/lit/ - Literature

Ulysses, Joyce - Limited Editions Club (1935).

Brown buckram cloth embossed in gold on front board and spine. Hand-illustrated by Henri Matisse.

The Master and Margarita, Bulgakov - Folio Society (2010).

My favorite Russian edition of Anna Karenina

Lolita, Nabokov - Folio Society (2015).

Moby-Dick, Melville - Folio Society (2009). Full black leather, silver-embossed front and spine.

>>14900594
Sadly, I've yet to read Tolstoy but that's a beautiful illustration. I figured it's better if I get through the Bible and Pushkin before I tackle him.

The Bridge, Crane - Arion Press (2017).

>>14900580

Wow

>>14900572

That cover is too beautiful for a book you won’t read more than five pages of

>>14900607
>a fucking scroll
Arion Press is nuts

Death on the Nile, Christie - Thornwillow Press (2019). This is the "Horace" edition, of which only 1 copy existed for sale. It is bound in dyed full leather and encrusted with a cabochon ruby on the front cover.

>>14900611
Exactly my sentiments. It's considered the crown jewel of the Limited Editions Club collection and the price of the remaining copies on the market reflects that. The LEC edition of this work is the only publication ever signed by James Joyce - he got through about 350 I believe. He would've signed the whole lot (1,500 in total, as with most LEC prints), but flew into a rage upon discovering Matisse's illustrations were all based off Homer's Odyssey rather than Joyce's own work. The copies signed by Joyce are not easy to find and fetch upwards of $10,000.

The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald - Thornwillow Press (2019). This is the "Jay Gatsby" edition, a one-of-a-kind which sold for $25,000. The description as follows from the Kickstarter page:
>... bound in black Morocco, with green leather laid into the front, and purple leather laid into the back. The cover is hand tooled with 22 karat gold in a deco design, and set with fourteen opals and eighteen emeralds.

They have a few other beautiful versions as well as more consumer-friendly options. You can peruse the full collection here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thornwillow/the-great-gatsby

>>14900617
haha, I hope that's not the case, but, of course, its reputation precedes it.

>>14900622
They really are. The excellence of Arion's work is best reflected in the interior of their publications, however: typeset, font, paper choice, calligraphy - all top-class.

>>14900580
>>14900611
LEC was based, few of their books sell for under $1000 today. Their sister publishing house, Heritage Press, also made good books, but they mass produced them so you can find them cheap.

Most of their covers are pretty conservative but the Decline and Fall is really nice. Will post.

>>14900655

Dracula, Stoker - Amaranthine Press (2019). This is the "Scholomance" edition, of which only 50 copies were published.
>Draped in red, richly textured fabric, featuring glow-in-the-dark covers and illustrations. It comes in a luxurious wooden box which contains real Transylvanian soil from Bran Castle in Romania. Also, the title page features a title written in real blood of the creatives that worked on this edition, as one final tribute to the bloodthirsty Dracula (don’t worry, it was sealed after drying!).

More pictures here: https://amaranthinebooks.com/product/dracula-scholomance-edition/

>>14900632
>The LEC edition of this work is the only publication ever signed by James Joyce
Specifically it was the only *illustrated* publication signed by Joyce. He definitely signed Shakespeare and Co.'s first edition.

>>14900655
>>14900661
What a handsome edition. I believe that's the Heritage Press edition, correct? Also, fun fact: although HP did mostly mass-produce watered-down versions of the beautiful LEC publications, they also did take the lead on a few publications which LEC then borrowed from them. One such example is Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. To read more about the comparison between the two editions, see here: https://georgemacyimagery.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/limited-editions-club-crime-and-punishment-by-fyodor-dostoevsky-19381948/

>>14900670
Thank you for the correction, anon, and for contributing to the thread!

>>14900661
The History of the Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire, Gibbon - Limited Editions Club (1946). This is a seven-piece set and the only publication by the LEC which I have never found a near-fine or better copy of in all my years of exploring fine and private press.

For something a little more bold: A Game of Thrones, Martin - Folio Society (2019). This is a two-book set covering the first book in Martin's unfinished saga, ASOIAF. "Bound in three-quarter blocked cloth with a printed and blocked cloth front board." The front boards also feature dazzling illustrations of a few animals which are used for the sigils of certain royal Houses that are key to the story.

>>14900687
I think there is a copy of this set at a pop-up bookshop I sometimes walk past. I'm not sure of its condition though.

>>14900632

I find the bit about the Odyssey hilarious honestly, as if having art hand-made by Matisse isn't enough for you?

>>14900646

this is a beautiful cover

>>14900646

Is there a pic of >>14900607 with the poetry visible?

>>14900646
>Jay Gatsby edition
wow way to miss the point of the book

>>14900677
>I believe that's the Heritage Press edition, correct?
Yeah, that's HP D&F. I've actually read that site a bit since my grandfather gave me a lot of their books (I posted a year or so ago about it, I get the feeling you might be the same anon I was talking to then). I have C&P and also Demons (The Possessed) and Brothers Karamazov although BK isn't in great shape, I think because my aunt read it multiple times years ago (most of the Russian lit has underlining thanks to her lol)

The Call of C'thulhu & Other Weird Stories, Lovecraft - Folio Society (2017). This is the sold out Limited Edition which, IIRC (I can't find the information on it atm to verify), is bound in simulated manta ray eco-leather to give it a clammy feel. The front board is embossed with a golden glyph, giving the production the feel of a tome.

>>14900707
haha, great artists and galaxy-sized egos - a tale as old as time. I wouldn't be the one to try and humble him, though. The man deserves all the credit in the world IMO.

>>14900713
Absolutely. Private press is a rabbit hole, my friend. You see some breathtaking publications and feel gutted when you realize the sole copies of them will likely never be owned by you.

>>14900755
>great artists and galaxy-sized egos
especially novelists. It takes a special kind of egotist to think that whatever you have to say is so important people should spend days (or in Joyce's case weeks, months, years) figuring out what it is.

>>14900742
Yes: please see pic related. For more pictures, please see the gallery on Arion's website: https://www.arionpress.com/store/110-the-bridge.. I assure you it is worth perusing. Arion is essentially unmatched when it comes to private publication. The paper alone is intimidating in its beauty. I'd be afraid to touch it!

