The Seeing Stone - Looks great. Had never heard of it before Folio.

A High Wind in Jamaica - This should be enjoyed by the whole family. Another book FS turned me on to.

Beyond the Pale - A present for my dad. I've never read his work but it sounds like you can't go wrong with his short stories.

More Spring Sale books today:

His Dark Materials - Very nice. Another author I'm learning about from FS. I keep thinking children's books--short, simple but these look to be anything but. Should be an interesting read.

Treasury of Shorter Crime Fiction - Almost left this purchase too long. I'd been thinking of this set as a possible renewal purchase until the counter showed up. At least this time I'm not scouring the second-hand market. First up Wilkie Collins.

And yesterday from ABEBooks, The Blue Fairy Book. Second hand but beautiful and in perfect condition. Now if FS would only reissue The Red Fairy Book so I don't have to pay an insane price for a second hand one.

My first spring parcel just arrived - the two Beatrix Potter sets (now I have to find someone to give the first set, which I have double), plus Lord of the Rings, Analects, When I walked out... and A Month in the Country. Also received the westvaco Willa Cather which is so tightly fit into its slipcase I think it has never been out of it.
All books are shrinkwrapped, so I haven't had my hands inside yet!

My Spring Sale order arrived today

The Complete Tutankhamun
The Complete World of the Dead Sea Scrolls
A Treasury of Mark Twain
Impossible Journeys
The Mapp and Lucia Novels
Folio Society Umbrella

For some reason, my copy of Impossible Journeys was not shrink wrapped, though I had expected it to be, just as most of my other FS volumes have arrived shrink wrapped. When the books arrive without shrink wrap, my first thought is that I've received a book someone returned.

Someone at the Folio Society had marked my order delivered about three days ago, so they weren't far off the mark this time.

27 > I'd take the extra Beatrice Potter set off your hands...

My copy of Impossible Journeys also arrived without shrinkwrap. Maybe an oddity of that title? There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it.

I haven't taken time to examine mine yet, but a quick look showed nothing wrong. I guess it's just odd that some books skip the shrink wrap.

>28 1dragones: oh sorry, too late, I found someone for it...

>27 overthemoon: Were you able to order Lord of the Rings from FS for the spring sale?

Spring sale arrivals:
His Dark Materials
The Wind in the Willow
Dracula
The Sea, The Sea

They're all very beautiful books. At the risk of being redundant, I gotta say the Wind in the Willows is one of the most beautiful book I've held (not saying much, but still). The thickness of the paper actually lends to it a nice weight, and the illustrations are just beautiful. Very glad I went with this version instead of Easton Press's Rackham Willows.

My spring sale order FINALLY arrived.

Got:

His Dark Materials
The Devil's Dictionary
My Cousin Rachel
Don't Look Now: and Other Stories

Also did not come in the usual white bag; this time, it was a semi-translucent bag with a grey tint to it. Interesting.

At any rate, the books are gorgeous! I absolutely LOVE His Dark Materials. So glad I finally got this set!

Received today:

David Copperfield
Great Expectations
The Cretan Runner
Inventions of the Middle Ages
Notes from a Small Island

Three days ago I received:

Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary

I'm in Heaven!

>33 lxanderl:

Glad you like Wind in the Willows, lxanderl. This is one case where the standard edition is every bit as satisfying as the LE version, for a fraction of the price.

>35 drasvola:

How do you find the Historical Thesaurus, drasvola? It's quite a beast, isn't it?

So far, I've managed to avoid falling into the black hole that is the Spring Sale, mainly because most of the sets on offer that I haven't got don't appeal much and there is an LE from another publisher looming on the horizon. However, I am quite interested in the The Deceivers, so if the sale goes on much longer.....

(Afterthought: And living where I do, an umbrella would be very useful....)

>36 boldface: "LE from another publisher looming on the horizon"

hmm interesting - can we be privy to your secret?

Since you ask, ironjaw, it's The Mint by Lawrence of Arabia. I'm waiting for delivery on the full goatskin binding!!!

http://www.castlehillpress.com/publications/2009_mint_1928_specification.shtml

> 36

It is a bit overwhelming, boldface. There's so much information and so many leads to be discovered and followed that I'm sure I'll be able to absorb just a small fraction of its vast resources. And I'll probably have to start some weightlifting exercises to be in better shape physically...

Thanks for your interest.

31. Okay, I just had to take that chance.

Another Ebay splurge has brought Wuthering Heights & Jane Eyre (I find the majority of the engravings in WH some of the best I've seen); the three-volume British Myths after nearly a year of bidding; and today an unexpectedly cheap 7-volume set of Kipling including Kim, Just So, Jungle Books, Short Stories and Poems - an absolute delight.

I received the last of my "joining offers" today, Robin Hood by J.C.Holt. I wasn't expecting it till June, and I don't know if that means that the other June publications are also now available.

An extremely attractive cover (in green - of course - and gold). The illustrations inside the book are mainly photographs of interpretations of Robin Hood over the years. What I didn't realise (and am very pleased about) is that there is an appendix with the entire text of the sixteenth century Gest of Robin Hood.

It appears quite a scholarly work. At first glance, I think I will enjoy it.

#42
Thanks for the head's up, RMMee. I just checked my account and it's showing my Robin Hood as At Warehouse, which could mean it's anywhere in the system as their account information isn't too reliable (my latest order shows as delivered but so far I haven't seen it). I'm in Canada so it will probably be a little while longer (but hopefully not too long) before I get my copy.

Nice surprise about The Gest being included. While the FS webpage quotes the ballad they don't mention it as being an appendix. It will be interesting to read one of the earlier versions of the story.

>43 haniwitch:

Mine's still showing "At Warehouse" too, so you are likely to get yours soon! Fortunately, my Spring Sale order, which was touch-and-go as to whether I had got in in time for my free volume, is also "At Warehouse", so it's looking good!

I live in Robin Hood Country myself, which I suppose is part of the interest. It was good to see Dale Abbey marked on a map in the book, since that is only a two-mile walk away from me. There's not much of the abbey left, but a fascinating semi-detached church (the other half of the building is a farmhouse, once reputed to have been a pub!), with mediaeval frescos.

Robert

Just ordered the Story of the Renaissance set and some additional Patrick O'Brian now that FS plans to publish the entire 20 volume set.

#45

Can you elaborate on the Patrick O'Brian series. I'm torn between FS & Easton on this one.

received umbrella no. 2, His Dark Materials, and Nesbit The Treasure Seekers, seems like a nice little set but they are still in their shrink wraps till I get them home.

I've had my 2nd umbrella too (not used the first one yet!), along with my First Folio of Shakespeare, which I think is absolutely gorgeous (even though it isn't actually a Folio Society publication). Along with this I received The Vikings, which looks splendid alongside The Celts, The Wit of Oscar Wilde, and also Realm of the Unreal by Ambrose Bierce (which will be staying wrapped till Christmas).

