The Whole Book Experience

Thought I'd start a new thread since the old one was getting rather long...

Check out my latest review of a Barbarian Press Christmas book on my blog

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Good post, jveezer. It's interesting that the Barbarian Press chose to print a stage adaptation of the work rather than Dickens' original (or did I misunderstand?) The LEC edition is one that, unless I win the lottery, I will never own, as any of the LEC Rackham-illustrated books are priced way beyond my ability to purchase. And truth to tell, I have never been an unreserved Rackham fan. Of all the LECs he illustrated, the only one I would really like to own is The Wind in the Willows.

Since your post mentioned how many stage versions, often pirated, appeared within months of Dickens' work being published, and how that doesn't happen today since we have moved to film adaptations, I think it's interesting that of all the illustrated versions of A Christmas Carol I've seen, none of the illustrations have stuck in my mind the way the images from the 1951 film version with Alastair Sim (released in some areas as "Scrooge") have come to embody the story. (I have only seen a few images from the highly-regarded book illustrated by I. M. Gaugengigl and T.V. Chominski copies of which are even pricier than the Rackham A Christmas Carol, and while these have impressed me, they still lack the iconic power of the images from the 1951 film.)

Yes, the idea of the Barbarian Press series was to print the stage adaptations, as opposed to the original prose. Partly because Crispin Elsted has a theater background and probably also to print a fresh twist on classics that have already had the fine press treatment. I assumed the LEC would be pricey but wasn't sure. (And you have dashed my hopes of borrowing your copy for my Christmas review next year!)

I like the Rackham imagery in my Easton Press facsimile of The Chimes. He seems well suited for illustrations of fairies and ghosts.

It's funny about the imagery that sticks in our brains. I don't know which film version is in my head but I definitely have some scenes from one of them in my head. I guess I would recognize it if I saw it again but it's from a long time ago as I don't watch a lot of film anymore.

J.M. Dent brought out all the Christmas books illustrated in his characteristic Victorian style by C.E. Brock, and these pre-WW ! volumes are highly prized. More recently, the Franklin Library published a single volume containing the most famous 3 books illustrated by John Leech, who did the first Folio Society A Christmas Carol, but I haven't seen these. And there is, of course, the Nonesuch Press edition of these works (also republished by Duckworth and distributed at one time by Folio Society).

Thanks Django, I completely forgot about the Nonesuch Dickens, even though I recently bought a single volume myself.

Just posted a review of Norfolk Isle & the Chola Widow on the Whole Book Experience. Check it out at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Next up is Biotherm from the Arion Press. The LEC Les Misérables is almost ready to go as well.

7: nice! Beautiful book. I look forward to seeing more.

A nice tidbit is up on The Whole Book Experience. The Cats of Copenhagen is a children's story by James Joyce. Check it out at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

7 Thanks for the review and pics, jveezer. When I looked through the Nawakum Press books I liked them all but the Melville and Carson especially. Have you seen Undersea? I found a copy of the 1937 Atlantic Monthly and it is lovely piece of writing, here's the first paragraph:

Who has known the ocean? Neither you nor I, with our earth-bound senses, know the foam and surge of the tide that beats over the crab hiding under the seaweed of his tide-pool home; or the lilt of the long, slow swells of mid-ocean, where shoals of wandering fish prey and are preyed upon, and the dolphin breaks the waves to breathe the upper atmosphere. Nor can we know the vicissitudes of life on the ocean floor, where the sunlight, filtering through a hundred feet of water, makes but a fleeting, bluish twilight, in which dwell sponge and mollusk and starfish and coral, where swarms of diminutive fish twinkle through the dusk like a silver rain of meteors, and eels lie in wait among the rocks. Even less is it given to man to descend those six incomprehensible miles into the recesses of the abyss, where reign utter silence and unvarying cold and eternal night.

I think the introductory question can be answered now, in varying degrees, and so the article may be outdated in some ways, but I'm sure it must have provided inspiration for future oceanographers...and some prose writers.

Undersea is in my library and will hopefully be up soon on TWBE. I'm hoping to have the Arion Press Biotherm up in the next week and have been slowly chipping away at me LEC Les Misérables post as well.

The Arion Press edition of Biotherm is up on the blog at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

The Arion Press edition of The Lay of the Love and Death of Cornet Chrisoph Rilke is up on The Whole Book Experience. Big back log of reviews with more Arion Press, Nawakum Press, and Limited Editions Club coming soon! Time for reading and writing is so precious and appreciated these days.

