New LE: Madame Bovary

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New LE: Madame Bovary

1folio_books
maj 26, 2020, 5:05 am

2wcarter
maj 26, 2020, 5:18 am

Silk bound, so be careful with sunning.
Ordered!!

3wongie
Redigerat: maj 26, 2020, 5:24 am

Rarely does Folio release a LE that I think could truly merge into and be lost amongst their standard/fine editions on a shelf, this is one of those occasions.

Does anyone know what the general consensus is on the Thorpe translation?

4affle
maj 26, 2020, 6:23 am

>1 folio_books:

Thanks for your alertness, Glenn. An LE was not really in my acquisition plans at present, but I've lately read Flaubert's Salammbo and Three Tales in their LEC editions, and was thinking it about time I re-read Mme B. So the plans have been adjusted, and an order placed.

5Fierylunar
maj 26, 2020, 6:30 am

>3 wongie: looks to be close to the Metamorphoses in size, so that alone would make it stand out. Low-ish price and low limitation for a well known classic could make this a quick seller. Time will tell.

6vmb443
maj 26, 2020, 6:41 am

I was itching for an LE! Don’t have a copy of this novel and I like how it looks, even with the rather bland slipcase, like the art and the exterior of the book, fills a hole in my library, and the price is at the point of not destroying my budget, so it’s ordered.

7gmacaree
Redigerat: maj 26, 2020, 7:36 am

Might have to do this one, the LEC Bovary isn't one of their finest efforts.

Edit: Five minutes of reflection and I'm dropping the 'might'.

8wcarter
maj 26, 2020, 7:35 am

The FS previously published Madam Bovary in 1952 and 1997. I own a copy of the latter edition, and although it too has silk boards, it is a pretty ordinary publication by FS standards (see here.). Thus my desire for a better edition.

9GardenOfForkingPaths
maj 26, 2020, 7:37 am

I'm a relative newcomer to the Folio Society. Based on previous experience what would you say is the likelihood of FS releasing this as a standard or 'Fine' version a little further down the line? I think the artwork is really lovely.

10wcarter
maj 26, 2020, 8:02 am

>9 GardenOfForkingPaths:
Very unlikely, but nothing is impossible for the FS.

11dlphcoracl
Redigerat: maj 26, 2020, 8:28 am

>7 gmacaree:

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

LOL. Usually we are very much on the same wavelength, Graham, but I "vehemently" disagree with you on this one. The 1950 LEC edition with Swiss yellow brocade damask fabric binding and delicate water-color illustrations by Pierre Brissaud, reproduced through multiple wood-engravings and printed by Théo Schmied in Paris, is one of my absolute favorites amongst LEC books. The illustrations perfectly capture the time and mood of this novel. Only quibble with this LEC edition (for me) would be the somewhat dated translation (1928) by J. Lewis May but this LEC edition certainly works for me.

All that aside, FS has outdone themselves with this new LE. The silk cloth binding with illustration, the modern translation, and the excellent introduction make this the proverbial no-brainer, especially at a very reasonable price.

12gmacaree
maj 26, 2020, 8:33 am

>11 dlphcoracl: It's a perfectly fine copy and I wasn't in a huge hurry to upgrade, but for me it's not in the must-keep list (e.g. Anabasis, The Price, De Rerum Natura) of the pre-Schiff years.

Back to the subject at hand -- the Folio illustrations have blown me away. They are gorgeous.

13Cubby.R.S.
maj 26, 2020, 8:40 am

>9 GardenOfForkingPaths:

There's a good enough chance with this artwork, and considering new leadership, I think it will get standard treatment. They are not operated by any guise of interest or passion over money. All that said, for the price of this LE, I don't think I would wait if you're interested. It looks lovely and is well within a reasonable price range of value.

14Forthwith
maj 26, 2020, 9:27 am

This should add beautifully to any bookshelf. It is on the way!

I think that Folio has hit a sweet spot with the pricing.

15joco30
Redigerat: maj 26, 2020, 9:35 am

>5 Fierylunar: looks to be close to the Metamorphoses in size, so that alone would make it stand out.

Looks to be smaller than Wagner's Ring, James Joyce's Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake, so that will make it look like another Fine Edition.
They must have thought "if we add a limitation page and ribbon marker, we can double the price and ask a higher shipping cost."

>14 Forthwith: I think that Folio has hit a sweet spot with the pricing.