Also acquired Pilgrim's Progress via Ebay.

I promise not to buy any more new books until renewal time - honest!

>46 sageboy:
FS have published the first 7 volumes of the Aubrey-Maturin series, and said in a recent newsletter that they intend to publish the remaining volumes - no timescale though. Personally, I like the FS bindings, and the use of contemporary pictures to illustrate specific parts of the text, but have no experience of the Easton series.

Received today a copy of The Truce which I have been trying to get hold of for about a year. I snapped it up on eBay as a Buy it Now for a very good price shortly after it was listed. Just goes to show that you can be lucky sometimes.

Few days ago I grabbed a copy of East of the Sun, West of the Moon from ebay, after hearing such good things about it. It has arrived. It is awesome :D

A couple of weeks ago I visited my favourite second hand book store and picked up.....

8 Nonesuch Dickens editions - 14 in total now just Hard Times and the Christmas books to get.
A 5 volume Jeeves and Wooster set
4 Joseph Conrad novels
History of the Roman Empire

Some of the slipcases on the Dickens were not perfect. Does anybody know if replacements are available? I imagine the FS get fed up of people buying second hand books and requesting new slipcases. The books are unread and as new so look great on the bookcase.

I keep telling myself I need to give the book buying a rest and try to read some of the ones I have already got! It's like an addiction.

> 52: It is not "like" an addiction, it "is" an addiction. :)

>52 chubbo10:
Can you tell me where this "favourite second hand book store" is and how much he charged you
for each edition. I have 10 of the 16 (including both Hard Times and the Christmas books), currently reading Nicholas Nickleby and would love to have the remainder. Does he have an on-line shop?

chubbo10, that's exactly how I feel... I've purchased a couple of firsts editions of American classics and some codex facsimiles. I can't stand it any more. I've got a bookshelf full of unread books, and yet I can't hold myself when I get captivated by Folio Society's new books. As JamesIII said, it is an addiction.

P.S.: I've seriously considered banning Folio Society's web page from my computer and have it locked without me knowing the password.

>54 N11284:
It's down on the South Coast of England. My girlfriend and I sneak down there a couple of times a year for a seaside break. I went to this shop maybe six months ago and picked up 6 dickens volumes shrinkwrapped for £80. I recently went back and cleared up the rest (non shrinkwrapped) for about £10 each. In fact I managed to all the books mentioned in my previous post for £130 which I was very happy with. As I mentioned before the books are mint but some of the slipcases have been neglected somewhat.

As for a more exact location......not sure I can give away such choice information! - I'd be gutted when I next drop in not to find a single FS book in the house!

Mind you my girlfriend might not mind. Carrying all them heavy tomes makes her arms ache.

>56 chubbo10: How unhelpful! I hope you do not want help or a question answered on this forum in future.

>56 chubbo10: I don't think that's fair - I want to tell you we're a community that help each other especially in the FS Devotees page and I believe your being extremely selfish and uncivilized. I agree with PeterGreen.

Librito - there is a bookshop "down on the South Coast of England" called Colin Page Antiquarian Books in 36 Duke Street in Brighton - they have a full wall of FS books.



more here

There is a LT page here for the address and it's my favourite place to get FS books if I get the time when I am visiting the UK

>58 ironjaw:
Thank you ironjaw; this is very helpful, especially as I will be in Brighton in a month's time; I am unlikely to clear the bookshop's stock of Folio editions – perhaps one or two but no more..!

>59 PeterGreen: Your welcome Peter.

>51 lxanderl: It is an amazing edition, isn't it, especially as Folio augmented the original 1914 illustrations.

>52 chubbo10: Congratulations on your good fortune! I hope you will forgive any presumptions on my part when I suggest that you ignore PeterGreen's and ironjaw's selfish BS.

>57 PeterGreen:,58 How Rude! Chubbo10 responded specifically to N11284, the matter is between the two of them, you both have jumped the gun on any response by N11284.

Of course, now that I've stepped in, uninvited, maybe the same argument could apply to me, but I don't like seeing someone ganged up on and threatened.

POST CHANGE-POST CHANGE_POST CHANGE! I have deleted the personal references to PeterGreen and ironjaw, don't know now if I was right or wrong in my assessment but I wrote from anger to give offense for offense and I can see now that the edited piece above was sufficient and probably that malicious intent bred , well, not good stuff. SORRY! (And this next part has to be read in a Scottish accent, it sounds so much better than, well, American-and this is true, not being sarcastic!) And for those of you out there laughin like hyenas at our problems, well you can go... ... ...dammit... ... and have a nice day! (Thank you, c. Burns)

olepuppy, why is it OK for Chubbo10 to be selfish, but when PeterGreen and ironjaw call him out on it you accuse them of selfish BS??

>56 chubbo10: All I have to say is...you make your girlfriend carry them?
:P

LucasTrask, I don't believe Chubbo10 is being selfish by keeping a source of inexpensive Folio editions to himself, indeed he is being intelligent. Were he to post the address on this forum he would not only be telling N11284 but also every Folio fan in GB plus those from elsewhere who will be traveling there plus other bookdealers who watch this forum. I think it is a huge load of BS for PG and ij to use the ideas of 'forum' and 'community' to act entitled to another person's good luck.

Posters have told of their 'finds' on this forum, usually resulting in 'Good for you' 'I'm jealous' 'You lucky dog' etc. If they identify the seller it is usually general, like 'ebay' or 'abebooks'. Someone wants to/ doesn't want to offer a store name it is absolutely personal, not communal ;)

I am new to this forum, but I am already impressed by the level of advice and the eagerness of the participants to be to be helpful. I am grateful that I have access to it and to the knowledge and opinions of the people participating.

One thing that I am aware of about this type of forum is that everything I (or anyone else) 'posts' is in the public domain - using a forum like this is by definition 'communal'.

Therefore I understand that everyones opinion is valid and that everyone has a right to agree or disagree.

I now realise that the secret bookshop, hidden by its acolytes and with its location blurred on google maps to prevent it being discovered by the undeserving, must be the long sought after and mythical shop called 'The Holy Grail'. It is rumoured to sell only the rarest of books at knockdown prices. Its stock is finite and never replaced. It is said that these include the gold leafed Folio Immortality series, mention of which is even suppressed by Folio 60 because reading these editions will lengthen one's life by one day for every page read. Although many have doubted their existence and their power, I suspect that a few on this forum may have found their way to them through tattered, pencilled maps left in old Folio editions of The Picture Of Dorian Gray, the usual hiding place. However, those of us not in possession of the secret may count ourselves lucky. It is also said that visiting the shop and buying its books makes one view every other book buyer with intense suspicion, as if they might recognise you from time to time and realise that you are not maturing at the same rate as everybody else.