Check it out at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Check out the Arion Press The Day of the Locust over at TWBE at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Good post on the book, and I agree with you that it is not an easy novel to love. I can't imagine anyone who is not a fan of old Hollywood considering it a classic. West's dyspeptic view of Hollywood and the movie industry seems like so much sour grapes--especially considering the fact that he was another Hollywood wannabe himself. When I first entered the business, there were plenty of old-timers who worked in the glory days of the studio system, and for the most part, they considered it a golden age compared to what things were like after the studio breakups in the 1950s.

Incidentally, memories of the filmic treatment of the book have not colored my opinion of the illustrations--I think John Schlesinger is a very good director, but not for this novel, and I found his film version wretched for the most part, except for Donald Sutherland as Homer. I've always thought some books shouldn't be filmed, and I think this is one.

Also, it's very interesting there was an erratum in the Arion Press edition--I found one also in the LOA's edition of the book. I wrote to David and mentioned it and he said it had been corrected in the second printing.

Eight months after I started to read this epic novel, a review of Les Misérables is up on The Whole Book Experience. Whew!

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

A review of the Nawakum Press edition of Rachel Carson's Undersea is up on The Whole Book Experience at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

17: fantastic! Rachel Carson is also one of my heroes :)

I would also like to point out that the beautiful LEC edition of "The Sea Around Us" can be had for ridiculously cheap! I purchased a fine copy in fine slipcase for $50. The Nawakum Press "Undersea" is no less beautiful, but it is harder on the wallet. Thanks for the great review!

edit: I'm curious, if you don't mind telling, how many pages is the book?

I checked out The Sea Around Us while I was thinking about my blog entry. That is the only other "fine press" treatment of Carson's work that I know of. It's on my "to buy" list because it's Rachel Carson although the pictures I've seen of the illustrations didn't look especially compelling. Maybe they are better in person?

Undersea has 28 pages.

>19 jveezer:.

To me the pictures seemed more like they belonged in a grade school science textbook than an offering by the Limited Editions Club, so I sold my copy. But I'm not very sophisticated when it comes to appreciating photography, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

jveezer, it's difficult to believe that the photos are the work of the great Alfred Eisenstadt. The ones used for the end papers are nice, but the photos in the book itself look like the work of many an amateur on a vacation to the seashore. I think it was probably a mistake to use photos to illustrate this book. The book itself is nicely printed, though.

As Robert pointed out, the end papers are very nice. The photos in the book are fine in my opinion. I guess my question would be: what exactly were you expecting? If you were expecting something amazing along the lines of "Planet Earth" I can see why you would be disappointed. Eisenstaedt was not a naturalist. All his famous pictures are of people. Also, the ability to take "amazing" underwater photos has only become reality fairly recently. That all said, I'm personally not complaining. Not to mention that I purchased the book for the content not the pictures. Another plus for the book is the cover. One of the more beautiful LEC bindings in my opinion.

If I am going to spend over 400 on a fine press book, I would much prefer the illustration to be print directly from plate or other handmade process. IMHO, a digital reproduction doesn't really count as fine press treatment.

Jveezer, thanks for the review of Nawakum edition of Undersea. The press has created a worthy vehicle for Rachel Carson's lovely prose, which I've found as part of an Atlantic Monthly compendium of articles from 1937. The binding, titling, lettering, composition and illustrations seem to come together beautifully.

I've seen many an early morning lightening sky along the western shore of the Chesapeake while fishing as a child and younger man... nothing like the surrounding sensory experience of changing sky colors, the texture and smell of the waters and its airs, the flavor and aroma of the thermos coffee, the sound and feel of the casting, the excitement in fighting a blue...thanks too for awakening good memories.

I completely agree(gasp) with astropi in that the pics for the LEC are fine, the only caveat is that I could wish for more of them. Again, the book as a whole experience is wonderful, from the Mohawk paper to the Perpetua titling to the binding's re-creation of the sea around us, as the production features enhance the superlative text. The fact that many an amateur could have taken the photos is irrelevant, I'll bet that bunches of tourists have nature photos that equal or surpass(if one thinks like that)the efforts of Eisenstaedt and Ansel Adams.