I think FS has come to the conclusion that only LE's of no more than 250-300 GBP have a good chance to sell well.

16dlphcoracl
maj 26, 2020, 9:39 am

>12 gmacaree:

Agree. I have no qualms with regard to ordering this despite owning the LEC edition.

17ubiquitousuk
maj 26, 2020, 10:38 am

The website says "Choosing complex binding designs and including signatures naturally limits the quantity of a book which can be produced and there will only ever by 750 copies, each numbered by hand, of this, the ultimate edition of Flaubert’s literary masterpiece."

Do I read too much between the lines if I interpret this as meaning "Our fine edition will be out soon, but will drop the silk and tipped-in limitation page"?

The new edition is indeed gorgeous. But given the choice between this and a fine edition with cloth sides at ca £80, I'd pick the latter.

18MobyRichard
Redigerat: maj 26, 2020, 11:09 am

You can't overrate Flaubert the author, but definitely his most overrated work. Temptation of St. Anthony LE where art thou??? Or even a FS Salammbo.

Love the illustrations/paintings though. I would buy the prints if sold separately.

19bookfair_e
maj 26, 2020, 11:06 am

>17 ubiquitousuk:

Fully agree.

I would be wary of any silk bound books from Folio because of fading to the spine. This edition may have been better suited to a solander.

20MobyRichard
maj 26, 2020, 11:07 am

>19 bookfair_e:

Agreed, I have several silk bound books and they age horribly.

21Twas_Brillig
maj 26, 2020, 11:10 am

Interesting to see knausgaard pen the introduction

22jveezer
maj 26, 2020, 12:09 pm

This looks very nice indeed, although I will take a pass at that price given that it is not letterpress, I have the beautiful 1938 LEC edition, and I'm not sure I'll fit a re-read of the novel into this lifetime. As I said on my review of my LEC in The Whole Book Experience, the first edition done by Macy (the second of which is mentioned above) is close to perfection. (Review here: http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2017/01/02/madame-bovary-by-gustave-flaube... and also in LT without photos)

That being said, I really like the illustrations here and would be curious about the quality of the translation. I also would love to read the introduction as I am on the last book of Karl Ove's My Struggle and some of my favorite passages are when he talks about literature and authors. Those passages give one a break from reading about him being an insufferable prat, albeit one that writes beautifully.

23red_guy
maj 26, 2020, 12:42 pm

A perfect opportunity to put a title label on the slipcase spine and give the option of protecting the silk should one wish . Why is that not done more often? I can only think of American Gods which benefits from this - are there others?

24bookfair_e
maj 26, 2020, 12:44 pm

>23 red_guy: Sonnets from the Portuguese. 1962.

25Cat_of_Ulthar
maj 26, 2020, 12:58 pm

>23 red_guy:

Not a bad idea. Perhaps FADdicts could take up calligraphy and adorn the spines of their slipcases appropriately? I gather that some throw the slipcases away so why not personalise them?

26red_guy
Redigerat: maj 26, 2020, 1:14 pm

>24 bookfair_e: Aah, that explains it! My copy is missing its slipcase, so the lack of a title did seem odd. It's near fine as well, so the case must have done its job well; no fading or discolouration at all.

>25 Cat_of_Ulthar: Don't think I haven't thought about it. Also a way of hiding shouty spine lettering, a particular dislike of mine. So far all I've managed is sometimes adding my own ribbon markers with a dab of Copydex on the back of the text block. That feels quite transgressive enough..

27Jayked
maj 26, 2020, 2:17 pm

>23 red_guy: I believe the Rabelais has it.

28bookfair_e
maj 26, 2020, 2:51 pm

>23 red_guy:

The thirty-seven volume Shakespeare set in six slip cases, un-numbered limited edition 1976, bound in off-white vegetable parchment/elephant hide which tends to browning or darkening of the spines.

>27 Jayked:

Sort of - It has Rabelais but not the title.

29gmacaree
maj 26, 2020, 3:00 pm

Travels in Arabia Deserta can be shelved facing in

30red_guy
maj 26, 2020, 3:08 pm

Oh and I've got the Rabelais and hadn't even noticed, which is a bit bad ....

31InVitrio
maj 26, 2020, 3:26 pm

I have the Penguin Designer Classics one...comes in a perspex slipcase.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Madame-Bovary-Flaubert-Gustave-EXCLUSIVE-LIMITED/8398...