>>14900749
What did you take away from the book, anon? I agree that Fitzgerald conveys that wealth isn't everything; indeed, wealth can be a type of poison. And, of course, it's well-known how irritated Fitzgerald could get at the roving old-money and nouveau-riche crowds of the 20s. But I always thought the book was more about memory and being unable to escape one's past; about the purity of one's character when removing outside influences; about repetition of history.

very comfy thread, thanks boys, good way to end the night :')

Going to break the rules and post the inside of the cover.

Heritage Press, Confessions of Augustine

I'm going to cheat a bit and post what is considered possibly the finest publication to ever be executed: The Works of Chaucer by the Kelmscott Press (1896), directly under the supervision of the owner and founder William Morris.

This print is not known for its exterior, but for its jaw-dropping, completely handmade interior. I can't do it justice, so please watch this video to understand just how fine a work this is and how unlikely we are to ever see its ilk again. This is the true crown jewel of private press. Again, I urge you to watch the video - it's worth every second of your time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQZr6DQ5SX0&t=124s

>>14900750
Yes, I believe we did talk then! How are you, anon? I hope all is well. Please stay safe during these difficult times. I wish you and your loved ones good health.

Again, congratulations on receiving such a blessing from your grandparents. I know you will treasure it for the rest of your life.

>>14900770
Absolutely! But I can't wait to agonize over it, haha. I'm reading Homer at the moment and will tackle Ulysses and Finnegans afterward. I've read Dubliners and Portrait and love both, but am due for a re-read before moving on to Joyce's endgame.

>>14900792

Wow this is yours? it's lovely!

>>14900792
Back

>>14900795
Yeah, see >>14900750

>>14900588
It feels childish. I like the image, but not for a book.

Red Dragon, Harris - Suntup Press (2020). This is the Lettered Edition, of which only 26 copies are being published and sold. Description from Suntup's website:
>... bound in embossed hornback ruby hide. Endsheets are hand marbled and the edition is printed two color throughout on Strathmore Pastelle paper. The clamshell enclosure is covered in Japanese cloth with a laser-cut acrylic clasp and a foil-stamped spine label. The edition is signed by Thomas Harris and Jason Mowry.

To browse the gallery and check out other editions, please see: https://suntup.press/red-dragon

>>14900781
I'm glad y'all are enjoying it! There is precious little as radiant in this life as the company good literature provides, and so it deserves to be celebrated.

>>14900792
>>14900797
Gorgeous illustrations. I've yet to read Confessions and I don't believe I own any Heritage Press books outside of a copy of Sherlock and The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Do you feel the material holds up well?

>>14900794
>Yes, I believe we did talk then! How are you, anon? I hope all is well. Please stay safe during these difficult times. I wish you and your loved ones good health.
Thanks and you too. I'm a bit worried about my grandfather just because of his age (I think he'll be 93 this year)

>But I can't wait to agonize over it, haha. I'm reading Homer at the moment and will tackle Ulysses and Finnegans afterward. I've read Dubliners and Portrait and love both, but am due for a re-read before moving on to Joyce's endgame.
I'm planning on doing something similar later this year (or next year depending how long it takes me to finish Dosto and Pynchon). I've read Dubliners-Ulysses and 100 pages or so of the Wake, and I'm going to read Ellmann's Joyce biography while taking breaks to re-read each book after I read the relevant section.

>>14900814
>Do you feel the material holds up well?

Probably average to above average for a hardcover. Some are better than others, but most are good. Only two or three of my books have noticeable wear, but I'm also not sure how many of them have actually been read. Paper quality is almost always above average. Just be sure to store them out of sunlight because the spines will fade.

>>14900811
I'm sorry to hear that! The cover and spine captured me immediately. I love Koroviev/Fagot's and Behemoth's designs. Crucially, I find the the burning of the Master's book, the blood moon, and the engulfing flames a perfect representation of Bulgakov's feelings on the state of Russia at the time he wrote the book. These are all important themes in the book and I'm very happy the cover represents them. That said, it's simply a difference in opinion - taste is subjective, after all. :)

Perhaps you'd be more partial to the interior illustrations? Or is the artist's style in general not pertinent in your opinion?

>>14900823
Thank you. I'm sure your grandfather knows to stay isolated and wait out the contagion. Just be a good grandson and check up on him every other day or so and make sure he's holding up well. I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, so forgive me if I've crossed a boundary.

That's an excellent reading itinerary, by the way. I haven't tackled Pynchon at all - enjoy him. I think your plan for tackling Joyce is sound.

>>14900840
Thanks for the breakdown. I'm glad to hear the books are durable. I'm sure, like me, you consider them one of your most prized possessions and look forward to sharing them with the right people.

My collection is behind a glass-door bookshelf - do you think that would be enough to keep out sunlight/UV or should I invest in special wrappings and maybe a shade of some sort to cover the bookshelf with? Pic related.

>>14900811
>>14900858
Apologies, I forgot to attach the sample M&M illustration.

>>14900858
>I'm sure your grandfather knows to stay isolated and wait out the contagion. Just be a good grandson and check up on him every other day or so and make sure he's holding up well.
He doesn't really have much of an option since we convinced him to stop driving :)
>forgive me if I've crossed a boundary.
haha, no worries. That's some Japanese-tier politeness lol.

>My collection is behind a glass-door bookshelf - do you think that would be enough to keep out sunlight/UV or should I invest in special wrappings and maybe a shade of some sort to cover the bookshelf with? Pic related.
Clear glass won't prevent UV light, but only direct sunlight should be an issue. The cheapest option would just be to move the bookshelf if the sun lands on the books.

It's almost 2 AM for me, lads, so I'll leave y'all with one last publication: Don Quixote, Cervantes - Arion Press (2009). From their website:
>400 numbered copies.
>Octavo, 10 3/8 by 7 inches; Book I: 576 pages, Book II: 632 pages
>Bound in brown and beige goatskin with gold titling, in two slipcases
>97 illustrations by William T. Wiley

>>14900892
Glad to know you guys are looking out for him. And I just wanted to make sure I wasn't coming across as presumptuous or nose, haha.