Thus, if the location of the bookstore is kept a secret from you, your life lacks any meaning whatsoever.

>67 lxanderl:
He noticed that silverfish gathered in one place on his squared map of the south coast of England and seemed to be formed up in an arrow formation. Could this be a sigla for the sacred spot: the door to the pages of immortality? His iphone app showed a coach from Victoria leaving in an hour. He would have to be quick but if life was to have any meaning.....the search had to go on. He wanted a life that was a first edition, not a mere reprint of existence.

nah

>70 lxanderl:
He had walked up and down seafront promenades, following men who were walking with girlfriends who were carrying piles of books. If they were fine editions in dogged slipcases he gave them particular attention but so far the trail was as cold as the sea.

Happened by a local bookshop yesterday and noticed they had the Folio LE Moby Dick shelved with a lot of "coffee table" books. The price was $25 US--don't care for the illustrations myself, but if anyone were interested they could send me a message and I will give you the address.

(Just kidding.)

Well, i’ve only been gone a moment and come back to find feathers everywhere!

It seems as though PG and IJ feel that they have been able to capture my character perfectly, and from such a short post – what a talent! It seems that having a sense of humour is not a prerequisite for this group!

>61 olepuppy:, 64 Many thanks for your support - you can be my wingman anytime! Shotgun i'm Maverick!

It may be worth noting, that my post was actually meant in a rather tongue and cheek way, and with some gentle prodding I would have happily revealed all. As it is, i have to say i am rather pleased that i didn’t.

I'm glad I have been able to stir such strong emotion in some of you, but for now i'm going to leave you all to it, whilst i enjoy the rest of the bank holiday with my girlfriend (the one with the long arms!)

I hope I can trust you all to pick up your toys and play nicely! :)

Humourlessly, he ignored the long armed girlfriend and the tongue in the cheek and pulled the Folio Society edition of A Gun For Sale out of his pocket. 'Tell me the whereabouts of the secret bookshop or the Dickens will get it and you won't have to worry about slipcases anymore...Are you going to cooperate or end up as shinkwrap?

> 66, 68, 71, 72, 75 = Funny and Entertaining

Whew! It's getting dangerous to ask questions here anymore. :-) :-)

Anyway I'm not at all upset about Chubbo10’s reluctance to divulge the exact location of the shop in question; his response was understandable and OK to me. I suppose it's a little bit like finding the Holy Grail and not wanting to share with the whole world the secret of everlasting youth.
I found some of the replies quite funny however and it's that type of banter that keeps me coming back to this Forum time and again.
Enjoy your bank holiday break Chubbo10!

66, 68, 71, 72, 75 = Dude should write a novel, cause clearly having the internet entity known as 'chubbo10' refusing to give him the location of a bookshop is the most inspiration he's had in years!

>78 lxanderl: Yeah, he could write one about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books - oh, hang on, someone's already done that one.

>65 celtic:
I disagree!

"Who covets more is evermore a slave."

>73 chubbo10: De nada, pardner...but I wannabe Maverick, Shotgun always gets filled with arrows falls off the speeding stagecoach bounces thru the cactus before rolling off the cliff bouncing off the rocks before landing in the rapids and getting washed downstream where the lovely daughter of the local rancher saves him and nurses him to health and-well, ok.

> 80 Let's agree to disagree!

>79 HuxleyTheCat: Bit of a sidetrack here, Huxley, but have you read The Angel's Game? Started it Saturday morning, finished Sunday night, Zafon did it again!

>84 olepuppy: Yes, indeed I have, and very enjoyable it was too. Now I'm just hoping that Subterranean will bring out an edition to match Shadow of the Wind.

>46 sageboy:

I have partial sets of the Easton Press and Folio Patrick O'Brian series with plans to complete both series.

The Easton Press books all have the same illustration on the front cover: a ship in gold engraved on dark blue leather. Each book has a different colored frontispiece but no other illustrations except a black and white detail of the sails of a rigged ship. I don't see any maps. The spacing of the lines in the Easton Press editions is wider than in the Folio editions; I think this is a nice touch. The Easton Press books tend to have more pages as a result. They are also more compact in size with gilt edging.

The Folio books of course have slipcases. Each volume has a distinctive colored illustration on the cover that is appropriate to the book. Identical maps are included on the inside front and back covers that pertain to the voyages described inside. There are additional maps occasionally inserted within the pages detailing specific naval actions to clarify the narrative; I find these very helpful. Numerous period color illustrations are included in separate sections as well. The end of each chapter features a small, delicate drawing of a nautical instrument, animal, or other item of interest pertinent to the text that adds quite a bit of character to the text over all.

I hope this comparison is helpful. Personally, I prefer the Folio set, but the Easton is probably a must for those who collect leather volumes.

>86 toodlessm:

Thanks Susan. I'm pulling the trigger and ordering the FS O'Brian books. From your descriptions, I don't think I would be disappointed with either series.

I'm new to FS and to LT.
The 'highbrow flame war' on this thread is my favourite part of the internet.

If only someone had mentioned Ayn Rand...

>88 StunnedTuna: - So, you've never been stabbed with a quill?

No, but I've dunked a few pigtails in inkwells.

>85 HuxleyTheCat: I was unfamiliar with Subterranean editions tho I had seen some discussions, see now that 'Shadow' has been sold out but some are available used, the illustration sample I saw looks perfect. And I see that his 'new' book is a translation of a 1993 young adult supernatural tale so will have to try it;D

>61 olepuppy: Post Change

.

> 85

I have a few Subterranean trade editions (not by Zafon) - mostly Sci Fi titles. The quality of their books is very good.

> 93

I have just received from Subterranean A Pleasure to Burn, a sort of companion volume for Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury. Very pleased with the quality of the book.

> 91 olepuppy, I previously posted some images of SOTW - they are available at: http://s901.photobucket.com/albums/ac220/HuxleyTheCat/Shadow%20of%20the%20Wind/ if you would like to see them. The password is my username here.

Just received Dante's Purgatorio (Dali illustrations) from the spring sale - I think it's pretty stunning. Feel and smell of the paper throughout is excellent. Only problem is that it's too tall to fit the bookcase and I have to lie it on it's side upside down to protect the illustration on the slipcase.

Now I have to get the other two parts - damn.

> 96 I'm afraid that you will have to try and seek them out on the used market as they are out of print with FS. I'm in the same situation with regard to Paradiso and it is like hen's teeth.

On a happier note, I have just received an immaculate copy of Fermor's Between the Woods and the Water which is likewise quite rare in the used market, and consequently rather expensive. I purchased mine via Abebooks.co.uk and it cost a very reasonable £10.

I just received the linited edition of The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition from Subterranean and I am very happy with it. In my opinion it's not as nice as the FS LEs I own, but the quality is top notch (and it is signed by the author, unlike my LEs).