32StevieBby
maj 26, 2020, 4:35 pm

>21 Twas_Brillig:
Yes... let's hope this is the start of something!

33jveezer
maj 26, 2020, 5:07 pm

>23 red_guy: One of my pet peeves. If you are going to offer a slipcase, title it. The LEC regularly put titles on slipcases, so they could be shelved book-spine in to prevent fading of the book.
Alternatively, provide an extra spine label for those so inclined to attach. I have an old set of Balzac's Works that are not slipcased, but tucked into the endpapers of each volume is an identical label to the one on the spine. I can only assume they are there for the use of people that might decide to have slipcases made...
I have definitely thought about making my own spine labels for my FS books. Might be a good pandemic "stay at home" project.

34affle
maj 26, 2020, 5:24 pm

>33 jveezer:

Just over half a century ago, the FS tried this. Their very nice 1968 edition of Eliot's Four Quartets had an extra spine label inside the back cover, either to replace the original spine label when it faded (as it certainly did), or to fix to the slipcase. I understand they are still evaluating this experiment.

35Comatoes
maj 26, 2020, 5:55 pm

A lined Solander box would have made the book a beautiful presentation. I don't know what is up with these plain slipcases for Limited Editions. Solander boxes are quite inexpensive in bulk.

36Sorion
maj 26, 2020, 8:34 pm

I want to get excited about this, I really do, but find I just can't. I love the paintings but between the novel itself and the production value, non-letterpress, it's getting hard to excite me over it... That may change as I re-look at my LEC Madam Bovary tonight but I'll have to wait and see. I'm not sure I want it to change.

37MobyRichard
Redigerat: maj 26, 2020, 9:18 pm

>34 affle:

It's a great idea especially if it's only the label that is dirty and faded but the binding is still bright. I just used the extra labels provided with my Nonesuch Plutarch and it looks great without clashing with the normal wear and tear on the binding.

38wwfield
maj 27, 2020, 1:46 am

If it's still available when the summer sale rolls around, I'll add a copy of this to my basket. If it sell out before then, I'll comfort myself that the spine would fade anyhow...

39wcarter
maj 27, 2020, 2:40 am

>38 wwfield:
Sorry, but you cannot add a limited edition to a basket of other FS books. They treat LEs separately, and they are shipped separately in their own purpose designed boxes. I have tried this in the past to save postage, but unfortunately it does not work.

40N11284
maj 27, 2020, 3:51 am

>34 affle: :-) :-)

41wwfield
maj 27, 2020, 5:37 am

>39 wcarter:

Certainly pricey! I just tested it; $195 to ship a bunch of standard folios and one LE to Australia. Sometimes I wish I lived in the UK, but then I look out the window at the sun outside and reconsider...

42kb-42
maj 27, 2020, 5:55 am

>15 joco30: you are right

It seems only another fine edition comparing to Faerie Queenie or Japan or even Pomona. I don't see a big gap to Middlemarch etc., except the price. Moreover I prefer illustrations instead of paintings in books.

43gmacaree
maj 27, 2020, 11:25 am

Copy #4 is here ...

44affle
maj 27, 2020, 12:30 pm

And #2 (!) here ...

45kdweber
maj 27, 2020, 12:53 pm

>44 affle: Congrats on the #2. I've only managed that feat once.

46gmacaree
maj 27, 2020, 12:58 pm

>44 affle: well done! #4, alas, was scuffed and gilt was missing on the spine, so I'll be getting a different limitation number :(

47vmb443
maj 27, 2020, 1:51 pm

Congrats on the low number copies! But sorry >46 gmacaree: to hear about that. My copy arrives on Friday, I will be interested to see what number I get but hope the scuffing doesn’t become a common issue.

48vmb443
maj 27, 2020, 1:52 pm

>45 kdweber: Which was the one you received No. 2 on? Just curious!

49affle
maj 27, 2020, 1:58 pm

#2 was pristine.

50kdweber
maj 27, 2020, 3:44 pm

>48 vmb443: Micrographia

51RATBAG.
maj 27, 2020, 4:05 pm

>39 wcarter: However, if you order a LE + non-LE books together, you can get either shipping charges (the one of the LE or the others) refunded.

Thank you, Sally. :)

52folio_books
maj 27, 2020, 4:24 pm

>44 affle: And #2 (!) here ...