Thanks for the tip regarding direct sunlight. I don't believe that's an issue but I'll make sure I'm careful about how I'm opening my bedroom curtains in the future.

I need to get to bed and knock out some Homer before sleep. It was a great pleasure talking to you again, anon. I don't frequent 4chan much, but I always have a great time posting on /lit/; I think this is the best board on the site. I'll try to post more as I enjoy our conversations. You should start going by "Heritage Press"! :^)

Have a great night, my friend. I hope we cross paths soon.

>>14900913
>I don't believe that's an issue but I'll make sure I'm careful about how I'm opening my bedroom curtains in the future.
yeah I'm paranoid about UV damage for everything, not just books (but mostly books).


>I need to get to bed and knock out some Homer before sleep.
me too but with Mason & Dixon, which by the way has a nice double dust jacket, maybe I'll post it tomorrow.


>I don't frequent 4chan much, but I always have a great time posting on /lit/; I think this is the best board on the site. I'll try to post more as I enjoy our conversations.
It's good to have more posters, but as a heads up the longer I spend on 4chan the lower my opinion of it becomes... and the harder it is to get away from it


>You should start going by "Heritage Press"!
maybe, but only when I post about those books since I generally like anonymity :^)

>>14900944
>the longer I spend on 4chan the lower my opinion of it becomes... and the harder it is to get away from it
The curse in a nutshell.

>>14900572

bourgeois nonsense

It's 2000+20, get a kindle

>>14900687
Cool, dude. Bet you haven't read them

>>14900687
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30512065958
>Near Fine example of a title usually found with much wear.

>>14901251
https://youtu.be/Wu9SEHdrico
:3

where the wild things are, the novelization of the movie by Spike Jones. Fur cover.

>>14900580
Saw this in a book store on Santorini, Matisse's illustrations were a perfect fit for the content

>>14900607
Based

>>14900755
fuck this one is actually sick

>>14901611
Why are you gay?

>>14901511
jeff pls leave

this is a comfy thread. thanks OP

>>14901251
>>14901511
>>14901512
>>14902339
faggots

>>14902464
All the last 3 are me lol

>>14901542
Not sure that qualifies as near-fine. You can see rot at the top of several volumes. More like VG+.

>>14902470
stop shitting up a rare non pseud thread

A lot of these certainly are gorgeous and look brilliantly made, but I don't understand why some of them are so limited (particularly those that don't require obvious complicated hand-made methods). Kind of defeats the purpose of art to me.

>>14902595
Limited editions gets those with enough money to spend an outrageous amount for pretty objects like women buying designer purses for a sign of exclusivity.

Book of the New Sun from Folio
A.k.a JUST

>>14902601
Which also makes no sense to me. Just make attractive works of art for people to buy ffs. What's the point in making something only a few hundred people will ever get to experience? People acting like the common man can't appreciate good art is poser nonsense when we all know plenty of rich people have fuckawful taste.

The Masque of Red Death, Poe - No Reply Press (2020).
>Bound in fine leather with raised bands and handmade paste paper boards
>Rounded spine with a gold label
>Limited to 26 lettered copies.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/237275479/the-masque-of-the-red-death

>>14902595
Purely to drive up the price due to exclusivity/FOMO. Books are criminally up-marked but that's the luxury fine-press publishers have considering how arcane of a trade it is, especially when it comes to luxury bindings and letterpress.

The Masque of Red Death, Poe - No Reply Press (2020).
>Bound in fine leather with raised bands and handmade paste paper boards
>Rounded spine with a gold label
>Limited to 26 lettered copies.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/237275479/the-masque-of-the-red-death

>>14902595
Purely to drive up the price due to exclusivity/FOMO. Books are criminally up-marked but that's the luxury fine-press publishers have considering how arcane of a trade it is, especially when it comes to luxury bindings and letterpress.

For me, it's the Arion Press edition of Moby-Dick.
Top-quality printing and binding, typography specifically designed for the book, and some beautiful yet understated illustrations that perfectly fit Melville's writing style. Best of all, the University of California Press has published a reprint edition for people who aren't hideously wealthy.

Exegesis by PKD. The book jacket is whatever but the book itself is golden like a solid ingot.

>>14902484
lit is pseud board, fuck off consoomer

>>14902712
have you read a lot of Dick? I've only read Ubik, which I found pretty good but generally superficial. I don't mean that as an insult - he has great world-building and the prose and storytelling are tight enough, but generally it just felt like a futuristic weird tale rather than anything with significant academic merit. however, that's not to say it doesn't have a lot of literary merit.

>>14902699
How good is the UC Press Facsimile? Is it as close to a 1:1 reprint as possible?

I think you legitimately have to be a millionaire to casually buy an Arion publication as new. Or at the very least, you have to be a dedicated fine-press collector with few outside hobbies.

>>14902739
I don't own a copy yet, but the hardcover "deluxe" facsimile supposedly has the same layout, illustrations, and blue lettering as the original, while the paperback is only black and white. The California editions are also smaller and obviously don't have the primo binding and paper.

>>14902779
Do you happen to know if they use the same paper or any sort of custom paper? Is it also letterpress? I'm aware I can google the answers, but might as well keep the thread alive haha

>>14902734
>a lot of dick

>>14900594
going to kms

>>14902734
I had a phase where I was reading everything before burning out on it. He's not the best writer by any stretch, but he pioneered a certain genre of sci-fi called paranoid science fiction in which the emphasis was not on tech stuff but on the human mind confronting disintegrating realities and perceptual disorientation because of futuristic drugs , mental illness or other circumstances. He has some very clever premises for stories. Also the Exegesis has its share of flashes of brilliance.

>>14902866
that's a great way of explaining his style. thanks, anon!

>>14902822
The Arion paper is handmade, and I doubt even the California Deluxe edition has that. Also the deluxe is almost as hard to come by as the original Arion.

Here's a couple pages of illustration from a retelling of Milon. I haven't been able to find any information about the publisher, other than that it was published in Switzerland and is written in German. Gorgeous illustrations throughout, and the interior is signed by the author and illustrator.