My copy of The Martian Chronicles from SP has also allegedly arrived, but shipped to my hometown; I'm currently at my college apartment. Really can't wait to kill my finals with a sword so I can go home and read it.

>95 HuxleyTheCat: Great pics, Huxley, thanks, atmosphere of the illustrations look perfect, what about the paper? ( And are those Folio playing cards, a coupla the 20-30 decks you've gotten at sales this year?:)

> 96 Know what you mean with large volumes, my largest only fit on top the chest of drawers!

>100 olepuppy: Cheers olepuppy. The paper is very nice with regard to feel and opacity levels. I have a personal preference for more creamy paper than used in this volume, but in terms of the book's design I think that the whiter paper here works well.

Yes, indeed they are FS playing cards. I only earned two lots in the sale - quite restrained I thought!

It seems a long interval (a month) but I finally received my copy of Beowulf. The book shows a minor defect. It appears to have been somehow compressed vertically and a wrinkle caused at the bottom of the spine where the FS logo is stamped. I can live with it, but it is rather disappointing when one awaits a volume with so much expectation...

> 102

I think when you pay the sort of money that Folio demands for the Beowulf volume then you are entitled to perfection. Tell them - they will send you a relacement copy without the need for you to return the old one.

>103 Quicksilver66:

Thank you for your advice Quicksilver66. I'll see. It just seems so much extra expense involved.

>97 HuxleyTheCat:
I am in the same boat for Paradiso. Now I know who I'll be bidding against when it goes on ebay :)
I envy you your Fermor purchase - when did Folio publish BTWATW? £10 is a steal!
Many years ago I used to audit John Murray's, Fermor's publishers. Completely by coincidence the book I was reading when I first turned up at their wonderful offices on Albemarle street was BTWATW - I hadn't done my research (well, it was a paperback reprint) and so didn't realise he was one of theirs until auditing their authors' advances and finding him on the list!

I have just bought from eBay the two volume 1995 Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. They are in very good condition - the two thick red volumes appear unread although the slip case is a little dented in one corner. Otherwise, a very good set for £24.00. Folio produced this again, recently, in four volumes but I prefer the two volume edition.

On the trail of the ONE SECRET BOOKSHOP, he arrived in the town of many bookshops in the borderlands, overshadowed by its half ruined castle. There in a small shop that might have been that of an apothecary, if it did not dispense books, he discovered, high up in maroon darkness, a complete set of the Folio Nonesuch Dickens. 'I will alert others to this finding...just in case they are in need.'* Then he travelled on. In a beautiful Georgian town of stone houses, tall church spires and narrow alleyways he found an even smaller shop, the size of the house of a doll's dressmaker and here was a copy of Folio's East of the Sun, West of the Moon, a much coveted volume.** Swish and thud. A dagger pinned his cloak to Moby Dick. 'What a waste,' he exclaimed. 'Somebody does not want me to reveal what I have found...'

* Addyman Books, Hay On Wye, UK, £720
** ST. Paul's Street Bookshop, Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK £20

I was in the St Paul's Street Bookshop in Stamford a few weeks ago. Their Folio titles were very reasonably priced and in excellent condition. Fortunately, PeterGreen didn't reveal that they're upstairs, by the window.

Unfortunately, I already had most of those on offer, but was unable to leave without succumbing to other delights instead, i.e. a volume of Tennyson (name changed to protect my investment).

Well, my Beowulf finally arrived today and is worth every penny and minute of waiting! Simply outstanding in every way! It's so beautiful I'm afraid to touch it, yet at the same time, I can't resist its allure. The Old English is strangely compelling. Feels like a haunting whisper from my warrior ancestors carried on a stiff breeze across the centuries!

Finally, last Thursday the last of my FS orders all arrived. Lark Rise to Candleford, Beowulf and Chronicles of the Dark Ages (plus another umbrella)almost had me in a panic as they were ordered April 27 and on May 6 the website showed them as despatched. Then when I e-mailed FS a week ago they said the books had gone out on April 30. Luckily I decided to wait one more week before taking FS up on their offer of replacements. And Robin Hood arrived, which I'm pretty sure went out at least two or three weeks after the other parcel, arrived on the same day.

The books as usual are wonderful, especially Beowulf. This was a book I knew I would order as soon as it appeared and yes, it is worth the wait and the price. Comfortably readable type and I love the Old English/Modern English side-by-sides (even if I don't understand a single word of the original). The only part of the story that I'm even vaguely familiar with is Grendel/Grendel's mother. Then a few weeks ago the Angelina Jolie version was on TV so as soon as the book arrived I had to check out the true story. Not quite the way they tell it in the movie. And then I found I couldn't put the book down, had to force myself to stop reading and go to bed. This could become one of my favourite books.

I'm glad to see that Beowulf is being received as enthusiastically by those who it is just reaching as it was in my household about a month ago - it is one very beautiful book.

Arrived this morning East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and very nice it is too. In the last month I have been lucky enough to pick up three of my long-time wants, this one plus Between the Woods and the Water and The Truce; all at very reasonable prices. So, have a little patience, keep checking the usual sources and eventually the books you are after will turn up.

Bought on e-bay and received today FS editions:

Between the Acts (1974)
Tom Sawyer (2005)
The Monk (1984)

All inexpensive and in near fine condition.

Several Ebay acquisitions over the last week, and all of them poetry, which is not like me. But I'm pleased with them all, and I will find them much easier to slot into my reading schedule:

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam (the 1955 edition)
Folio Book of Humorous Verse
Cautionary Tales & Other Verses by Hilaire Belloc, and
Edward Lear's Complete Nonsense

All at good prices, and in good condition - well, the Rubaiyat has seen better days, but it is still a lovely little book.

(Touchstones removed as they seem a little haywire at the moment!)

The Great Game has arrived much earlier than expected, look forward to a great read.

Peter Hopkirk mentions a book in his acknowledgments
Eastern Approaches by Sir Fitzroy Maclean, anyone familiar with it?

drasvola

The Beautiful and Damned arrived without plastic wrap and with a 'return to sticker' on the slipcase. I used the FS website 'contact us' gizmo and received an email informing me I could go "pound sand".

Just Kidding, they apologized for the volume being less than perfect and let me know another copy was on the way.

I bought an older, cheaper, FS Beowulf as a compromise. Sigh.
I'm not exactly sure where I get off complaining about having purchased an awesome new -to me- book, but there you go. Something for addiction specialists to ponder.

>107 PeterGreen:, 108 You people make me quite envious being able to swan in any time you like into a proper bookstore, ugh!

>114 olepuppy:

Eastern Approaches is one of the great WW II autobiographical counts of espionage and covert operations--mostly in the Balkans and Middle East. Maclean was one of the most illustrious in a line of colorful British secret agents that included Sidney Reilly and Bruce Lockhart.