OUP produced an illustrated commemorative edition of the Sea Around Us in 2003, nicely done, found mine at a library sale table for a buck, crazy baby. That the LEC can be had for half a big buck is wild. I don't think I could buy the Nawakum edition, much as I'd like to, without holding it first, more due to the bucks than the desire.

olepuppy, I agree the book is finely produced, but you'll have to explain to me how it is irrelevant that the pictures are not in the same league with, as you say, many a tourist's photos (or with Eisenstadt's own iconic photos of people). Why illustrate a book unless the illustrations bring either beauty, illustrate or expand upon the text, or counterpoint it, perhaps even challenge it with a viewpoint that is worthy of consideration?

I'm a great admirer of Eisenstadt, but I do not think he is shown to his best advantage by these photographs.

25: The pictures do indeed show the beauty of the sea. The pictures are not

"and this sea animal is something you will likely never ever see in your life"

or "check out this incredible picture taken by our stop-motion camera".

While the latter do have their places of course, I feel that Eisenstaedt's pictures are more "Here's the beauty of the sea. Now go and see this in person". I feel that this is appropriate considering the subject matter. An analogy might be an amateur's guide to astronomy. Sure, we all love the beautiful Hubble images, but if you're writing a book for someone who's going to use a small telescope, there's no reason to include the most breathtaking images ever produced.

>26 astropi:

There's no point in belaboring the issue--Eisenstadt's pictures either satisfy you or they do not (considering that they are used in a Limited Edition of the most important general study of the sea written in the English language, I don't find them satisfying).

I think you are confusing, however, pictures of rare phenomena, seen through specialized equipment, to artful photographic images, taken with ordinary equipment (and by that I don't mean Eisenstadt's Leica), in ordinary places. olepuppy mentioned Ansel Adams, and I think that is the difference I'm talking about. His "Moonrise, Hernandez" is a perfect example of an ordinary subject raised to the highest level of photographic art by a sensitivity to composition, lighting, and mood. Many people may have photographed Hernandez, perhaps even at sundown, but the difference between the ordinary picture and the extraordinary picture is in the treatment--not the subject matter or equipment.

25 Django, I said that the photos are fine and are in the same league as many tourist photos. Thankfully I know jack about Eisenstaedt and so am unbiased in my assessment of his work for The Sea Around Us. Comparing portraiture with land/seascape is...what?

Did you look at or read this book in particular? The 3 double page spreads relate to:

1 The photo of the sea and islands in shadow and a bit of light reflect the first line of chapter one, " Beginnings are apt to be shadowy, and so it is with the beginnings of that great mother of life, the sea."

2 the second photo, with surf at the shore with whitewater, introduces section 2, The Restless Sea

3 third photo, of a small reddened harbor where it is unknown whether the sailors will take warning or be delighted, introduces section 3, Man and the the Sea About Him.

To me, this LEC is a workmanlike 'fine edition', buckram binding Mohawk and photos, and not a later livres' d whatever elephant folio goatskin Arches with one moonrise hernandez. Maybe if the photographer had been less 'great' more fine photos would have been used to illustrate Carson's wonderful writing and we might not be having this discussion now.

Unmentioned so far is the portrait frontispiece of Rachel Carson, described in the monthly letter as' his beautiful shot of Rachel Carson in her natural habitat.' What do you think of it, Django?

>28 olepuppy: "Comparing portraiture with land/seascape is...what?"

I'm not sure what you are asking, but my comment about Eisenstadt's photographs of people (which dominate his output) meant that in those his sense of composition and technical excellence are impeccable. And I don't just mean his portraits, fine as they are. I'm talking about his iconic shot of a sailor kissing a girl in Times Square on VJ Day--the photograph that summed up the euphoria the Allies felt at the end of the war; or Jane Froman sitting in an empty theater, knitting while watch a rehearsal (see examples here :

http://www.michaelhoppengallery.com/artist,show,1,96,0,0,0,0,0,0,alfred_eisensta...

As for his portrait of Carson, I rather like it because her expression is engaged--a talent Eisenstadt had when photographing people that is as great as his technical abilities. (I wonder, though, about the rather odd framing, which violates the basic rules of thirds by putting Carson's face exactly in the middle of the frame, with a large amount of somewhat irrelevant space at the top (this is so often characteristic of amateur photographers, framing the face in the middle of the picture, that I have to believe Eisenstadt had a reason--I just don't know what it is).

