/lit/ - Literature

There is nothing better than having a full book shelf of beautiful and colourful books to show.

>>3473001
I just bought more of these. I still don't know what I'm going to do with the shit I pulled off the shelf to display these.

>>3473000
>>3473001
faggots

Jesus Christ that looks like shit.

£5 mass market paperbacks look nicer

>>3473005
Any links to those, or if they came in a collection?

>>3473035
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?sies_id=577536

>>3473037
Thanks. Damn shame they don't have Moby Dick, then they'd have pretty much all of my favorites available.

>>3473041
They had one planned when I originally discovered them, but I guess they changed their mind.

I am in the middle of trying to collect all of them. They are just so darned pretty. I wish they had all of the religious texts, not just the bible.

>>3473043
Those bastards. Oh well, still allows for me to find some way to get a version of Moby Dick bound in whale's skin.

>>3473048
Yeah. I've been casually trying to collect religious texts, but all I have is the bible and the book of mormon. I'd kill for a Qur'an that looked as fancy as that bible.

>>3473051
Best of luck to you on that journey.

>>3473059
Thanks, it first begins with landing a solid job.

>>3473067
Baby steps, good sir. Baby steps.

I suppose you could cut out a couple middle men, move to japan and become a whaler.

>>3473051
Oh god that would be amazing to own.

>>3473055
I have a friend who has a satanic bible that is just as fancy, he never will agree to tell me where he got it.

>>3473068
Well, I'll end up living the book because then I'd be on the hunt for a white whale, because I'd love to have it bound in deeply textured white whale skin.

>>3473071
Some Occult shop? I'd love it if there were one nearby me. I think it'd be neat to have some occult bestiary of all the different devils and demons and mythological beasts.

sh.... sh.... showing without knowing?

on my /lit/ ?

it's more likely than you think

>>3473068
>Owning a copy of Moby Dick, bound in whale skin from a whale you killed yourself

Holy shit.

These books are to proper books as larping is to being a medieval warrior.

>>3473097
So, creative, colorful, fun, and no one actually dies?
Sounds good to me.

I looked at these books for about 5 seconds.
Are you actually going to read these silver/gold lined pages and bend them all the fuck up?

No.

Are you going to place them on a bookshelf and never read them, thus completely missing the point of good literature?

Yes.

The Seven Arabian Novels
H.G. Wells Seven Novels
The Seven Holy Bible Novels
Grey's Seven Anatomy Novels
The Divine Comedy Novels
Jules Verne Seven Novels
The Count of Monte Cristo In Seven Novels
Edgar Allen Poe Seven Novels

>>3473000
Best marketing plan B&N has ever had.

1. It makes the customer look fancy because they now have a ton of shiny hardcover books
2. It makes the customer look smart because it looks like they've read the classics.

Book stores would make so much more money if they realized 90% of the population (the plebeian hordes) buy books for appearances and they have the tackiest taste when trying to go about it.

>>3473037
>Anne Rice
>Jurassic Park
>American Gods
>Star Wars
>Wicked
>Hitch hikers Guide

What a poor waste of leather.

>>3473102
Yep, like Play-Doh. Enjoy your lack of character.

>>3473037
>The Constitution of the United States of America
By Washington's teeth, I am literally giving a standing ovation right now while burning the Queen in effigy.

>>3473130
Play-Doh tastes good, books don't. Check and mate, sir.

But seriously, I don't see the problem with books like these. If they have the same exact content as a normal version would, but have a nice cover to it, what's the problem?

>>3473142
I don't think they look nice, I think they look horribly decadent in a sort of quirky everything must scream at me or I won't pay attention kind of brand new in my faux oldism way.

To use another comparison, properly decorated old books are like European castles. These books are like American castles. In Disneyland.

>>3473142
In many cases these contain even better content than other versions. The Lovecraft Anthology, for example, is the only truly complete collection I have seen, including many anthologies which claim the title "Complete Lovecraft." It even has his childhood short stories and an early draft of The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

>>3473158
Sure they really hated colorful fancy books, and only like plain brown leather.

>>3473170
That's not my point at all. Do you completely lack any sense of aesthetics? These books are perfect for you. Le sparky exploding ufo just like medieval miniatures, right?

>>3473158
Yeah, I know, some of them are really gaudy, but most of them seem fine.
I dunno, given the choice of some ragged, brown, indistinguishable cover of a book or one of these, I'd probably take the latter.

>>3473164
Yeah, I was looking at that one, too. Have a couple little Collections of his stories, but no full collection. I would probably get that and the Edgar Allen Poe one. Put them on the shelf together, where they belong, since they are pretty much the same person.

>>3473175
No you were saying that real old European books never looked so gaudy. Look at this shit.