The book is particularly interesting for his accounts of his time spent with Tito, and for his droll wit: one of my favorite passages is when he arrives in Cairo (which must have been a VERY interesting post from the descriptions in this book and references in Ill Met by Moonlight). Giving the address he has been given by his superiors to the shady Egyptian driver he has hired, the Egyptian responds nonchalantly, "Oh, you want Secret Service."

Songlines - new Folio publication. Nice look and feel and lovely, if too few, illustrations.

> 116: Absolutely!

> 117

Sounds as if this would make a great Folio title.

> 114

I am hugely enjoying The Great Game - a tremendous read.

Just swept up another from the long-time wants list: Marlowe's Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. Great book design and fabulous woodcuts from George Tute make this one of the nicer early '90s Folios.

Now if I could only find reasonably priced copies of the Gormenghast trilogy and Descent of Man I would be just about complete for 'must have' OOP Folio editions.

Ordered this weekend:

Chekov Stories,
Beowulf,
Snark,
Pharoahs,
Bede

First order in several months - I have been trying not to spend. Really went overboard!

Received Poems by Gerald Manley Hopkins1974. from e-bay. Somehow Icould not expect a new edition any soon. At first unimpressed, as it was the first real old folio I had in my hands. Blue spine and grey covers felt somewhat cheap. Neither any illustrations just the author's portrait. But the inside is just superb. Two ink printing and thick paper..

A pun from the introduction by Norman H MacKenzie:

"As our own century he opted for miniaturisation and high performance

P.S edited for touchstones :-P

I've had a birthday this week, and my wife and daughter between them bought me four Folio Society volumes of short stories.

I've always enjoyed short stories, and I do find that as a shift worker I can pick up a book at unusual hours and just do a little reading, without feeling that I really ought to have read more (Which is a little odd when you consider that I am currently in the seventh volume of Gibbon's Decline and Fall.)

Anyway, my presents were:

101 Stories by O. Henry,
Don't Look Now and other stories by Daphne du Maurier,
Short Stories by Katherine Mansfield, and
Ghost Stories by Walter de la Mare.

I don't know what any of these are like, but they are now on my to-read list (along with too many others). All of the books are impressive, even the de la Mare volume which dates back to 1960.

And my son bought be a lovely bottle of Laphroig Quarter Cask Malt Whisky - an ideal nip to go along with a good read - perhaps especially right for the ghost stories!

Cheers!

>122 elmaynard:
you did well, elmaynard. Three of the five are on my wishlist.

Os.

they spoiled you!
Happy birthday!
I also have the de la Mare on my wishlist.

Last night I cast all care to the winds and ordered Beowulf before the price goes up.

>124 RMMee:
Humm. I didn't know that Folio had done a collection of Katherine Mansfield's stories, but now I see that they've done two.

Despite the rapidly approaching summer sale, I just purchased the 2 volume Hans Christian Andersen set via ebay. Yay! So one book off the wishlist and two added...

>127 Tanglewood: oh I missed out on that one! (I mean the 2-vol Andersen). it's another I'm desperately searching for.

>>58 ironjaw: - I was in Pages a couple of weeks ago, and totally missed that! Ah well.

As from what I ordered recently, I just received:

Plutarch's Lives - Looks beautiful and the volumes have a nice heft.
Pliny: Self portrait in Letters - second printing of 1974 (or 8) edition
'Napoleon' by Georges Lefevbre
and 'In Your Garden and In Your Garden Again' by vita sackville West

haven't taken the wrap off the last 2 yet as I have my books delivered to the office, and it was enough taking the Plutarch and Pliny home last night!

>127 Tanglewood:, 128

Is this not available from the FS any more? The 2 volume Andersen, I mean. This is a masterpiece, in my opinion--deserving of LE status. It is a reprint of the Complete Tales as translated by Jean Hersholt (yes, the actor) for the famous Limited Editions Club edition of half a century ago. In my mind, the FS version is even more desirable than that version, for while Fritz Kredel's hand-colored illustrations display his usual skill and charm, they become a bit too much of a good thing and the end result is a lack of variety not evident in the tales themselves, which range far in tone and subject matter.

The FS edition uses a different classic or contemporary illustrator for each tale, and the result is sheer magic. This is one of my all-time favorites from any press.

I've just received the eleven-volume Folio Society release of The Diary of Samuel Pepys from a British bookstore I found through Abebooks. It took six weeks to arrive by surface mail, but it was definitely worth the wait. It's by far the most exquisite set of matching volumes I've ever purchased.

>130 Django6924: it disappeared a long time ago. You can still get the red one with Heath Robinson illustrations, but I missed out on the other (I think it was too expensive for me at the time). Very difficult to find second-hand.

> 131

Congratulations on the Pepys, Chris. It's a magnificent edition.

Just received the 5 volume Hemingway set that I have been wanting for awhile and finally found for a great price on Amazon UK.

Also purchased Perraults Fairy Tales off Ebay when I noticed that it is sold out on FS site. I gave my original one along with Grimm's Fairy tales away in a moment of insanity a few years ago.

Michelle

I just received my first FS books. The first five Aubery/Maturin books and the free Cartographia.

Edit: Wasn't that interesting? Back to whence you came.

I was not impressed by the packing! The books were in a cardboard box with some bubble wrap wadded up and stuffed on top.

Two of the O'Briens were not shrink-wrapped and one of those had a smudged and slightly scratched slipcase. What am I getting here; seconds? returns?

Is this typical?

Yes, some books do seem to miss getting shrink-wrapped. Every one of my 7 Aubrey-Maturin volumes arrived in shrink-wrap, but others have arrived without any shrink wrap, leading me to believe that yes, FS does sometimes send out returns and/or seconds.

The packaging you describe is not quite typical of the way FS volumes are shipped. Usually, enough bubble wrap is securely wrapped around the books and sealed with packing tape that I find little wrong with the way they are packed into the box, which is then placed in a white bag for orders shipped to desintations outside of the UK. One of my shipments from the Winter sale was packed in so much bubble wrap and tape that I needed to carefully cut the tape to get at my books.

My last shipment, from the Spring sale, was much more sloppily packed, closer to your description. I think that some packers are more careful about the way the books are packed for shipping. If you report the unsatisfactory packing to FS, requesting replacements, they will honor your request.

In any event, almost every time I order, one or more of the slip cases for my books has at least one crushed corner by the time the order reaches my address; yes, even the package so securely wrapped that I needed tools to open had this problem. I believe that FS is more interested in speed than quality of packing the orders.

Now that's a shame. Still I can understand using whatever stock is at hand for bargains like the 5 O'Brians for AUD14.95

I'll withhold my full first impression until the books I paid full price for arrive.

I don't get it, I have always read here in the forum that the members who receive damaged or faulty books from FS are asked to keep them or give them away - FS never asks to return books except the LE.