>>14903094

>>14902647
see >>14901251

>>14903049
Arion's Moby-Dick went for almost $30,000 on the last known abebooks listing of the publication.

https://www.abebooks.com/books/rarebooks/moby-dick-fine-presses-arion-press-twain/most-expensive-oct10.shtml

In-fucking-sane.

>>14903258
I think the deluxe California facsimiles even are 1000. On a related note my alma mater had a facsimile of the Voynich manuscript that was such a faithful 1 to 1 reproduction that it had the same bookworm holes.

>>14900664
I don’t know why but I just can’t appreciate this creative route, it looks like a hot topic diary

>>14903311
everything itt does

>>14900572
>when the book looks nicer than the content it contains

>>14903094
This is beautiful, what style of drawing is this?

Picked up this copy, wondering what you guys think of it? Of course it doesn’t compare to all the Folio prints but it’s really been growing on me, especially the color scheme.

>>14903367
It's a striking cover. Does the motif represent anything in particular? I haven't read Quixote yet but it looks like a reflection of the titular character's ethos: a devout knight and scholar (in his own mind, at least).

>>14903367
Penguin classics hardcovers are among the stiffest hardcovers I've ever had the displeasure of handling. Also that pattern runs off very easily, it's not cloth. It's like iron-on pattern atop the cloth, like a cheap t-shirt.

>>14903378
I only just picked it up and haven’t delved into it yet, but have been looking at it for the last couple days. I can take some actual pictures when I’m home because I don’t think that this image does it justice if you’re interested.

>>14903398
sure!

>>14902484
nothing could be more pseud and plebbitcore than cooming oneself over the covers of books. the point is to read them not to admire spines on a shelf, and imagery should come from the text.

>>14901251
very

>>14903432
>>14903438
t. poor and miserable

>>14902838

I’m crying please stop

>>14900944
Here's Mason & Dixon. There are two jackets, one is clear plastic and has "Thomas Pynchon Mason & Dixon" on it, which I'm holding up. The other jacket is faux-old-feeling paper.

>>14903863
Jacket by itself.

>>14903432
Good design is important and shows respect for the text

>>14903870
Holy crap, I just noticed now that on the back of the jacket "Thomas Pynchon" is embedded in the side.

The Master and Margarita has always fun covers

>>14900580
Impressive, very nice

>>14902660
the masque of the red dead is like six pages long

>>14900664
Now THAT'S artisanal

>>14901511
Baste

Statsministriga tjockisen Buck Mulligan kom ner från trapphuvudet, han hade en skål med tjock kräm (oklart innehåll) som han balanserade en korsad spegel och en rakhyvel på (antagligen Gillette (the best a man can get)).

>>14900572
https://discord.gg/wqM6KqY

>>14901181
Pan has some great covers

>>14905037
ägers kingersson

>>14901251

True

The Last Binge Ever

>>14902611
I was curious to see what the art was like and I found this
https://imgur.com/a/3PPbarE
Looks nice, but no way it's worth that ridiculous price

>>14903339
Illustrator is von Hanz Erni is all that I know. If anyone speaks German here's his signature and a dedication or something.

>>14907910

Leather notebook I bound. The flap works as a bookmark.

>>14906806
Why are these Japanese covers so much better

God “fine press” is such a cringe scam. Literally all penguins look better than these

>>14907943
the sad thing is you don't realize that this opinion betrays your unironically pleb taste

>>14907989
But these fine presses rarely give a fuck about the edition of the text and are quite garish aesthetically. I think its a basedboy thing to be into them

>>14908019
yes, Arion Press and LEC are quite garish, anon. they certainly don't care about the typeset, manually curated fonts, world-class translations, and so on. they just want to make book bling. I really respect your obviously intricately informed opinion on fine press.

>>14907943
>>14908019
Mid-wit take.
All avant-garde literature has always been concerned with form, and the binding is a part of form and therefore directly effects the interpretation of the message.
THAT BEING SAID a lot of these books are a rip-off. Even factoring in cost of leather, gold leaf, fine paper, and commissioning an illustrator these books are stupid expensive. The use of a letterpress is out-dated, and one of these books even bragged about doing cutting by hand like they're proud of living like they're in the dark ages. For the actual quality of materials going into the product, they're absurdly expensive.
I'm curious what's the limit that some of the posters ITT would pay for a nice book. I could make a hardcover leather-bound with gold lettering and cotton pages and facsimiles from the original print and even correspondence letters by the author and original illustrations for half the price, and using modern printing techniques instead of antiquated letterpress BS it could be produced in bulk for a fraction of the price.

>>14908037
>World Class translations
Yeah, they don't care about that. Their $2000 Don Quixote is in the fucking Grossman translation. LEC used free common domain translations. Folio Society is even less caring.
What’s this “and so on”? Illustrations?

>>14908158
> All avant-garde literature has always been concerned with form, and the binding is a part of form and therefore directly effects the interpretation of the message.
Im not gonna ask for a source on that claim, running with it though shouldn’t the “form” be based on the author’s design or approval of the design then?
I am the guy you quoted, the only fine press i own is the finnegans wake in the OP which i got for $400 on ebay. Even paying that much isn’t worth it.

>>14908170
Folio society uses P&V for Bulgakov and Tolstoy. LEC specially hired MFK Fisher to translate Brillat-Savarin, not that you have any idea of the magnitude of that decision; and it's just one example. Arion is more concerned with form than translation, but that doesn't apply to all fine and private press, and it doesn't make Arion's execution less valid. Art can be represented in many forms and there is nothing wrong with Grossman's translation; it is academically acceptable.

You really have no idea what you're talking about. You can't even figure out for yourself what the other elements of the interior may be.

Stop talking. Your opinion is worthless and will change nothing about how cognoscenti go about their hobbies when it comes to fine and private press. You're a fucking idiot who's bitter about not having the type of income needed to build a beautiful library.

It's one thing to appreciate words as they are; it's another to disparage a fine hobby just because you aren't able to participate. You're an angry little cipher and will be erased soon enough.

>>14907932
because they are better at everything.