>>3473170
medieval manuscripts were hand made works of art, not cheaply produced crud. Besides, one of the reasons for the illustrations was to ease mnemonic memorization, not to show off.

>>3473183
holy fuck how tacky

>>3473170
>your point

>>3473183
Don't bother, I own these books as well and they could have looked better. But I think they are fine especially for that price. Of course /lit/ must have boring tomes or either really expensive ones.

>>3473037
I think I might get their Crime and Punishment.....

>>3473051
I have a copy of MOby Dick from Easton Press, and it has real ivory inserts, real gold guilded pages, and actual tough, thick leather. Just look for a Franklin Press or Easton press edition of it on amazon or ebay

Everyman or Modern Library Hardcovers, all day er'ry day.

Are there spells in those?

don't like the covers personally, but who really cares. they are good books, and if this gets more people to read them, then great.

>>3473201
I highly doubt anyone would spend the money on any of these without having read them. If anything, they'd just get a collection of empty bindings for like 30 bucks and fill their bookcase.

I have some (2 or 3?) 17th* century Welsh Bibles. They're about a foot tall, five inches deep, leatherbound and held shut with clasps.
Fancy bindings are all very well but I won't spend money on them unless they're antique. If I'm spending money on the aesthetics of a book it should at least be authentic and not some faux rubbish.

*I think.

>>3473210

i think there are many people who are aware of classic books and intend to read them but never get around it. and i bet these covers hook a fair number of such people into finally reading them.

>>3473000
Just a pro-advice for those considering buying some classics: If it is a translation be sure to look up which one before buying.

The Odyssey and Iliad comes in prose. It's a fucking robbery basically.

The Dantes Inferno and The Bible is top notch however. Both comes with Dore illustrations and a nice layout.

Pic related.

>>3473227
>The Odyssey and Iliad comes in prose.
Is this a bad thing?

>>3473234
Considering it was a verse. Yes.

>>3473071
fuck yeah ebichu

>>3473239
I haven't read it but I usually find prose to be a more enjoyable read.

>>3473183
>antique bible with cover of actual gold and gemstones, a work of art not unlike crown jewels and the like
>as tacky as a fake gold machine pressed mass edition of a Grimm's fairytales with a badly drawn cartoony figure on it

You will never get my point.

>>3473250
We don't care either. What the fuck does it matter if someone on the other side of the world reads a book with a design that you don't approve of?

What the fuck is the matter with you? Do you have nothing better to do? No other thread to post in?

>>3473257
>We
Do you have multiple personality disorder? Schizophrenia, maybe?

>>3473262
Hopefully he isn't lumping me in with him.
I was the one you were originally talking to, but this guy took the reins and got pretty angry.

I still prefer these versions to a generic Press one where all books from that press have the same exact spine to it, and bland covers.

>>3473055
>I'd kill for a Qur'an....

Obligatory religious joke.

>>3473250
>its art cuz valuable things

>>3473250
>cartoony figure

I don't know that jesus looks like an alien.

>>3473257
>OP makes a thread stating his opinion on aesthetic value of these books
>I give mine
>hurr nobody cares this this internet feck eff get a life get out

No reason to throw a tantrum.

>>3473309

it's art because it's an authentic expression of how valuable the book and its contents were to the people who created it.

the barnes and noble stuff is a marketing gimmick

The strange thing is, when you look at any of them individually, most of them don't look tacky. It's the "My classics all in a row" That's doing a lot of the damage, they're clashing.

I don't know if I'd get them or not, I'd definitely skip the ones that I have no interest in, but my current complete Sherlock is a library castaway that I bought for a dollar and it's got damage. Can't deny that I'd like a new copy and can't deny that "looks good" wouldn't be a factor.

Besides, /Lit is full of bookshelves with unread books If you're going to buy them and not read them anyway, they might as well look good.

>>3473288
The MPD post way my first in the thread, but yeah, point taken.

I think this looks really nice.

>Buying books because they "look cool" or have a "cool" title or are written by a "cool" author
>Not reading them for the eternal knowledge and splendor that lies within

You are children, all of you.

>divine comedy

Come complete with illustrations right?

>>3473448
This has been covered already,
but feel free to feel superior to random strangers on the internet.
You were going to anyway.

>>3473448
This. Collectors are the worst of the worst and should be shot on sight.

>>3473448
But most of these books are great, hence the "Classics" umbrella they are under.

>>3473473
>people talking on the internet
>suddenly an opinion you dislike appears
>LOL U R ARGUING ON THE INTERNET JOKES ON U

Kill yourself.