(Incidentally, I have read The Sea Around Us--once in college and again about 10 years ago when I picked up the LEC. I still say I have seen seaside photos by a member of this forum which make these photos seem unworthy of the book--which I agree is excellently designed. I wouldn't be making so much of this except for the fact that photography has been my life's work, and I have very high standards when I judge photographs, and because I have so often been accused of being an uncritical booster of the LEC and Heritage Press, when in fact I am always ready to point out the areas where they fall short of ultimate excellence.)

Back in the Spring I had the good fortune to visit a wonderful exhibition at the British Museum: Ice Age Art - Arrival of the Modern Mind. Amongst many of the lovely things that I saw, there was one piece which for me really stood out. It was a beautiful carving of a water bird - only very small, as many of these pieces tended to be as they were carved from pieces of tusk, antler or bone - where the pose represented the bird diving, either in flight or through the water. It was in excess of 30,000 years old. The description which accompanied it has stayed with me: 'This sculpture may be a spiritual symbol connecting the upper, middle and lower worlds of the cosmos portrayed by a bird that flies through the sky, moves on land and dives through water. Alternatively it may be an image of a small meal and a bag of useful feathers.' :o) Art: it means what we want or need it to.

>30 HuxleyTheCat:

Hmmm, I'd like to see a picture of that carving, Fiona. Did you take one (or was photography not permitted)?

"Art means what we want or need it to." I think that is something we all need to remember in discussions such as this: that art has a certain broad general meaning, as well as a unique (one might say idiosyncratic) personal meaning which is different for every one. I was involved in a discussion the other day with some filmmakers who were trying to determine if someone could make a theatrical feature for $25,000, and the responses spanned the gamut from enthusiastic "I've done it! And for less!"--to "No way." I pointed out that"underground" filmmakers back in the late 50s and early 60s made features that actually got distribution (very limited), back in the days before digital cinema put the tools for making features in everyone's hands. I mentioned Jack Smith's "Flaming Creatures," perhaps the most famous of these, and someone who had actually seen the film (other than myself) retorted, "but that was a steaming pile!" and therefore, could not be considered proof of the possibility of no-budget filmmaking. Now I personally don't see "Flaming Creatures" as a work of art on the level of "Les Enfants du Paradis" or "Ikiru," but this is what others have said (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Smith has also been referenced by artists such as Laurie Anderson, Cindy Sherman and Mike Kelley, filmmakers David Lynch and Matthew Barney, photographer Nan Goldin, musicians John Zorn, Lou Reed and David Byrne, and theatre director Robert Wilson. Theater legend Richard Foreman writes, 'Jack Smith is the hidden source of practically everything that's of any interest in the so-called experimental theatre today.'

Very different opinions; they both can't be right--or can they?

I love forums such as this and the George Macy forum because the members tend to be passionate and informed about the subject and not shy about stating--and defending--their opinions. There is no one right answer when it comes to art, and discussions such as this are very useful in helping us give shape and substance to personal opinions, which are often just initial feelings of "I like it" or "I don't like it." Debates such as this also help us to open our minds--always a good thing--though they may not change them.

Reading these comments and the discussion of Eisenstadt's photos, I am reminded of a passage I recently ran across reading Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet:

"Read as little as possible of literary criticism--such things are either partisan opinions, which have become petrified and meaningless, hardened and empty of life, or else they are just clever word-games, in which one view wins today, and tomorrow the opposite view. Works of art are an infinite solitude, and no means of approach is so useless as criticism. Only love can touch and hold them and be fair to them."

Even if I hated the photos, I would buy this book were I to run across it at the prices I've seen on the internet. It's Rachel Carson and its a LEC. Two loves that can overcome a perceived flaw or two!

29 It looks like the photographer tried to combine a portrait with a landscape with Carson ' in her natural habitat.' She's backdropped by the stream, its shallow valley and woods with the sky peeking through. Interesting that the muddy waters of the stream may indicate an erosion problem upstream, possibly a construction site without the stormwater management practices used these days which weren't in use then, with said erosion and silting eventually causing the death of the stream ecosystem.

The monthly letter mentions some of the photographer's books, including 'Witness to Nature' (Viking 1971), have to check this out. Pretty striking cover.