OP here. Nice to see the thread is still going! Is anyone interested in seeing more beautiful books or have we entrenched ourselves in the realm of spirited debate?

It's still weird to me that Miyazaki of all people illustrated a cover for Chesterton's Napoleon of Notting Hill.

>>14908194
>Im not gonna ask for a source on that claim, running with it though shouldn’t the “form” be based on the author’s design or approval of the design then?
Why should it? A text is part of a literary tradition, and its free game for people to work off of it as they want. If an artist creates a set of illustrations for a particular story, have they robbed the author of it? If a theater troupe decides to move several scenes around in a play, or omit certain lines, in order to create a particular effect on the audience is there something wrong with that? Read more Borges and literary criticism.
>I am the guy you quoted, the only fine press i own is the finnegans wake in the OP which i got for $400 on ebay. Even paying that much isn’t worth it.
New or used? You can find fine press editions at certain second hand stores for around $30.

>>14908258
IMO, the Folio publication of FW most strongly represents the thematic nature of the book with its beautifully arcane cover. $400 is a fair if heavy price; I'm glad that anon managed to acquire such a treasure.

This is a nice cover illustration created by an outstanding cartoonist.
>>14908240
>Is anyone interested in seeing more beautiful books
Very much.

>>14908212
I think you’re having a hard case of denial because you know you’re being scammed. But go ahead and splurge on all these fine press books, don’t let me stop you.
>not that you have any idea of the magnitude of that decision
I am curious about this though. Explain the magnitude of that decision, please, i would love to be convinced and will keep an open mind.
>FS uses P&V
That proves my point though anon, everyone with a sense of aesthetics or know how bad these translations are, in fact most people on this board are caught up to that fact at this point.

>>14900664
This was, the most daring kino Cover since

>>14900755 . Yes

>>14908275
Yeah, I'm definitely being scammed for something I'll treasure for the rest of my life. Thanks for the psychoanalysis, oh keen Jungian disciple.
>P&V is bad
Ha.

It's not worth my time to convince you of anything - I have nothing to gain from it and couldn't care less about you living in ignorance. Goodbye, little roach.

>>14908284
This is Sope

>>14908284
You are clearly coping, we all make mistakes dude

>>14908297
>>14908286
>>14908275
The /lit/ crab-bucket is in full force today.

>>14908272
Excellent! Let us proceed.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Carroll - Easton Press (1987). This is from EP's "Deluxe Limited Edition" collection; this sold-out edition is limited to 800 copies. It is a facsimile of the 1907 publication "featuring all 13 full-color illustrations by the great Arthur Rackham." Each illustration is hand-tipped into the book after an assumed faith reproduction of the original material. The book is bound in a full creamy leather (raised bands on the spine) and embossed with gold print on the front cover and spine.

>>14908270
Thank you, it is handsome and it was my nightstand book for months after i recieved it a few years back. I still have it but i bought a penguin version and prefer reading that instead, the fs FW is HUGE

>>14908313
Vultures are always waiting to pick bones. The greater the activity, the more of them arrive. We shouldn't have expected this thread to remain uncorrupted forever - just do your best to ignore their caws and shrieks of agony.

I think its beautiful

War and Peace, Tolstoy - Folio Society (1971). This stunning edition, featuring a translation by the esteemed Rosemary Edmonds, is bound entirely in genuine blue-dyed goatskin leather. It features gilded lettering and raised bands on the spine, giving the book an elegant minimalist aesthetic. The top edges of the leaf block are also gilt. Black and white illustrations by Felicks Topolski accompany the interior.

For more pictures, please see this eBay listing (I have no connection to the seller, just providing a gallery for your curiosity): https://www.ebay.com/itm/WAR-AND-PEACE-Folio-Society-1971-full-leather-free-S-H-Topolski-Illustrated-/133094478371

For my money, this is the most handsome edition of War and Peace available in the English language.

Nearly all of Barnes and Nobles special editions

>>14908343
Is it really worth 350 bucks?
Doesn't look like much to write home about.

The Travels of Sir John Mandeville Beyond the Holy Land, Mandeville - Foolscap Press (2019). Only 90 copies of this beautiful edition were published. It is printed letterpress on handmade Chancery paper and features a custom-made typeface called Silentium - these are the most sought-after traits in fine and private press. There are five bi-page maps and all illustrations and illuminations are hand-drawn and hand-colored by Peggy Gotthold. It is bound in red handmade paper and features a paper title paste-label. It comes in a cloth-covered box with a paste-label on the spine. Also, note the pretty aesthetic of the binding!

I will make this a multi-post as the interior deserves a majority of the celebration. This is one of the finest private press publications of the young century.

>>14908394
Monetary values lies in the eye of the beholder, or something like that. :)

>>14908421
1/10

>>14908366
I have the B&N Anna Karenina - I love the creamy aesthetic and Faberge eggs motif.

>>14908421
>>14908448
2/10

>>14908421
>>14908448
>>14908451
3/10. The texture of the paper is sensational.

>>14908421
>>14908448
>>14908451
>>14908464
4/10: double-page frontispiece. The luxurious handmade paper coupled with the luminous color palette is quite pleasing, don't you agree?

>>14908421
>>14908448
>>14908451
>>14908464
>>14908474
Each initium features an intricate, hand-drawn design. The marginalia and gilt leaves result in a spectacular aesthetic.

>>14908474
>>14908464
>>14908451
>>14908448
Beautiful. It's bound in that textured red paper? Must be a pleasure to handle.

>>14908448
>>14908451
>>14908464
>>14908474
>>14908494
6/10. The more I study it, the stronger my conviction becomes in this being one the most gorgeously executed publications in the history of fine press, my friends.

>>14908498
I can only imagine! It retails for $1200 and I am quite sure it has already sold out. I hope to one day afford it on the secondary marketplace.

>>14908421
>>14908448
>>14908451
>>14908464
>>14908474
>>14908494
>>14908512
7/10: one of five double-page maps - seems like watercolor, the light touches of which reinforce the delicacy of the entire work.