>137 justjim: BTW I don't think you should blame them. I think the problem might also partly be the blame of the Post office or shipping courier used - I have seen the way they handle the packages - awful.

And I don't really think too much about the slipcase - if it's a small bump it does not matter for me but if its obviously expensive then yes. Slipcases are great but a bump there and here is a small problem if the book is pristine

My introductory fairy tales offer arrived very well packed so no problems there.

> 138

I'm the same. On the very few occasions I've had a problem they have left me to donate the book and immediately sent me a new one.

> 135

Contact them if you are unhappy. They will replace them in a jiffy, no questions asked and no need to return the old ones.

I would be slightly cautious about assuming that the FS will replace without question and not require the books back in this instance, as the recipient is not yet a member. As far as I can remember the initial offer allows you to have the books on approval, but they must be returned if you choose not to go ahead with membership.

I've always found the packaging to be more than adequate. The last box I received had an entire corner torn off but the books were completely protected. If a book was faulty or damaged then I wouldn't hesitate to seek a replacement, but I don't worry about small blemishes or bumps to the slipcases.

Actually at the same time that I bought the introductory O'Brians, I also ordered my full obligation of books. They have all been marked as sent on the website so I'm hoping to get the rest this week.

I don't think I'll make a fuss about the slipcover. It has, after all, done its job properly.

Apologies justjim - having purchased the obligatory four, then you are clearly a fully paid up member and can expect the appropriate quibble-free replacement for any items with which you are not happy.

No apologies necessary at all.

Not sure where else to put this, so it'll go here. Yesterday I ran into a spot of luck, wherein having a friend who works at my college's library allowed me to pick up Birth of the Middle Ages and Empires of the Ancient Near East for $2 a volume. I've been wanting some FS books for ages, but thought they'd never be within my budget, at least not until middle age, so it was quite nice to get my hands on these.

> 146

Good deal. The Empires of the Ancient Near East box set is very nice. One of my first Folio buys.

#148
Received an e-mail today confirming my order for these books (at least I hope it's them as the e-mail refers to them as KA2 and KA3 rather than by name). I checked the website and it lists the order as At Warehouse but maybe they're closer than that if you've already received yours. Like you this was an offer I took them up on right away. The last time they offered me a discount on the balance of a set I had to refuse but that was the Letterpress Shakespeare Four Great Tragedies and unfortunately Hamlet is the only one of those I'll ever own.

I have just received two lovely big boxes from the FS. One contained a copy of Cartographia and the first five Aubrey/Maturin novels.

The keener minded amongst you will be thinking "Hold on a minute..." and preparing to scroll upwards. Allow me to save you some time!

Any advice on this terrible, terrible problem?

The second box contained:
French Provincial Cooking
The Hunting of the Snark
The Art of Love
The Chambers Crossword Dictionary (Freebie) and
The Devil's Dictionary

The Post Office also had for me my Spider Holster and my new 22 pocket photography/travel vest.

It's been a good day, might have a beer!

Edit (even after all this time!): spelling to/two

I just found a parcel in the mailbox: it must be Beowulf - will have to wait till lunchtime to open it, my fingers are itching to get at it...

> 151

The Devil's Dictionary has become one of my favourite Folio volumes - a great book to dip into from time to time and ideal bed time reading.

How do you like the illustrations in Hunting of the Snark? I think they are ok but other don't seem enamoured.

> 152

If it is Beowulf then you are in for a real treat.

it is indeed Beowulf, ooh, luscious!

>151 justjim: Call FS to make them aware of the problem. If they don't want you to return them and if I was in Australia I would gladly have bought the first five Aubrey/Maturin novels from you

Collected yesterday from the Members' Room:
Raj Quartet
Walden
History of Western Music
Colour

I also looked at The Holy Land and Egypt and Nubia. This is absolutely gorgeous. I felt the publicity material does not do it justice. The pages are huge, but I could see why.
I want one!!
What with that and The Aeneid, Beowulf, Bede, Gilgamesh and, and... Help!

>151 justjim:, 155 I did call them today (they have a phone number in Sydney) and they want their books back :(

They gave me a return postage code to use as an address but apparently it is up to me to provide the wrapping and the box etc. Sadly I didn't keep the box and bubble-wrap they came in.

At least this gives me an easy way to replace the two volumes that weren't shrink wrapped and a little scuffed.

Don't tell the FS mole, but I might just wait until they remind me before I send them back. Shhhh.

(Or is this all just an elaborate sting operation to flush the mole from cover?)

Big brown box just arrived:
Address book
Birdsong
Colour
At the Back of the North Wind

Colour is huge and heavy (that's all I can say at the moment as everything is still in shrink wrap, apart from the Address Book. It has a black and white picture for each group of three letters (ABC, DEF...) and lines for two phone numbers and e-mail. I haven't used an address book in years as I have one on the computer. Must try and write neatly in it.

Hi overthemoon: What did you think of Birdsong? I'm waiting for mine to arrive.

> 159

I will pip Overthemoon to the post on this one as I just received my copy of Birdsong (but I would be interested to hear her views on it).

I like it. The binding design is attractive and the illustrations strike just the right tone. I like the green/ beige cloth used in the binding. A very attractive volume and at that price, a steal.

>overthemoon:
I'd love to hear more about Colour once you've had a look. I read it in paperback some time ago, but I'm tempted by the large number of apparently new illustrations.

By the way, does anybody have the set of Alice books? Do they have all the original Tenniel illustrations, or just a selected few? I'm considering this as a Christmas gift for my niece.

Thanks Quicksilver.

>159 Atheistic:, 161 - will let you know as soon as I get the shrinkwrap off.

My copy of Birdsong came yesterday (with Walden and Selborne), and QS is spot on about the binding and illlustrations. I just wanted to add a quote from the book (p172), with the Devotees in mind:
'His wisdom and his shelves full of books were no good to him here, Stephen thought.'

I find it odd that, of my order:

The Screwtape Letters
The Wit of Oscar Wilde
Blake
Midnight's Children
Folio Address Book

everything says at warehouse except for The Screwtape Letters, which still says pending. There's no note on the website about this item being low in quantity either...

I wouldn't panic. Folio's website causes more confusion than confirmation.

That it does... :/

I sent my order via snail mail so I could get the option to pay by check. In that case, the website does do one thing; it confirms that FS received my order, and that the books I want are not out of stock.

Now I can say that I agree with Quicksilver and affle about Birdsong, very attractive, the illustrations are elegant; I read some of the introduction which is well-written and interesting. The typeface could have been a point or two larger for my weak eyes but not so small I would really complain about it.
I shall read it soon as it fits well with the Edith Wharton book Fighting France that I just finished; she describes one of the tunnels mentioned in the introduction.

I just ordered the two new Patrick O'Brian novels. I was told by the memebership secretary to whom I spoke that they are selling fast.