I used to watch the Cajun cook, Justin Wilson, pretty funny guy, and at the end of each show he'd fill his plate with what he'd cooked, set it on the table, and then get a bottle of wine and pour a glass, and sometimes he'd say," Some people say' Justin , with some fish or chicken you have to have white wine, and with beef you have to have a red wine', but I just say it's good to have wine with dinner, and the right kind is the kind you like!"(paraphrase presented as quote)

A bit of Folio Society news is up on the blog at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

>32 jveezer:

Excellent advice to a poet or other artist, but what about for those who aren't poets, or artists, but who want to appreciate, understand, and evaluate works of literature or art?

I think Rilke's message applies to us even more than a poet or artist trying to be successful. Those artists just trying to follow their muse (success be damned!) or those of us that just want to appreciate, understand, and evaluate, should take all criticism with a grain of salt. Our love for a work is really all that counts towards our enjoyment of that work, regardless of what others think. Broadly educating yourself, including with "criticism", will help bring understanding and provide a frame of reference under which to evaluate a work, but it will still be different than others frame of reference. Not sure I captured my thoughts on this clearly...

> 31, 30
I think this is the "small meal and a bag of useful feathers" (though I prefer to think of him/her as Ibsen):

I can remember the exhibition catching the public imagination at the time, with some not notably high- or even middle-brow newspapers enthusing about it. Wish I could have gone but at least I have the 'book of'.
Presumably it was the same unsentimental curator who captioned another beautiful and hugely popular carving, of swimming reindeer, with the reminder that "Reindeer were a walking larder and source of raw materials." This reminder - of humans' dual relationship with the animals they exploit - would have been unnecessary in most societies until comparatively recently.

>37 featherwate: Courtesy of youtube, a little of what you missed: http://youtu.be/McYem7Qz9AI

If you've been looking for Doves Press books, Powell's Rare Book room just got a handful of them in just in time for Christmas! 8)

>39 jveezer:

Thanks for the "heads up" on this. I purchased their copy of the Doves Press 'Venus and Adonis' by Wm. Shakespeare.
They also have copies of the Doves Press edition of Unto This Last by John Ruskin (ugh !!) and The Prelude by Wm. Wordsworth.

Regarding the latter ('The Prelude'), avoid purchasing this at all costs despite Powell's very attractive price of $500. The Doves Press edition uses the edition of 1850 which incorporate Wm. Wordsworth's final revisions in his last year of life. Wordsworth revised this work continuously after its initial published version of 1805 --- known as the "fair copy" version or Manuscript A. Wordsworth clearly did not know when to leave well enough alone an each revision is slightly worse than the prior edition. By the end of his life, the final version had had its life sucked out of it and it bore little resemblance to the vibrant and deeply personal work of 1805 which was written when Wordsworth was a young man.

>40 dlphcoracl: "Wordsworth clearly did not know when to leave well enough alone an each revision is slightly worse than the prior edition."

Absolutely. These changes are undoubtedly the reason Byron and Shelley came to consider the later Wordsworth a traitor to his poetic genius (that and his increasingly conservative political bent).

40-41: slightly off topic, but these horrible revision remind me of a certain movie producer by the name of George Lucas! At any rate, thanks for the warning, I had no idea. Well, not that I can afford a $500 book :)

Also, in terms of Venus and Adonis, there have been so many fine editions produced, it can be difficult to choose one copy (or do most people have more than one?) I would love to see some pics of the Doves edition if possible? Thanks.

>42 astropi: astropi

Venus and Adonis is part of what I have oft referred to as "private press royalty" ---- works of literature or poetry that have been repeatedly published by the major private presses since the Kelmscott Press kicked off the modern private press movement, almost always in editions that are noteworthy, e.g., The Canterbury Tales, Hamlet, the Revelation of St. John, Troilus and Crisseyde, etc. This is indeed a work where one can justify owning more than one edition.

That said, the Doves Press edition will be nearly identical to all other Doves Press publications ---- austere, uncluttered, and elegant, without illustrations or wood engraved borders and initial letters. If I had to pick one private press edition of Venus and Adonis to own it would be an early publication from the Arion Press in 1975, their third publication . It was the first of three Arion Press books to feature Arthur Golding's translation, "an Elizabethan whose use of the language had a profound influence on shakespeare, particularly through his translation of Ovid (Arion Press)."

The book is simply elegant, printed in black with calligraphic initial letters in mauve and spare elegant illustrations (also done in mauve) similar to those of Hans Erni in the LEC edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses. The typeset is Bauer Bodoni with Piranesi for display and the paper is a superb mould-made by T.H. Saunders of Great Britain. The book is folio-size (11-3/4 x 9-1/4 inches and it is bound in a matching mauve Japanese silk over boards, issued in a silver-paper slipcase.