>>3473478

Most of them are Children's classics, though. Not classics in terms of philosophy or literature for adults. Not even high school classics in terms of Gilgamesh or the Aeneid, with a couple exceptions. (Le Dante's Inferno! xD)

>Arabian Nights
>Grimm's Fairy Tales
>Sherlock Holmes
>Holy Bible

Might as well be on the same level of manchild as the dudes from /mu/ who buy the "essentials" because the album art looks "cool" and never actually listen to the music, or listen to any of the bands other work.

Purely plebeianism at it's most self-serving.

>>3473573
this

/mu/ is the worst

>>3473573
I surely hope you don't mean to imply that Court of the Crimson King, or King Crimson are bad.

Foolish. Buy books to read, fools.

>>3473573
>/mu/
>Cool album art

Cute, did they make fun of Modest Mouse or something?

>>3473573
Basically this

>buying pseudo-ancient looking books
>bound in a shiny flawless plastic coating, of course

no.

>>3473590
>the point

>your head

>>3473573
>Bible
>Dantes Inferno
>Iliad / Odyssey
>Complete Shakespeare
>One Hundred Years of Solitude
>Lovecraft
>Hemingway
>Austen
>Dickens
>Bronte
>Wilde
>Anna Karenina
>Mark Twain
>Dostoevsky
>Dune
>Foundation series
>The Constitution and works of the founding fathers

What are you even babbling about?

>>3473005

are these books still in their plastic wrapping on purpose? or did the owner just put them on the shelf before removing the wrapping? is this a subtle commentary on the people who buy these books? or is this a troll? have i been trolled? what is happening in this thread?

>>3473590
Court has 2 decent songs, out of 5 total
CofCK is repetitive as fuck 8 minutes long and overrated.
Everything up to Red is mediocre, and everything after that is dogshit.
Not even an essential progressive band, let alone essential overall
Not the guy who posted that btw
lel

>>3473607
>Lovecraft, Dune, Twain
>le Odyssey
>LE SHAKESPEARE, LE CONSTITUTION, LE BIBBBLE
>XD

Jesus Christ can you even into literature?

>>3473603
No, I know your point, but books and music are two different things. I can see someone not reading a 1500+ page book, but keeping it because of the art AND the fact it's a big book, so that makes them seem smart or nothing.
But who would not listen to an album they bought?
It's completely passive and easy to do.
It was a kinda flawed analogy in the first place.

Plus King Crimson is great.

>>3473607
>throw Dostoyevsky in there just for laughs

Almost spit out my drink.

>>3473608
lol.

>>3473620
so they can post pictures of it on 4chan

>doesn't know what a hipster is

>>3473106
this

>>3473622
Get back to /mu/, Sergei!

>>3473037
>dat generic as fuck colored pleather silhouette art design

o god my fucking jimmies are moving on their own

>>3473618
le troll post 10/10 meme arrows
you don't belong here do you?

>>3473071
>Satanic Bible

Is that even considered a religious text.... ?

Thought it was more of a tongue-in-cheek metalhead how to cookbook.

>>3473624
I know what hipster is and I know that CotCK is posted quite often, BUT you also realize that it's also posted a lot on other boards to because of it being a great reaction image.
I still don't think anyone would lie saying they bought it, just so they could throw it up on some 3x3 image of their "favorite" albums.

>>3473639
>Le matching aesthetics

Based on this thread, and knowing OP's invested a small fortune into his unwrapped cheap aesthetic literature, and the agreement of all in this thread that it is shit, can we assume OP's butthurt level to be at least a 9/10?

>>3473665
>inb4 OP sperges out and takes the plastic off his pleather bound books, rearranges them, and takes pics tommorow

I'd be ashamed to have such gauche books on my shelf and sure as hell wouldn't want to read them in public.

If you are going to start collecting then save and slowly buy real quality brown leatherbounds. If you're looking to actually read the things then just buy whatever.

I hate collectors.

>>3473636
hello again walter

its been too long

>>3473668
>If you're looking to actually read the things then just buy

An Ebook reader.

>>3473674
Still trollin' around 4chan, eh, Erik? You know I never did forgive you for what you said about me and the Legion of Honor...

>>3473665

This guy's been here for a few months now. I remember he first made a thread about having bought them and eagered bunch of others to do the same. "tacky"

>>3473665
10/10

http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Alighri-Borders-Leatherbound-Classics//1587261103

superior

>>3473697
Only 80 dollars. Dirt cheap!

>>3473480
I'm sorry, I don't speak green text.
but have fun pretending you're fighting a valiant fight against some troll, when really you're just responding to a random person, who thinks you're a douche.

whatever gets you off, just clean up the keyboard after you finish

>>3473674
>>3473688
hey guys

whats up?

lol

>>3473705
>I'm sorry, I don't speak green text.
Lel, 2cool4chan, so above this place, a genuine lotus blossoming in a muddy pond.