Congratulations, Alan! It's a very special feeling. Copy no. 7 arrived this evening, quite late. The poor courier chap had around 170 items to deliver and I was no. 155.

First thoughts. Size. It's nowhere near as tall as Metamorphoses, as someone thought. It's a little taller than Tristram Shandy; almost exactly the same height as Travels in Arabia Deserta. Second, I do hope Folio didn't pay Karl Ove Knausgård for his signature on the limitation page, It's a disgrace. Looks like his pen slipped. I can accept professional footballers are incapable of signing their names but I would have thought someone with literary pretensions could have managed it. Folio, claim your money back.

Otherwise, it is a beautiful book. I noticed a disparaging comment about the "plain" slipcase. It is extremely sturdy, covered in fine cloth in a very pleasing delicate shade of blue. The paintings are gorgeous. I have no idea where Folio found this illustrator but she is perfect for the book. The design, including paper, binding, typeface etc is very pleasing. In terms of overall quality I would place it at the high end of a fine edition, which I think is reflected in the price.

53kdweber
maj 27, 2020, 5:06 pm

It looks nice but it seems hard to justify when I already own both LEC editions, the Viking trade edition with the Davis translation and a paperback edition in French. I've read the book three times including with my book club about 5 years ago and I don't see reading it again.

54wcarter
maj 27, 2020, 5:36 pm

>51 RATBAG.:
Thats something new, and good. I tried a couple of years ago without success. Next time I will phone Sally.

55affle
maj 27, 2020, 5:52 pm

>52 folio_books:

Thanks, Glenn - and you get a chunk of the credit for posting so sharpish when the book was launched.

A couple more size comparisons: it's nearly identical to the new edition of Montaigne's Essays and, (>3 wongie:), would look perfectly good alongside it on your French Lit shelf; and it's also very similar in size to the LEC Salammbo (sixty years old this year, and still looking good), and they look good together, too.

I quite agree about the illustrations, which are seriously good: clearly much of the extra value resides here; and in the translation, which being fairly new must still have appreciable intellectual property value. I'm not usually all that keen on laid-in extra plates, but this one seems to catch the essence of Emma Bovary, and be worth looking at on its own.

The silk binding strikes me as being tougher than some other bindings with this material - I don't think I'm going to be too worried about durability, and it's a pleasure to look at and to hold.

The book has good quality, but plain, endpapers - like Dr Z and Tristram Shandy before it. An unillustrated book like the Montaigne benefits from its fancy endpapers, but do these LEs need a more elaborate treatment? I think I prefer them plain, but I imagine there might be a range of opinion.

Overall, I'm with the Oracular opinion (>11 dlphcoracl:): it's a no-brainer.

56gmacaree
Redigerat: maj 28, 2020, 3:14 am

>55 affle:
The book has good quality, but plain, endpapers - like Dr Z and Tristram Shandy before it. An unillustrated book like the Montaigne benefits from its fancy endpapers, but do these LEs need a more elaborate treatment? I think I prefer them plain, but I imagine there might be a range of opinion.
I'm not sure about more elaborate, but I think they probably need nicer endpapers. A softer and more tactile paper (maybe even handmade) would be a good touch.

57Neil77
maj 28, 2020, 7:36 am

Just noticed on the website that it is printed Letterpress.

“ And then of course there is the Forest Stewardship Council approved paper, the limitation label signed by the translator, the introducer and the artist and printed letterpress by Hand and Eye, now known as Social Enterprise Printing Ltd. Choosing complex binding designs and including signatures naturally limits the quantity of a book which can be produced and there will only ever by 750 copies, each numbered by hand, of this, the ultimate edition of Flaubert’s literary masterpiece.”

58gmacaree
Redigerat: maj 28, 2020, 7:44 am

>57 Neil77: That's just the limitation label as far as I can tell. The text itself was printed by Graphicom, in Italy.

59Neil77
maj 28, 2020, 11:08 am

>58 gmacaree:

But then that is incorrect information on the website - they should change it right away....

60astropi
maj 28, 2020, 11:15 am

>59 Neil77: Seems clear to me that it's only the limitation label which is printed letterpress. If the entire book was letterpress I'm sure it would have cost far more, but it also would have been a masterpiece...


61bookfair_e
maj 28, 2020, 11:46 am

Perfectly clear - limitation label printed letterpress.