Best of all, in addition to Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis, the book also contains sources for the poem taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses (also translated by Arthur Golding) including:

1. The Story of Venus and Adonis
2. The Story of Echo and Narcissus
3. The Story of Salmacis and Hermaphroditus
4. The Description of the Boar.

Unfortunately, I do not know how to post digital photos to this blog but I would be happy to send photos of both the Doves Press and Arion Press editions to you if you give me your e-mail address in a PM.

My Christmas review is up on The Whole Book Experience. A Christmas Carol, or, A Miser's Warniing, by the Barbarian Press. Check it out at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

>44 jveezer:

A gorgeous book! The layout, typesetting and printing are top-notch--and even the illustrations seem quite in keeping. But again, I have ambivalent feelings about the magnificent printing of a Dickens classic...that really isn't Dickens. I agree it's interesting to have another take on such a familiar story, and I suspect many readers would welcome a change of pace from the Authorized Standard Version, which most of us get every December throughout our lives.

But I am such an irredeemable traditionalist that I couldn't see myself getting this book. But I will have to look at other editions from this press, as they clearly are artists of the book.

43: to post a pic, you can upload it here:

http://tinypic.com/

then copy the link they give you (just post it here) and the pic will show up! Looking forward to seeing some pics.

It seems the market agrees with you Django6924, as the Christmas books sold poorly and the press abandoned their plans for more. There are many other books in the Barbarian Press bibliography that I might choose before A Christmas Carol. But on the rare instances when I run across one on a shelf and see the craft and art that goes into their books, it's hard to put it back on the shelf if my wallet can help it.

>44 jveezer: I managed to get a copy, from New Zealand of all places, and at a ridiculously low price due to the ribbon-pull being detached (it was included, simply detached). I agree, it is a gorgeous book, and one that I am about to settle down to read. It seems quite fitting - my Christmas plans having been cancelled due to last night's storm, so I'm home alone - although one is never alone with hundreds of good books :O)

Season's Greetings to everyone and wishing you all a bibliographically great 2014.

Pics (hopefully) of the Arion Press 'Venus and Adonis':

http://i39.tinypic.com/qyyagg.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/w2gmcw.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/1ou00i.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/311lvva.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/2ibdc7k.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/zkhfko.jpg

49: Thanks for the pics! By the way, you can embed the pic if you type
(I left out the brackets on both ends)

img src="http://...blahblah_tinypic.com/...."

just copy from their website.

It will appear as such:

All, should be a bit careful about simply embedding from another website, in respect to copyright and/or rights of the author/illustrator/publisher... at least full attribution. In any case, I agree with dlphcoracl on the Arion Press 'Venus and Adonis', certainly one of the best there is, and one can find it relatively inexpensive (for an Arion title).

52: these pics were taken by dlphcoracl, I'm just showing that you can use tinypic to embed the image in the thread. No need to worry about copyright nor improper usage in this case :)

Voila !!

The Arion Press Animal Farm is shipping...

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

>56 jveezer: I have to say that the illustrations are another Arion miss for me.

>57 HuxleyTheCat: I have to agree. I've been disappointed with the illustrations for most of the recent AP offerings with the exceptions of Porgy & Bess and Stone from Delphi.

57-58: yes, the illustrations are bleh. Well, I have only seen the one illustration on the AP website, but I'm still not sure what it's supposed to be? I do think the illustrations for most of their books are great, but every now and then (hello Sapho) they illustrate books that I have no intention of touching with a 10-meter pole.

>59 astropi: "I have only seen the one illustration on the AP website"

http://www.arionpress.com/images/JonathanHammer/099gallery.html

My review of the recent Arion Press publication of Porgy & Bess is up on The Whole Book Experience!

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

>61 jveezer: Finally an AP book with great illustrations! Maybe I'll be able to pick it up on sale in two or three years ;-) Seriously on my wish list.

Some exciting Whitman news is up on The Whole Book Experience at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

J, I'm with you that there can't be too many fine press editions of Whitman! I'm hoping that the illustrations will be worthy and that they will us the Colt's Armory Press and a fine rag paper for their edition.

I'm actually hearing that the edition will not be illustrated. The website does not mention an illustrator in their brief mention of the forthcoming books, so it seems that might be the case. I believe the last time they did this was their edition of The Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin, although even that had his portrait from the $100USD as a frontispiece.