So I finally succumbed to the sale and more importantly to the new offer with the tote bag. I’ve had three sale items in my basket since the sale started but just didn’t feel the need to complete the order. Today I finally removed the Alice in Wonderland set and ordered To Kill a Mockingbird and Tennyson. I can do without Alice but the other two are old favourites and too good a deal to pass up (even though I already have a very good edition of To Kill a Mockingbird).

And then I saw the tote bag. I’m a sucker for a good tote bag and I especially like the Folio ones. And the new colour will go quite nicely with my winter cape or the umbrella. So all my resolve to wait for renewal before ordering any of the new books just flew out the window and now I’ve gone and ordered The Monk and The Pharaohs. And I’ve done it in two separate orders so I will get two tote bags. At least I’ve still got Pagans and Christians, The Lost World and Pliny to use for renewal.

>170 haniwitch:

Another tote bag!? I wish you hadn't mentioned that--now I might be tempted to get a few items I had been waiting for until renewal time....

I succumbed as well to get the tote bag - I ordered "The Monk" to go with it.

170 & 172, perhaps it's just me, but after partaking of the free sets in the spring sale and 50% titles of the summer sales and the many bargains on eBay, I don't think I could bring myself to pay 80% of full price for any FS title just to receive a tote bag.

I was about to complain that the tote bag offer hasn't been showing up for me. Having checked a few seconds ago, I see that it is, however.

I'm looking at The Taming of the Snark as well as Pagans and Christians, which I had meant to save for renewal.

Does anyone know if these titles are likely to revert to full price if I'm renewing? Or perhaps I should order them now?

Colour is absolutely beautiful! It has cool map endpapers, is well designed, well illustrated and at first glance seems very easily written, with interesting subject matter - each chapter devoted to a different colour. I would say it is well worth getting at half price.

I would echo that overthemoon. I have been really impressed with Colour, and am already well into it as a read.

Books arrived! I can report that Beowulf may be the most beautiful book I have ever seen. The fabric used on the boards and the design are teriffic - better than the pictures. Bede is also quite beautiful. Unfortunately the slip case for the Chekov short stories came all bashed up and one of the books has crushed corners. I will contact customer service, I'm sure they will exchange it. Also the Snark illustrations are fun. All in all a happy day! Folio's summer purchases feel like Christmas in July.

I received today:

1) The New York Trilogy (this book has an interesting shape; vertical dimension is exaggerated)

2) Isle of Voices (beautiful illustrations)

3) Pagans and Christians (looks like a fascinating read)

Received today my first Spring Sale order which included the Tennyson volume. Unfortunately it has a number of pages with defective printing (faded illegible impression and blurred illustrations).

I'm sending scans to FS and will request a replacement. (Would attach pictures here if I knew how to do it. Where are the instructions?)

I guess just bad luck, but quality control comes under question.

> 180

The Tennyson seems to have had a lot of problems. Comments have been made on other threads about the quality of the binding. I bought my Tennyson in the Members Room where there were about 4 copies on display. All of them had defects of one sort or another so I asked them to order a non-defective copy for me.

Hola Antonio,

Try this link for instructions on posting photos. Please add, if necessary, width = "600" inside the img src tag so that your picture doesn't expand the width of the thread for everybody else.

Sorry to hear about your Tennyson. I know that only a very few faults get a lot of coverage here, but it seems that I'm seeing more and more. And this coming from a FS member of what, three months?

ETA: I just came back to edit this and see which tiny little piece of html I got wrong for my link. Turns out I didn't put any link html in at all! Where can I put my face?

Thanks, Quicksilver. FS have already answered. They are sending a replacement as you said they would when you commented on another small defect I found in Beowulf. In this matter they do have a real no quibble policy.

> 182

Thanks justjim, for your input and comment. Was there supposed to be a link?

Well yes, of course there was supposed to be a link! I'm just an html idiot, that's all!

Second try



This is a scan of page 39 in Tennyson

I just received my copy of Ballet shoes. I'm renewing my membership after a long gap; it's the last-ditch offer for penurious people - membership for one half-price book. ;)

I love it - there's a real 1930s feel to the illustrations.

Thanks again, justjim. It worked!

My pleasure. It did work and it's not a good looking page!

*scurries off to flip through recent FS arrivals.*

Acquired today from the Society -

Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience
Blake by Peter Ackroyd
Tom Jones (hate the cover but I like the illustrations internally- perhaps I'll get it re-bound someday).

I love the small size of Songs of Innocence and Experience. A really cute volume - I don't know why I have waited this long to pick it up.

> 191

I don't see Songs of Innocence and of Experience listed in the FS website.
Did you pick it up at the Members' Room? Some people are so lucky to live in London ;-)!

> 192

Yes - there are about 3 copies left on the shelf there. If you call the Society (or ask to speak to someone in the Members Room) I am sure they could arrange to send you a copy.

Quicksilver: You are being extremely helpful, thank you. I called FS (was put through to the Members' Room, apparently not standard procedure since they don´'t handle orders from abroad) and a very helpful gentleman did take my order. All very agreeable and correct, or should I say British. Muchas gracias.

> 194

You're welcome drasvola. I am pleased that you bagged the book.

>182 justjim: "Sorry to hear about your Tennyson. I know that only a very few faults get a lot of coverage here, but it seems that I'm seeing more and more."

Any fault is a bad fault and does the Society's reputation no good at all. I still get the occasional "dud", which, of course, is always replaced with no quibble, but it is still a nuisance. However, I'm getting far fewer problems now than I did, say, in the early to mid '90s, when FS seemed to be plagued with endless printing glitches.

At least, if we all get on to them immediately we receive an imperfect copy, they are aware of the extent of the problem. I remember in the case of the first volume of Icelandic Sagas, there were so many complaints with both text and illustrations that they reprinted the entire edition, using another printer.

Is it the case that the Folio Society manufactures little or none of its books? Does it outsource the printing and binding to third-party vendors (perhaps the design as well)? If so, do discerning buyers prefer certain printers and binderies? What effect, if any, do these circumstances have on the long-term value of FS books?

Just received the Kelmscott Chaucer. It's big.

I just received my first summer sale order and had a rather nasty surprise. Inside the white bag was the box, curshed, ripped open, and destroyed. The books were loose in the bag. Amazingly not all were destroyed, but unfortunately The Natural History of Selbourne was pretty badly damaged. I cannot even begin to imagine how this could happen in transit. I notified The Folio Society this evening. I hope they will replace the book - I know they are generally great in the customer service department. It was sad to see it so banged up.

#199
I'm curious, elmaynard - were the books bubble-wrapped? My smallish single Ballet Shoes came shrink-wrapped, in a thinnish cardboard box, in a huge big awkward white sack. I think the huge big sack may actually encourage the postal workers to throw it around in a way they wouldn't with just the box. My copy was fine, but my first reaction on opening the package was to think 'why on earth didn't they use bubble wrap?'