62gmacaree
maj 28, 2020, 12:03 pm

>60 astropi: Letterpress would have been nice, and while it would have cost a few hundred more per copy (I'd guess), I'd have been happy to pay for it, although not as quick to pull the trigger. One thing I appreciate about the Folio Society's recent output is their newfound willingness to go to modern translations rather than cheaper options.

63Fierylunar
maj 28, 2020, 12:07 pm

Why on earth would they bother letterpress printing only the limitation page? It would've been perfectly acceptable to have it printed normally and no one in particular would've noticed the difference.

I do agree the website is clear on this matter, I just doubt the added value of the design choice.

64gmacaree
maj 28, 2020, 12:18 pm

>63 Fierylunar: They've been doing this a lot recently. But no idea why.

65Neil77
maj 28, 2020, 2:00 pm

>60 astropi:

You are correct - I definitely did overlook the "limitation page".

Thanks

66treereader
Redigerat: maj 29, 2020, 12:46 am

>63 Fierylunar:

It's probably fairly inexpensive to letterpress a simple limitation page. There's not a lot of text and only one page. The marketing value (just this group having this conversation, for instance) would surely justify the cost over a cheaper option.

67ubiquitousuk
maj 29, 2020, 3:06 am

>66 treereader: Yes.

In particular, it is "easy" to typeset a few simple lines of ragged type. But if you want to typeset a full book in movable type we're in a whole different universe. At that point, someone has to decide just how much leading to use, just where to put the linebreaks, etc. And one bad choice now can cause bad stuff like orphaned lines or uneven paragraphs several pages later (when it's too late to fix without starting over). If you didn't care about the craftsmanship, I don't see why you'd ever want letterpress--it's just an older and less effective alternative to offset.

68SebRinelli
maj 29, 2020, 5:18 am

>67 ubiquitousuk: I beg to differ. First, typesetting for letterpress printing can be done on a computer, if photopolymer plates are used.
More importantly, the small indent impressed by letters through letterpress printing causes the light to fracture at the margins of the impression each letter leaves in the paper. This is why letterpress appears sharper and pleases the eye.

69astropi
maj 29, 2020, 6:54 am

Entirely agree with >68 SebRinelli:
Maybe for some people there's "not much of a difference" between letterpress and modern techniques. However, for others such as myself, it's like night and day. Nothing is as crisp and pleasing to the eye as letterpress.

70gmacaree
maj 29, 2020, 7:29 am

#28 is scuff-free.

71joco30
maj 29, 2020, 7:50 am

>69 astropi: for others such as myself, it's like night and day.

Not that long ago, there were discussions here about whether the Twelfth Night with the Balbusso illustrations were the letterpress pages from the Letterpress Shakespeare. There were some who said yes, and there were others who were quite convinced of no, not letterpress. So I doubt if the difference is like night and day.
I think that the beauty of modern Letterpress editions is for a large part, if not the most part, caused by the paper that's being used, oftentimes combined with deckled edges.

72Jayked
maj 29, 2020, 8:57 am

>71 joco30:
Yes indeed. If you use a pressure on the type heavy enough to cause an indentation, then that will show through on the other side on paper of a normal thickness.

73elladan0891
Redigerat: maj 29, 2020, 10:21 am

Well, the truth is that "no difference" and "night and day" are both valid points on a much more varied scale of possibilities. Letterpress encompasses a variety of different technologies and techniques and produces vastly varying results.

Millions of pages printed letterpress are actually far inferior to good offset produced by the likes of Folio - once upon a time, newspapers were printed letterpress. On the other hand, I do agree that there is nothing like good letterpress of noticeable but not too deep bite printed on handmade rag paper (yes, Folio's recent letterpress efforts which I do appreciate anyways are not examples of this). And then there are many examples of past quality productions where it would be extremely hard to tell letterpress and offset apart with a naked eye; many letterpress printers did very light "kiss" printing without noticeable bite, which I guess could have been due to both a necessity and a preference - if a page is fairly thin, you want light touch so that the bite doesn't show on the other side. Preference-wise, I guess in some cases, depending on technology, it could also have been viewed as a mark of professionalism - to print lightly but clearly and evenly.