That would be fine with me--better no illustrations and beautiful typography than illustrations that are off-putting.

It's true. I'm actually reading their edition of Melville's poems right now and the paper and typography is beautiful. Similar to the Franklin, the only illustration is a portrait of Melville as the frontispiece. I'm hoping to have that up on TWBE shortly, depending on the vagaries of life and work!

First post here. I am surprised that the limited edition of 1100 copies issued about 1950 by the Peter Pauper Press has not been mentioned. It seems to be considered the magnum opus of that press. It is a very large and beautiful book.

>68 finepressman:, it is beautiful, I should do a post on it soon at Books and Vines. Not in the same league as the Grabhorn, IMO, but super nice, beautifully done!

>68 finepressman:

It has been mentioned before, especially the Boyd Hanna illustrations were singled out for praise. I have been a longtime fan of the PPP, and own several of their special achievements: the Valenti Angelo Imitation of Christ recently featured and the Fritz Kredel Candide, but not, alas the Whitman.

Wow! I didn't know about the PPP Leaves of Grass. I'll have to check it out and keep an eye out for it.

>70 Django6924:

The Fritz Kredel Candide is fantastic.

I don't have the money to drop on the PPP Leaves of Grass illustrated by Hanna, but the smaller Peter Pauper edition illustrated by Regionalist master John Steuart Curry is a very nice - and very affordable (~$40) - alternative. Some pictures of the edition here...

A quick trip report on my visit to the 47th Annual Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena is up at TWBE:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2014/02/13/sightings-at-the-antiquarian-bo...

>73 jveezer: This is a very interesting and entertaining report! Thank you for posting it! I am very impressed with your self-control, too.

I'm impressed. I don't think I could have resisted.

A review of the Arion Press edition of Herman Melville's Selected Poems is up at The Whole Book Experience:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

76: fantastic review of a fantastic book! This is what happens when Arion Press does everything right. I concur with your sentiments, I hope they publish more such beautiful books and less Livre d'Artiste.

>73 jveezer: Interesting day out!
I picked up a cheap copy of Bosschere's Ovid about a year ago - cheap because it has some foxing. The embossed cover caught my eye first:



then I looked inside. He certainly has a versatile style, running from the lurid, as in the frontispiece:

through the so-pale-as-to-be-almost-invisible:

to b&w culs-de-lampe (actually, there are culs all over the place) and other vignettes, such as the title-page:

and b&w full-page plates, some quite complex:

(and one of them a very obvious tribute to Beardsley):


As a bonus, the original owner had left his bookmark inside, which made it clear what sort person could have afforded this book in the 1920s: one with enough dosh to invest in the coming next-big-thing in the property market - cinemas - or having a sizable unearned income (or high expectations from his great-aunt's will):

Yep. That's the one I was tempted by at the Book Fair, although I think the cover was different. It may be that I just didn't look under the dust jacket but I'm not sure. The illustrations were certainly eye-catching and beautiful. Still get a occasional pang of regret for putting that one back on the shelf but I am do have one or two big ticket books I'm paying off! It's on my long-term acquisition list, for sure.

Just in time for those wondering whether the upcoming Arion Press Leaves of Grass is worth purchasing, here is another book of poetry out of the Arion Press back catalog. Check out A Coney Island of the Mind on The Whole Book Experience at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

80: I always enjoy reading your blog! Of the Arion Press poetry, I think their Melville is by far most impressive. In some sense it's also the most simple. There is the frontispiece, and then just the poetry. The paper itself is even recycled from their original stock of Moby Dick, but hey, it looks great! I too, am a little surprised copies are left (I bet AP is as well), but then again $700 is a lot to pay for such a small book. I bet if it was $300 it would have sold out long ago.

The Melville is definitely one I hope to have some day before it sells out. The paper is amazing, as is the poetry. I never even knew Melville wrote poetry until I became aware of that edition. $490 for a subscriber is definitely easier on the bank account, and that (perceived) savings is one of the perks/dangers of being a subscriber. But when you don't have it, you don't have it! ;)

I don't mind simplicity in a poetry book, especially if the choice of illustrator doesn't fit my particular taste. It's basically the same simple tack with A Coney Island of the Mind and presumably with Leaves of Grass, which I haven't seen yet. Sappho without illustrations would have been welcome as well, given the choice that was made, and if it reduced the cost of the edition. I thought the illustrations fit well on Stones of Delphi, Squarings, The Structure of Rime, Biotherm, and The Wasteland. I'm on the fence with regards to the Dickenson Sampler.