>>14907943
this

>>14908421
>>14908448
>>14908451
>>14908464
>>14908474
>>14908494
>>14908512
>>14908518
I'll skip a couple of pictures and jump to the publisher's colophon (10/10) as I'm sure you all have absorbed just how wonderful a production this is.

OP here. As I look for my next post, I am curious whether y'all enjoy looking at the interior or if it's better to keep it to exterior showings? Also, does anyone have any works they are fond of that they would like to see fine/private press productions for?

>>14908512
this is the most beautiful book I've ever seen. it reminds me of the completely handwritten and hand-drawn manuscripts from medieval times. wow. this is something I'd pay out of the nose for. thanks for the stunning discovery, OP. I love this thread

>>14908343
Same translation

>>14900661
god that's gorgeous
great thread

>>14908556
Yes, it really is special. I'd love to own it as well, anon. I wish you good fortune in acquiring it. If you are interested in an immediate purchase, you can go to the Foolscap Press website and inquire about placing an order.

Have a great day!

>>14908212
The scam is making you think you’re cognoscenti and making you pay over $70 for one book lmao

>>14900607
I love it, great poem great print

>>14903870
i love this design, so simple yet so striking.

>>14908636
okay po boi. i'll take my fine press, you keep spending $500 a month on tendies and video games

>>14908518
Interesting map design. The wrinkling around the edges ruins this for me though, for the amount of effort they clearly put into it having neatly pressed pages shouldn't even be a question.

>>14908813
blame it on the owner of the book homeboy. the pages don't come out looking like that although letterpress will never be neatly shut and crisp like mass-printed hardcovers. that's the beauty of it.

>>14908828
>although letterpress will never be neatly shut and crisp like mass-printed hardcovers. that's the beauty of it.
Is it? Seems like a design flaw inherent in using stupidly out-dated printing techniques.

>>14908878
>The most notable new addition to the letterpress process was the development of the photopolymer plate. Letterpress is a “relief” printing process. This means that the printing surface is raised to accept ink, and then pressed directly onto the paper to create a reproduction of the image. The raised surface can be anything that fits into the press. Movable type, carved wooden blocks, or, in this case, photopolymer plates. These plates can faithfully reproduce digital artwork in extremely high detail. Photopolymer plates are also made of a very strong material that can easily resist the tons of force that are applied by letterpress presses. In fact, they are stronger than movable type, and less prone to damage when pressed with enough force to imprint deeply into paper. Thus, the modern and now iconic “deep letterpress impression” was born. When combined with soft cotton paper, photopolymer plates allowed this new generation of artists to print beautiful, tactile stationery, invitations and art prints, with a signature deep impression that is only possible with letterpress printing.

letterpress is absolute kino, chief. the texture of the paper, the imprint of the type, the "bite" between the pages, the durability, the surface taking to color better, and so on. try opening your mind instead of criticizing stuff you're not very familiar with. there's a reason fine press is so valued across the world and you, a rando on 4chan, aren't going to be the guy to usher in a new era of enlightenment in which the wool's removed from the world's eyes and letterpress is magically debunked as worthless.

>>14908892
I'm not the guy you've been talking to, and I'm familiar with letter press. It's just an awfully expensive and time consuming way to print.

Of course I have sour grapes because getting a letter-press machine is out of my price range as well.

>>14908961
as the consumer, you shouldn't be too stressed about the monetary and time factors as long as you can afford to eat both. as a publisher, I can sympathize.

>>14900664
>It comes in a luxurious wooden box which contains real Transylvanian soil from Bran Castle in Romania. Also, the title page features a title written in real blood of the creatives that worked on this edition
Well now I really have heard it all.

>>14908982
Be honest anon, are you one of the publishers ITT?

I do small run prints of creative commons stuff so I find it kind of interesting how many of these companies seem like a couple 30 year olds who got their hands on a letter-press machine. It's lovely, but they're all about a century late to the game.

Then again I've got no connection to the industry, so maybe it makes sense. It seems to me like their time and money would be better spent experimenting with new materials and designs.

Any advice on getting fine press books to market? It seems like a lot of these companies use kickstarter but there has to be some kind of art circuit they run through to build hype.

There are a lot of interesting videos on youtube you might enjoy:
Ethiopian bookbinding:
https://youtu.be/_8mKCeY6mZo
https://youtu.be/tfVlRvhBWks
https://youtu.be/Yp35qdmY9cA
Magic Scrolls:
https://youtu.be/HpBbmsYn62U
Persian bookbinding:
https://youtu.be/XgQ-x-1hRQ4

an OG

>>14909086
Nope, but that would be an amazing industry to be a part of. I'd love to learn about it and then eventually make my own 1-of-a-kind prints. That would be the best hobby ever: to celebrate beloved works of literature with the execution of an excellent vision. I imagine it would get very expensive, though, for a labor of love.

If you want to market fine press, I recommend making yourself a known quantity on LibraryThing - that's where all the rich, fine/private-press-loving boomers hang out; they all have massive libraries. Also, get on social media obviously. And most importantly of all, make a product that isn't shit and people will gladly pay heavily for it no matter what the markup is - the exclusivity and aesthetic is a highly in-demand niche. That said, it's going to take a lot of time and work; a lot of parties have to do their job right to culminate in a beautiful execution like the Foolscap Press's production of Mandeville that the OP listed above. Now THAT is peak fine press.

Good luck.

>>14909204
>LibraryThing
Thanks anon. This is a great resource.
>that would be an amazing industry to be a part of
If you have access to a printer it's not too hard to print out some folios and set up a bind. I use cotton blended linen paper and bind it in leather and although it's nothing compared to some of these books the finished product is always nicer than what you can find in stores and you can appendix illustrations, facsimiles, maps, letters, and criticism as you want to really make the perfect book for yourself.

>>14909257
No problem. Here is the main forum you will want to post on: https://www.librarything.com/groups/finepressforum

I also recommend posting now and then on related forums for fine press and neatly segueing to market your product in a way that doesn't arouse any suspicion. These people are all very well-read and much more eloquent and rational than the average 4chan user.

https://www.librarything.com/groups/foliosocietydevotee

https://www.librarything.com/groups/franklinlibrarycolle

https://www.librarything.com/groups/georgemacydevotees

https://www.librarything.com/groups/eastonpresscollecto

>>14909257
That's a great starting point, but I'd love to learn to bind covers and make my own paper. I would then need letterpress to print on it I think. I will bookmark the links you shared above to better understand it as it becomes a feasible option in the (hopefully) near future.