74SebRinelli
Redigerat: maj 29, 2020, 12:37 pm

>71 joco30: letterpress printing and using the right paper go hand in hand, of course. It’s the same with water colours, oil, woodcuts, linocuts, etching, etc. They all require the right medium and nobody would object to this.
And yes, there are far better choices for letterpress printing than Zerkall Bütten used for the letterpress Shakespeare.

>73 elladan0891: sums it up nicely

75jroger1
maj 29, 2020, 11:18 am

>74 SebRinelli: “There are far better choices for letterpress printing than Zerkall Bütten used for the letterpress Shakespeare.”

I’m glad to hear you say that. I bought a copy of the Letterpress Hamlet when it was on sale last year just to see why it was so expensive. The printing is indeed very nice but not nice enough to make me want to read it. If I ever decide to re-read the play, I will read instead the wonderful companion volume with its helpful notes, or a well-illustrated edition, and, most importantly, one that is a reasonable size that I can hold on my lap.

Good offset printing such as FS uses in its standard editions, and indeed that most publishers use today, is quite good enough for me.

76ubiquitousuk
Redigerat: maj 29, 2020, 2:51 pm

>68 SebRinelli: I'm assuming anyone who's thinking of spending an extra couple of hundred pounds for a letterpress treatment isn't going to be too satisfied by a modern polymer based and computerised treatment.

I agree that some letterpress printings have a nice tactile quality, but many professional printers aim to minimise the depth of the impression and it can be very hard to tell indeed. I'd say for about half of my Letterpress Shakespeare volumes it would be very hard for an outsider to tell whether the printing was letterpress or offset (the same goes for the few Letterpress LEC books I have).

Of course, the best letterpress prints are exquisite. But we shouldn't compare a £300 letterpress treatment to our average experience of offset--we should compare it to the very finest offset prints on the best paper, which are also incredibly sharp and clear.

Still, what matters is that you're getting enjoyment out of your letterpress volumes. Me too, just for different reasons.

77vmb443
Redigerat: maj 29, 2020, 2:56 pm

Received my copy today - Copy #8 - I am very happy with it, I think it's a beautiful book and well done, I love the art and the size of the book, even the slipcase is well done, here's a picture of it nestled in with its other LE friends, I think it looks great on the shelf. And yes, I have the habit of not removing my books from shrink-wrap until I actually read them.

78johnbean9
maj 29, 2020, 3:08 pm

I came across this and found it quite educational and appropriate to this discussion: https://letterpresscommons.com/impression/.

79Twas_Brillig
maj 29, 2020, 4:02 pm

>77 vmb443:
A wonderful collection, but you should be wary of leaving them in the plastic wrap for long periods. The plastic can trap moisture inside with the book and sometimes breakdown staining the material beneath them. It’s not always the best method to preserve them which would be a cotton bag - which is not the nicest way to display them.

80vmb443
maj 29, 2020, 4:38 pm

>79 Twas_Brillig: Thanks for the advice - I’ve often wondered about how good it was for them - but now I know I can have some fun tonight unwrapping them! Almost like receiving them in the mail again!

81astropi
Redigerat: maj 29, 2020, 7:05 pm

When letterpress printing was much more common, it was (as >73 elladan0891: noted) considered desirable to leave a very soft impression ("kiss"). Even so, in most letterpress books such as an LEC you can definitely tell it's letterpress even if the impression is very light. My preference, is for a hard bite. I think most letterpress works today don't necessarily have a very "hard" bite to them, but absolutely quite a noticeable one. Naturally that requires very good paper. But, apart from the paper the impression it leaves on the paper is again, like night and day. Most FS books that I have owned are certainly "nice" to read and well designed. But, and again this is a personal thing, it's simply not the same as a good letterpress. I'm sure to some people that makes no difference, but then again, many people are happy with just paperback books... so to each their own (but of course, I urge everyone to join the letterpress bandwagon so we can start a new golden age :)

82Pellias
maj 30, 2020, 5:33 pm

>52 folio_books: It is a very strange signature. Looks like a Matisse sketch. But hey, it is his signature. That`s the way he does it. I have no idea if he does more flowery signatures, but i know he does them like this.

83EclecticIndulgence
maj 31, 2020, 2:28 am

And the FS Limited Edition program continues it's downwards trajectory. Bring back Joe!

Even the fine editions of the past would turn up their noses to this one. Still better than Babar and neon coloured spines.