>200 EveleenM:
EveleenM, yes there was bubble wrap, but it was not wrapped around most of the books. The box was absolutley a mess.

Will my copy of The Mandarins ever arrive? Over 2 weeks and counting toward 3. Ordered At Back of the North Wind, which I might get before Christmas.

#201
Thanks, elmaynard! I felt that my single book was not as safely packaged as items I've got from second-hand dealers in the past, so I was curious. The number of complaints of damage in transit seems quite high.

>200 EveleenM: I think you're right about the sack throwing, EveleenM, when I carried my first time ever white bag from the car to the house a coupla weeks ago I naturally grabbed the neck of the bag, it was very easy to handle that way(I believe could have thrown the the bag quite a distance had I tried, maybe there's a place for me in the postal service!). And the carton was crushed at the bottom end of the bag, fortunately the bubblewrap was thick and secure and the books were OK.

202 -- Not sure where you live, but here in the States (at least for me) three to five weeks is the norm.

205--I live in the States. Usually the turnaround has been 2 weeks for me. I probably need to stop counting the days. A watched kettle never boils. :-)

Mine usually come in 3 - 5 weeks (Texas). By the way, I have already heard from Folio Society's wonderful customer service. They are replacing my damaged book. Their customer service is excellent.

I received the first four Aubrey-Maturin novels today. In lieu of The Oxford Companion to the Book, I was offered this set. I thought I would check it out. I haven't had time to look at the books closely yet but I like the spine (which is all I've seen so far). More later. :)

Just bought FS versions of To Kill A Mockingbird and 1984 and have re-read them both. Think the former ages slightly better - really a rather wonderful book, and despite my initial thoughts a good FS production. I hate the front cover of the FS Orwells but the drawings inside are good and the content is not bad either. Just picked up an original Hunting Of The Snark too - looking forward to dipping into that.

Just obtained the FS last edition of Clarissa, in two volumes with the silk covers. Very nice - and in unread mint condition. I bought this from Quinto on Charing Cross Road, who have a few second hand Folios, including a very nice two volume Folio Decameron. I would have bought this but I have the LE.

I have ordered the following in the last month, thanks to the Summer sale and an extensive "wish list""

The Mandarins
At Back of the North Wind
Zuleika Dobson
The Complete Prose of Woody Allen.

The Mandarins seems to be in limbo somewhere. The Folio website states "Delivered" but I haven't seen it yet. I've e-mailed Folio about this. I am wondering if the website is just a little wonky...or if this shipment is really m.i.a. Hmmm

The FS website is not reliable as far as books being in transit or despatched or delivered exactly when they say. One of my orders from the spring sale was marked as delivered an entire week before it actually reached my doorstep.

My current order says it has been despatched, but knowing that the books are shipped from London, I don't expect my white bag to arrive for another 2 or 3 weeks, and possibly longer.

I have recently ordered the Roberts LE.
Initially I was put off by the size of the volumes, but then I was bowled over when I saw it in the Members' Room. I have been drooling ever since.

Thank goodness for the payment plan.

I remember an ad. from my student days which said "buy now, starve later". ;-)

>212 1dragones: Yes, I heard from Folio this morning expressing the website as not reflecting tracking in the U.S. So I guess I'll just wait it out until August 8. I need to stop anticipating shipments. :-)

Well, a quiet day out turned into a book buying spree.
I bought 3 Folio Press books: Les Miserables (2 volumes), A Christmas Carol and Five Novelettes.
I also managed to pick up the LEC Tales of Hoffmann, but modesty forbids me from mentioning that. :-)

Edited for touchstones.

I just received a copy of American Short Stories purchased via eBay. I have two of this series already (Japanese and French) and really like them; bound in cloth that feels like real cloth etc. I was really looking forward to adding this one, but unfortunately the stink of cigarette smoke was sufficiently potent to be detectable outside the packaging. There's no way that I will be able to read this or shelve it with my other books, so if the seller doesn't want his book back then it's going to have to be (and I do hesitate to say this) the kitty litter treatment.

Just received Memoirs of a Fighting Captain by Lord Cochrane, which I ordered used online. It will go well with the Aubrey-Maturin set when that arrives.

Huxley,
What is the kitty litter treatment?

> 218 Apparently sealing the book in a container containing cat litter for weeks / months will go some way to reducing the offensive whiff. I've not tried it before, but I may have to now...

I've just got back from a trip to my favourite secondhand bookshop and have parted with cash for Thomas Becket and The Celts, both in very tidy condition. I had a mint i.e. shrinkwrapped First Folio whisked from under my paws while I was wondering whether to shell out £40... doh!

The Mandarins finally arrived! The white bag must have been flung in the air over and over. The box inside was a mess, but the book survived! I'm amazed. I'm delighted with the book and look forward to savoring it more.

The magic white bags have arrived with a dozen Summer Sale titles.

Does anyone know when the sale officially ends? My conjecture is that this weekend may be it, but what do I know...?

I believe the e-mail that I received last week said it ends on the 6th.

Thanks, SirFolio. I've received a sale announcement, but never an end date.

>221 acidneutral:

It's an interesting thing, this internal damage to stuff in the white bags. It must happen in the delivery country because I can't recall a damaged box in a white bag delivered by Australia Post. It may be an issue of differential in the locale instead.

What are the experiences of others? Especially in Australia?

I'm not all that keen on the bags although the two I've received so far have contained undamaged boxes.

The plastic strip that is supposed to seal them just slips straight off.

It is too tempting for handlers to use the bag to throw the package around.

They provide no extra protection for the boxes and I feel that the boxes should be all that is shipped.

In summary, I really do not see the point of the bags at all.

Just to confirm: Australian here.

226. > I believe the point of the bags is to designate the type of shipment. I have read in this group somewhere that UK residents do not receive white bags, just the plain boxes... and someone once mentioned receiving their FS shipment in a blue bag, but I do not recall to which country the blue bag was sent.

This current membership year due to end soon is the only year I've received my FS orders packaged in white bags... so far, three orders that I recall. I have yet one pending order to receive and I believe it will also arrive in a white bag. Previously, my orders arrived in boxes, and the boxes were in better shape when there were no white bags.

USA Member.

I believe the bags are property of GB Royal Mail. The local post office here removes the bag and delivers the box. I was mistakenly given the bag with the box on two occasions and subsequently asked by the postman to return the bag to them.

Spain member

I received a box in a white bag from the Library of America. I'm in the UK.

> 229

The bags I got had Royal Mail clearly printed on them. Do you keep the bags you get?

Time for a new thread (Mark 3) ?

I'll do it. Everybody hold their horses for a second or two.

New thread starts here

The New York Trilogy is gorgeous!
r.