>but have fun pretending you're fighting a valiant fight against some troll, when really you're just responding to a random person, who thinks you're a douche.
I didn't for a moment think you were a troll. I know when I'm up against genuine stupidly. Now shove one of your shiny books down your throat and end yourself.

I never understood the appeal these ugly, pleather books have for some people. It's bad enough that they look ugly as sin. But for a lot of non-English laguage literature, the translations used are some that need to disappear forever.

(e.g. Constance Garnett and her translations of Dostoyevsky, Chekhov, Gogol, et al. )

*shudder*

>>3473688
>You know I never did forgive you for what you said about me and the Legion of Honor...

w-what did he say!

>>3473712
The translations need to be a bit dated and stunted in their use of language for the people who buy these editions. Makes them feel cultured.

>>3473708
Oh, it's you. So the word around the water cooler is that you don't like my 7th Symphony and you've been making fun of it behind my back. What gives, bro?

>>3473688
>Glorious Intellectual San Francisco as was Intended

>>3473723

It happens in fact that I agree with him.

Frankly, what the fuck are you going to do about it, bitch nigga?

>>3473723
>>3473756
Hey! Knock it off, you two! Sit down, have a drink, and shut your asses up already!

W-where can I go to learn about all these composers /lit/... ;(

>>3473780

University of Internet

Led by Professor Google

>>3473783
Hey, I hear they got a nice campus over there.

>>3473784
It's totally a party school

Want dat Sherlock Holmes collection.

>>3473783

>>3473005
Congratulations on purchasing the wrong translation of the Count of Monte Cristo. Enjoy your stilted phrasing and Victorian censorship (B&N never pay for a translation when they can get one for free, so it's usually a bad idea to purchase their editions of anything that wasn't originally in English).

>the lost world
>classic

>>3473800
I know, but there's a better version out there.

>>3475513
they have stephan kang too

>>3475479
Fuck, God damn it.

I bought the cheap B&B version, the one that's 5 bucks.

Fuck. I thought to myself,
>5 bucks? How can anything go wrong
And bought it.

There are only two that look decent;

The Oscar Wilde collection and the Shakespeare collection.

Others look like shit.

These are so ugly. It looks like a parody of over the top books.

>>3475533
With the Count of Monte Cristo, you also have to be careful you aren't getting an abridgment. Of the various translations into English, very few actually cover the entire original novel because it's just so fucking long (as a translator, I sympathize. The amount of time someone would have to spend on an unabridged Monte Cristo is ridiculous when compared to what they're likely to get for it). For reference, the unabridged Penguin edition is over 1400 pages.

I kind of like them guys. I might buy a few.
Also to be honest I don't really care for brown leather.

Also I can admit to myself I have poor taste in aesthetics.

>>3475513
Will purchase next time I go to bookstore.

In any case much better than movie covers and covers of the same style even though they're not movie covers.

>>3473000
The bible is without a doubt the best of those books, Arabian nights is abridged but it's a good one as well.

These are so damn ugly I can't even stand it. Bitches don't know about muh Hacket publishing.
>That lack of cover illustration
>That bare bones conveyance of title author and title
>That bland background color
It's like they're saying "Oh, you read for pleasure? That's cute."

anything else than penquins can suck it

penguins are the true patrician choice

>>3476739

>a line cheaply made paperbacks published specifically so the proles could afford the "classics"
>patrician

Ha

>>3476753

>implying you aren't a "prole" as well

Cope with your denial.

>Not just buying Easton Press instead of a cheesy knock off
>Not buying hardcovers that come with dust jackets if you buy hardcovers at all
op pls go

This is what real quality hardbacks look like. You won't get them for nine dollars apiece though. I think some fags even collect them as hobby.

>>3473612
Wow. So edgy.

>>3476830
Am I the only one who takes the dust jackets off the everyman editions? I don't like the design - especially when there's a picture of the author on the cover.

When I really want a high quality hardback I buy it from a fine press like the Folio Society (pic related). Supposedly those editions will last for generations... not that I plan on having kids.

>>3476908
I want this Gormenghast trilogy from the Folio Society so badly. But it's $245...

>>3476918
I spent 300 bucks on that Sound and the Fury edition with the text printed in multiple colours to reflect who was narrating. Worth it.

object fetishism... is gAaAaAaAaAaAy

>>3476938
>object fetishism
You mean fetishism.
Object fetishism is redundant.

>>3473245
You would be reading an adaptation of the work on a level even farther removed from a verse translation. You might as well read a sparknotes summary

>>3476908
>>3476918

just as tacky as OP's books.

>>3476943
re-read his post as saying 'fetishism is gay'. does it make sense? not really? then, it's not redundant.