84gmacaree
maj 31, 2020, 2:59 am

>83 EclecticIndulgence: This Bovary beats many of Joe's efforts at the same price point. It's much nicer than e.g. Aeneid or Les Mis. One suspects that the outrage is performative.

85Willoyd
maj 31, 2020, 11:18 am

>82 Pellias:
In what sense is it a downward trend? The content? Surely not. The presentation? In what way? Intrigued, as I thought this one of the most attractive in this price range for some time.

86Pellias
maj 31, 2020, 12:05 pm

>85 Willoyd: Oh my. Well it`s like .. down and stuff and just bad, you know dark and stuff .. *blush* ..

>83 EclecticIndulgence: Will take over your question from here. I`m still awaiting my volume :)

87Willoyd
Redigerat: maj 31, 2020, 12:28 pm

>82 Pellias:
Sorry, Pellias, my mistake - I meant that question for >83 EclecticIndulgence:. I think I must have had your name wedged in my mind as I'd just asked you a question on another thread. Thanks for trying to answer what must have read like gobbledegook!

>83 EclecticIndulgence:
In what sense is it a downward trend? The content? Surely not. The presentation? In what way? Intrigued, as I thought this one of the most attractive in this price range for some time.

88wcarter
Redigerat: jun 2, 2020, 5:56 pm

Madame Bovary number 5 ordered 26 May arrived today in Australia after 8 days of express shipping.
Once again, members of FSD have snagged most of the low numbers of this LE.
No.1 goes to the Gavron family, so thereare only 8 single digit LE copies available to the public and between us we have received five of them (2.4.5.7 & 8).

89Pellias
jun 4, 2020, 6:53 am

Number #26 arrived today. Very nice.

A very small (paperknife like cut) felt and seen on the spine upclose is not good (no, i did not cause that during unboxing), i will look at it myself if it irritates me

90Forthwith
jun 4, 2020, 2:47 pm

I am pleased with my lucky #13.

91Forthwith
jun 9, 2020, 1:49 pm

Has anyone compared this relatively recent translation to previous translations? Any comments on this translation used by the FS?

92NCS180
jun 13, 2020, 12:27 pm

LOL talking of prices, that was cheap.

93wcarter
Redigerat: jun 29, 2020, 5:57 am

The brochure for the Madame Bovary LE has now been uploaded to the FSD wiki here.

The 2020 LE Brochure has also been uploaded to the same site.

94elladan0891
jul 14, 2020, 3:43 pm

A very interesting little feature by the artist giving a glimpse into her creative process:
https://blogs.foliosociety.com/this-folio-life-bringing-madame-bovary-to-life

95ubiquitousuk
nov 29, 2020, 7:14 am

I'm curious how likely people think it is that this edition gets a standard version. It seems to be in the same category as the likes of Moby Dick or Zhivago (i.e., fairly mainstream classic novels). I want the LE, but not so much that I'd choose it over a SE were one available.

96wongie
nov 29, 2020, 7:45 am

I have a feeling it's unlikely, Zhivago had a unique selling point with the Pasternak trifecta that, in Folio's eyes, probably justified a more permanent standard edition that I think Bovary lacks. However if they do decide to issue a cheaper edition I suspect it won't be as short a time as it took the Zhivago SE to come out after the LE sold out and more likely the longer gap Moby Dick took.

97Willoyd
nov 29, 2020, 1:35 pm

>96 wongie: They did it with Candide as well. Strikes me it's likely, but probably not for a while - and pretty likely only after the LE sells out?

98U_238
Redigerat: nov 29, 2020, 2:57 pm

They also did it for The Call of Cthulhu, though I’m not sure what the gap was.

They also seem not to be interested in reprinting these post-LE SEs: I got confirmation they have no plans to reprint Call.

99folio_books
nov 29, 2020, 3:07 pm

>98 U_238: They also did it for The Call of Cthulhu, though I’m not sure what the gap was.

I believe they released the LE and the core edition simultaneously. I remember deciding against paying a premium for artificial leather and chose the "cheap" edition instead.

100sekhmet0108
nov 29, 2020, 3:38 pm

I am glad that i ended up getting the regular edition before it sold out. I personally find it to be far better looking than the LE one. The two-tone cloth, the illustrations...it is just beautiful! Truly one of the most beautiful if FS editions in recent years.

Let's see how they do with the regular editions of the Gene Wolf series.