Thanks for all the help, anon. Let me know if you have any more questions about navigating LT or fine press in general. Also, I'd be very happy to browse your website or landing page or SM if you have any.

>>14908212
basedboy detected

>>14909336
poor bitter fool detected
>N-NOOOO!!!! STOP PAYING FOR ART!!!!!!! IF I THINK ITS OVERPRICED BECAUSE IM AN UNEMPLOYED NEET THEN YOU SHOULD FEEL THE SAME WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
go fuck yourself you worthless faggot

>>14909288
I've bookmarked all of those pages. Once I start printing in quantity I'll be sure to maintain a presence there. Thanks anon!

Making covers is really easy. I recommend going to a tannery and buying some goat-skin to get started. For glues you want to use polyvinyl acetate, which is the standard in bookbinding, but if you're working with leather I prefer contact cement for a stronger bind. Make signatures of about 5 sheets (20 pages) and flatten with an iron, the pages can be printed from any home/office printer to start by using "booklet" mode then printing 20 pages at a time.

It's worth browsing a used book store and finding some nice old hardcovers just to pull them apart and see how it's done. Trail and error is really the only way to learn. Don't worry about using a letterpress or anything advanced, all you need to get started is a cutting board and utility knife.

>>14909344
seethe

If you haven't already, you should read pic related OP. It's a very cozy look at the post-war period of European publishing, and full of meditations on cover design and running a publishing house.

>>14909358
>calmly discussing fine press
>spergs come in and start screeching about our interests not aligning with theirs when they could just ignore the thread
yeah, total seethe on our part, junior

>>14909354
I'll definitely do that! Thanks, anon. Best of luck with your product. Again, feel free to drop a link if you have anything the rest of us can check out.

>>14909370
Not OP, but this looks interesting. Thanks for the suggestion.

god someone open a fucking window already. the fart-huffing in here is unbearable

most of these books ”look good” if you’re a precocious 15 y.o. who’s Totally Not Like Other Girls and very into the classics..which come to think of it is /lit/’s usual schtick, so i guess it all checks out

>>14909386
I'd wager most 15-year-olds write better than you, given the evidence.

>>14909385
>Again, feel free to drop a link if you have anything the rest of us can check out
If only I was that industrious. I'm an amateur working out of my parent's basement with no web presence to speak of. Once I get some social media up and running I'll think about throwing a website together.

>>14909386
if you own any physical books at all, they're superfluous. the internet has completely destroyed the utility of actual physical books.
so what's wrong if people have nice editions? I can't understand why this thread annoys you so much.

>>14900776
What the heck? Why are even their normal books $1,200?

>>14909405
I wish you good fortune with your endeavors, anon. You're a good egg and I'd love to support you one day. See you around the board!

>>14909419
If you read the production details, you'll probably get an idea of why the prices can be considered ghastly. It's private press; it's a form of art - it's meant for wealthy patrons.

>>14909419
see >>14901251

>>14909441
>>14901251
this dude's been here samefagging for literally 24 hours because he can't handle people having discretionary disposable income. laughably tragic. thanks for keeping the thread that you seem to hate alive for so long, I suppose.

>>14909417
hardly. but please do try again

Dante's Inferno, Alighieri - Thornwillow Press (2019). Full morocco, raised bands, gilt lining running along the edges of the front cover, debossed illuminated head outline with gems set in the eyes on the front cover. Handmade paper and hand-colored and extra-illustrated drawings by the artist.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thornwillow/inferno-2

feel so fuckin classy rn fellas.....gunna head home, kick my shoes off, pour myself a glass of remy martin, smell it real good, sink into my easy chair and feel the sumptuous paper texture of my $1200 moby dick for two hours

>>14909495
sounds fun! enjoy

OP here! I have a decent collection of fine press. Is there a book in this trove that anyone would like to examine?

>>14909526
why yes my good sir, i would like to feast mine eyes on that splendid white paperback edition of george r.r. martin’s seminal ”a dance with dragons”!

>>14909453
If it can be had in PDF and read on a kindle there is zero justifiable reason for you to own a book. Knowledge is meant to be free

>>14909526
This one looks interesting

>>14909605
That is a hardcover. :)

Please don't dampen the thread's mood, anon. I am sorry if you don't believe in the value of fine press - moreover, I understand your reasoning: it is objectively not worth it considering there are cheaper or even totally free options legally available for the same set of words. However, there is a lot more that goes into it so please let people enjoy it if they wish to. I respectfully and humbly request you to leave us be. I understand if you think we are idiots; let us be idiots.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux usually puts out some pretty nice stuff.

>>14909646
Great choice! That is Candide by Voltaire. I will make several posts with accompanying descriptions.

This particular edition is a Limited Editions Club publication. It is housed in a maroon slipcase with a patterned paper label title pasted on the spine. It is also wrapped in glassine, which was provided with many of the published LEC editions, to preserve the more delicate material that is a part of the construction (I will expound on this in the next post).

>>14909707
In my clumsy handling of the book, I ripped the glassine wrapper, unfortunately. :(

>>14909707
>>14909717
Very nice. Who's the illustrator?

>>14909707
>>14909717
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the front board with the glassine jacket on and removed. The front board has the title of the book running across it in a debossed white strip with gilt lettering. The boards are made out of maroon buckram.

>>14909707
>>14909717
>>14909759
The spine, featuring a gilt-stamped title with borders and the publisher's initials, is made out of sheepskin. Generally, this type of leather is vulnerable to decay, hence the glassine wrapper.

The rear board features the same pattern as the front board, except it is the author's name rather than the title.

>>14905767
I recently got pic related. Folio's Pan for like 8 bucks. I wish they still did relatively conservative designs like this.

>>14909707
>>14909717
>>14909759
>>14909775
The frontispiece and title page.
>>14909737
The illustrator is May Neama; she did 10 color plates as well as multiple inline drawings.

