/lit/ - Literature

>>16888399
Those books from Franklin Library are like a punch in your eyes when they're put all together. Owning one or two of them is nice, but having an entire shelf with that shit is painful.

>>16888399
Its to show off.

>>16888452
What's the big idea? They couldn't even get the height the same.

>>16888399
Who cares

>>16888399
This existed in 19th ce England. Book makers would shit out these leather volumes that look like these and sell them to pseud middle class women who wanted to impress their party guests. Some things never change.

>>16889485
In OP's (and my) area there's a book bindery that pumps these out. They're high quality so if you want a durable book I'd say its worth it. Buying a whole set of it however reeks of poser pseud.

if you actually read them, there's nothing wrong with that.

I'm not sure if it's the same publisher as the OP ones but I had a similar set with authors like Maugham and Galsworthy. Nothing feels quite so cheap as a hardcover produced at the absolute minimum expense.

>>16888399
I find them at resale shops all the time for cheaps. I see no problem.

>>16889534
>They're high quality so if you want a durable book I'd say its worth it.
Yeah. I'm not gonna lie. I own three from ebay and they are way better than my paperbacks which are falling apart.

>>16889470
They're supposed to look like 19th century hardcovers. Back then publishers did not make all books with the same height. The problem is that these modern imitations are tacky and quite ugly because of poor materials.

>>16889663
With quality materials these books get very expensive. I assume the reason the cheap ones are so popular is because the vast majority use them solely for decoration, and never open them up.

>>16889679
>the vast majority use them solely for decoration, and never open them up
That's a certainty. I prefer to buy clean, monochrome softcovers and every once in a while give myself a gift buying an old beautiful quality book from eBay.

>>16889663
>The problem is that these modern imitations are tacky and quite ugly because of poor materials.

They're good for self-defense though. I'm holding one now and I could definitely beat someone to death with this thing.

>>16889793
Look at these. The difference in the material is almost palpable.

>>16889777
Nice trips and based. Who are you gonna hit though?

>>16889843
It depends. I made sure to buy different sizes for different types of enemies. I could kill a goblin or cow with Balzac or Faulkner but for an ogre I would likely need to equip Ulysses.

I actually just bought these 2 books today from an auction. Both printed in 1995 by the NRA.

>>16888399
Pseud shit. RC Waldun-tier

>>16888452
this

>>16888399
I just like having a bookcase in my house, my gf likes to put photos on it and I can put my books in there. I used to just have them all in shoeboxes in my cupboard when I lived alone in a little flat. They look nice and comfy and I've read them all, but yeah we've had guests only a few times now and they always make jokes about it, woooow lots of books way to show off! But I dunno they're all kinda fags cause I definitely don't have those embroidered books or whatever just a bunch of paperbacks so it's not even a huge piece. Our living room would be empty without it--so yes it is just interior decorating, but it looks nice.

>>16888399
Well it's a bit petty on my part, but I will always buy hardcovers when I have the choice, and while I prefer simple covers like those of the everyman library, sometimes my only options are modern editions that have bright colors with 'exotic' fonts or the ones that go for the trad look like the one in the op. I find the later pretentious but more often than not the former have the visual appeal of vomit in my eyes so that's why I've got a few of those editions myself.

>>16888399
Depends on what's inside. I admit I'm closer to being a fetishist than I'd like. I like the physicality of the things. Good bindings also make handling easier and the books last longer. I hate some of the Barned and Noble covers that just look gaudy as fuck. I wish there was a publisher who cares about a book's cover history, illustrations and previous editions. My ideal book release would look like this: first edition cover, with other notable, author-approved covers featured inside, no stupid blurbs. An overview showing the textual history - previous editions, date of first publication, something about the work process/manuscripts. Short biographical context, author timeline. Philological apparatus to present a definitive text that shows all variants. If there are any introductions they should be in an appendix like anything beyond the actual text, they also shouldn't be flavor of the month gender studies bullshit. I could do without them entirely but the author's original introductions, forewords and so on should be included. I could go, but I am already starting to ramble.

>>16895213
The German translation of Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda by Cervantes I got recently is pretty much that.

>>16895268
Damn that book is beautiful

>>16895635
Yeah, they went all out. A bit expensive but it was the only translation I could find.

>>16888399
>Is there merit to owning books like this or is it just a way to show off wealth and larp sophistication?
The thing about books as interior decor, is that they look nice, and you can read them, if you so wish. You could go fullon minimalist and just gen everything of libgen, but where is the fun in that?

>>16888399
>owning books is showing off wealth

I'm guessing you're in college or living in a third world country if you think a bookshelf is a sign of wealth

When you have a big boy job it's not a lot of money buying a couple a books with your paycheck

>>16895268
eye diarrhea
deyerrhea if you will

>>16888399
Am I the only one that likes these old timey wamey book bindings? They feel so comfy, unlike modern multi color graphics design undergraduate arts class

>>16895986
The ones in OPs pic looks tacky and unauthentic

>>16896039
*inauthentic

im esl and a little tipsy

>>16895268
>>16895699
Absolut drauf-abspritzbar, Bernd-Freund!

>>16889793
so pastiche. i would never trust someone with such horrible taste.