As for the Madame Bovary LE, i really hope that a regular edition gets released, since it is so extremely beautiful. The illustrations are just perfection. The LE is too expensive for me, but the regular would of course be an immediate buy.

101Edward
Redigerat: dec 2, 2020, 5:09 pm

Det här meddelandet har tagits bort av dess författare.

102vmb443
apr 26, 2022, 1:23 pm

Down to 72 copies. I have no idea why this book hasn’t been sold out yet. It’s a beautiful book - one of my favorite LEs.

103adriano77
apr 26, 2022, 1:42 pm

>102 vmb443:

Never read it but I was always interested to pick this one up given how well they designed it. However, after seeing concerns about the silk fading easily, I turned to other things.

104MobyRichard
Redigerat: apr 26, 2022, 1:58 pm

Love the LE paintings but Madame Bovary is Flaubert's least interesting novel. I'll take The Temptation of St. Anthony and Salammbo any day. It's weird that he's known as the father of realism considering that he only wrote the one "realistic" novel. Even Bouvard and Pecuchet is more postmodern than realistic.

105podaniel
apr 26, 2022, 1:57 pm

>102 vmb443:

Agreed--I bought my copy about six months ago thinking it was about to sell out. And it is a stunning LE. It fits well with Travels in Arabia Deserta (same height).

106Dr.Fiddy
apr 26, 2022, 2:59 pm

>105 podaniel: «It fits well with Travels in Arabia Deserta (same height).» Ha, ha… That’s how mine are on the shelf too 😊

107ubiquitousuk
apr 26, 2022, 3:54 pm

Really on the fence about this one. Love the illustrations and would like to have a nice copy of Bovary.

But £245 buys a really nice example of book design and production from a bona fide private press and I struggle to see the value proposition of most modern Folio Society LEs. So in all likelihood I will wait for the SE offering or, if it never comes, settle for one of the two Limited Editions Club editions of the novel.

108gmacaree
apr 26, 2022, 4:08 pm

>107 ubiquitousuk: For what it's worth, I much prefer the Folio Society translation to the LEC — much better read this time around

109kdweber
apr 26, 2022, 4:29 pm

I have both LEC editions but picked up the FS LE because I prefer the translation and it's a really nice looking book.

110ubiquitousuk
apr 26, 2022, 5:14 pm

>108 gmacaree: >109 kdweber: haha, thanks for making life uncomplicated. Let's see what lasts longer: the counter or my resolve.

111Shadekeep
apr 26, 2022, 7:12 pm

>108 gmacaree: >109 kdweber: Ach, that's a good point. Translation quality is an important factor, and sometimes easy to overlook in the other attributes of the various editions. Thanks for the reminder!

112SinsenKrysset
sep 1, 2022, 10:15 am

15 remaining

113assemblyman
sep 3, 2022, 3:12 pm

Anyone still in the fence it’s down to three.

114whytewolf1
sep 3, 2022, 7:36 pm

>113 assemblyman: This is a terrific production, in my opinion. Fanny Nushka's artwork is just stunning. I completely love my copy.

115CJDelDotto
sep 3, 2022, 10:33 pm

This title was one of the first two FS books I ever bought, and I love it. I really hope that FS commissions Nushka to create more art for canonical works of European literature in the future.

116assemblyman
sep 4, 2022, 2:51 am

>114 whytewolf1: I agree and love the art on this but I dithered too long and prices increased. Too much for me at current price and shipping but still a lovely edition. I have a forlorn hope FS do an SE.

117SinsenKrysset
sep 4, 2022, 6:48 am

And then it was sold out. Let's hope for an SE

118antinous_in_london
Redigerat: sep 4, 2022, 8:06 am

>114 whytewolf1: This was in my basket numerous times but i could never get up enough enthusiasm to actually buy it. The artwork is quite nice, but having read the book a few years ago & not particularly enjoying it I know that if i had purchased it would have just sat on the shelf unopened gathering dust. I have enough books i want to read without buying books i have no intention of reading.

119whytewolf1
sep 4, 2022, 10:08 am

>115 CJDelDotto: Here's hoping!

>116 assemblyman: I think that would be a great SE. I'm all for FS giving more people an opportunity to enjoy Fanny's art.

>118 antinous_in_london: I totally get that. It's one of my own rules to help keep my buying in check. If I can't see myself actually being willing to pick an edition up and start reading it on any given evening (regardless of when I might actually get to it), I don't buy it.