>>14909707
>>14909717
>>14909759
>>14909775
>>14909817
The opening page features the title in illustration as well as a patterned, colored-in initial. The red really pops out!

The typeface on the leaves is custom-made and called Goudy Deepdene.

>>14908212
You almost had a point but then the second half of your post betrays a childish and posturing playground mentality that does no justice to the artists whose work you claim to be appreciating.

The best sushi I've had was a £4.50-a-piece salmon nigiri at an independent sushi restaurant in my provincial English city. Total worked out at £50 a head. I've been to cheaper places and they're as you'd expect, but I've been to £100 a head places that were not as good as either. The precision with which that salmon was cut, practically dissolving in the mouth yet rich and fresh in taste with so little brine in could have been summoned into existence as is rather than grown in the sea, perfectly matched by the bodiful flavour of the rice, typified the marriage of beauty and discipline that all truly great art possesses.

There's been restaurants who've turned me away from the door when I'm coming straight from weeding council estates for a living in a sweat-stained tracksuit with dried mud on the knees, but not this one, and it was one of the few meals that I can honestly say was transportative. Exclusivity does not equate to greatness.

>>14909863
no one gives a shit

>>14909707
>>14909717
>>14909759
>>14909775
>>14909817
>>14909853
Following initials are partnered with a recurring leafy motif. Here is also a facing-page color plate depicting the war from the beginnings of the story.

>>14909737
I hope this was satisfactory! If you would like to see more of this edition or review another piece in my collection, please don't hesitate to ask! In the meantime, I'm going to take my dog for a walk.

>>14909526
Let's have a look at Faust and Sophocles.

>>14909891
My pleasure!

The Faust is a Heritage Press reprint of the Limited Editions Club publication. Thus, it is essentially inferior in every way, but still of higher quality than today's mass-produced hardbacks.

The book is bound in blue buckram. It features a gilt title debossed on the front page as well as a gilt stamp stitched on the spine with the embossed title.

>>14909961
Frontispiece and title page. Illustrated with 18 lithographs by the famed Eugene Delacroix.

>>14909961
>>14909970
A note on the illustrations pertaining to Goethe's satisfaction with Delacroix's work - a far cry from Joyce's thoughts on Matisse!

>>14909961
>>14909970
>>14909976
Lithograph example 1.

>>14909961
>>14909970
>>14909976
>>14909980
Lithograph example 2.

>>14909891
This concludes the exhibition of Faust unless you are keen to see more lithographs. Again, as a HP reprint, this does not feature any type of extraordinary craftsmanship in the way that true fine and private press do. My edition of Antigone will remedy that!

>>14909891
This is the LEC edition of Antigone by Sophocles. I've skipped the pictures of the glassine wrapper and slipcase as they have been covered in previous galleries and don't contribute much.

The book is bound in buckram with blood-colored patterns. The front cover features gilt letters embossed onto the board and the spine has the same; in both cases, Greek and English are used.

>>14910082
The title page. Illustrations by Harry Bennett. Evidently, the entire book features both Greek and English text with respective specialized typefaces.

>>14910082
>>14910088
One of the color plates and accompanying Greek text. The plates were hand-tipped in and, as usual, hand-drawn and hand-colored. Their vibrance is easy to appreciate.

>>14910082
>>14910088
>>14910096
One of the many in-line drawings accompanying the stage direction. This is in contrast to the bigger color plates which are only on facing pages.

>>14910082
>>14910088
>>14910096
>>14910102
Another color plate. Bennett does a striking job at capturing the haunting pathos of this tragic play.

>>14910082
>>14910088
>>14910096
>>14910102
>>14910104
A closer look at the design of the front board.

>>14909891
That concludes the exhibition of LEC's Antigone. I hope this was more satisfying than the look at the HP edition of Faust.

I hope this exercise did not become tedious for any readers still perusing the thread. If anyone has any other requests, whether it be a review of my personal collection or posting more beautiful private press in general, please do speak up. I'm happy to do this all night!

To those who have contributed to the thread - thank you, deeply! This has been such a fun platform for discussion over the last couple of days. I hope you got as much out of it as I did.

today op was not a faggot

some of these dont necessarily seem well-design - they just seem like expensive material choices

>>14909888
Beautiful. I love the little embellishments on the 'c's and 's's in the font. Thanks anon.

>>14910088
>that translation of the latin year at the bottom
lol

>>14910266
You're very welcome. If anything else catches your fancy, I'm happy to review it!

Have a good night, anon.

damn this thread rules

>>14900664
holy shit these guys are fucking nuts

>>14907776
>no 2D tittymonster Jolenta
respectfully decline

Obligatory Linna

>>14900661
beautiful

>>14900580
holy fuck I'm coooooooooming

>>14903885
I was able to pick up a first hardcover edition with everything for 10 bucks at my used book store. Amazing since it it one of my favorite novels

>>14904537
based

>>14900572
I have this version of Dune. I think it looks pretty neat.

>>14909788
damn... I own this book but now want this edition, looks lovely

>>14908330

80s/90s penguin modern classics is a great line, and usually very well done

Robinson Crusoe, DeFoe - Limited Editions Club (1936). This edition, limited to 1500 copies, is bound in flexible Venetian sail-cloth boards and features a gold-stamped red leather label on the spine.

>>14914003
Introduction by Ford Madox Ford; line illustrations in color by Edward A. Wilson; designed, printed and bound by Edwin Grabhorn at the Grabhorn Press, San Francisco, 1936. Set in monotype Centaur with Lutetia italics and Goudy Text; printed on Pannekoek paper; measures 7 x 10-½ in.

>>14914003
>>14914008
Formal title page featuring colored underlining which gives the vignette a peachy, tropical aesthetic.

>>14914003
>>14914008
>>14914013
Included is a two-page foldout map.

>>14914008
>>14914013
>>14914017
Very nice colour scheme

>>14900572
Has anyone here done a diy medieval hardcover book?

>>14900580
time cube?

>>14900572
Vintage International's covers for Camus.

>>14912558
It's not too hard to find Pynchon first editions after GR since they were all mass-produced, but it's still nice to have.