So really it's mainly the Sappho that doesn't really click with me, and hence they've done pretty well by me with poetry at Arion Press.

82: agreed! If Sappho had been without the illustrations and half the price, it would have been far more desirable. I'm personally not impressed by A Coney Island of the Mind, nor some of their other illustrations. I do think they did well with their Leaves of Grass (Chris posted a review on his site). Leaves is simple and elegant, with a frontispiece, reminiscent of Melville.

>82 jveezer: - 83 Another Sappho purchaser here at half the price and sans illustrations.

A new post on the Folio Society Letterpress Shakespeare is up on The Whole Book Experience:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

jveezer, the photos of your Letterpress Shakespeare collection are truly amazing, and it is, as you say, a landmark in fine press publishing. There will, I'm sure, never be another Complete Shakespeare, printed letterpress with such adherence to the principles of fine press production techniques.

Just received my Arion Press Leaves of Grass. It is overwhelmingly stunning... *swoons*

>87 jveezer:, I agree, they really did an outstanding job in this one. Beautiful book.

A new post on Civil Disobedience published by Sharp Teeth Press is up at The Whole Book Experience:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

The Folio Society limited edition of William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury is up at The Whole Book Experience:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

A review of the California Deluxe Edition of Moby Dick is up at The Whole Book Experience:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

A review of the Barbarian Press The Seasons is up on The Whole Book Experience. Enjoy!

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Why Beer Matters, published by Sharp Teeth Press, is reviewed on The Whole Book Experience. Cheers!

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

>93 jveezer:, thanks for a look at this...great stuff. I really like the work from Sharp Teeth.

>93 jveezer: & 94 Me too, you keep reviewing them and I keep buying these Sharp Teeth Press editions.

Finally I have my Arion Press Leaves of Grass review up on The Whole Book Experience. Always worth the time to re-read this masterpiece. Check it out at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Some Wendell Berry love is up on The Whole Book Experience. A look at two books from the Larkspur Press with more to come. Check it out at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Getting ready for CODEX 2015 in Richmond/San Francisco. Another review of a fine edition from Sharp Teeth Press. Kurt Vonnegut's 2BR02B.

Check it out at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

>98 jveezer: Thanks for the CODEX reminder.

Two trip reports from San Francisco are up on The Whole Book Experience. One for the 48th California International Antiquarian Book Fair and the other from the CODEX V International Book Fair and Symposium. Enjoy.

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

>100 jveezer:
I enjoyed reading your reports. Thank you!

>100 jveezer:, wish I had known you would be there, would have been great to meet. I was there on Sunday, pretty much all afternoon!

@busywiine I heard that you were there the day before me. Yes, it would have been great to get together. Maybe next time we can coordinate...

Not fair you guys are having all the fun :)

A little writeup on the tour of The Prototype Press I did while in the Bay Area for CODEX 2015. Check it out:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Thanks to the generosity of The Prototype Press in loaning me a copy of their Reserve Edition of their latest book, there is a review of me, myself, and the monkeyface eel up on The Whole Book Experience. Check it out:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

What a beautiful special edition and excellent article!

I just published a peice on Women Writers in Fine Press on The Whole Book Experience. Love to hear your feedback, so I thought I might start up a topic for that. Check it out at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence is up on The Whole Book Experience. Check out the Arion Press edition at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Anyone tempted by Oak Knoll's The History of the Library in Western Civilization? Looks epic in either the trade or limited deluxe leather edition. I'd love to hear if anyone has read any of it...

>110 jveezer: I am tempted, but I have not pulled the trigger. If I purchase it, I would likely opt for the trade edition.

>110 jveezer:, >111 ultrarightist:

Same here. If I bite - which I probably will! - it'll be for the trade. The deluxe looks gorgeous, but I'll save my nickels for other purchases rather than splurging.

Some Barbarian Press and other news is up on The Whole Book Experience:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

that looks like a great read. Is there a European vendor?

ironjaw. Are you asking if the Barbarian Press can ship to Europe? I'm not sure what you are asking?

>115 jveezer: hmm that's odd, sorry I think I accidentally posted in the wrong thread.

Finally I'm back in the saddle (literally). So grab a cup of tea and check out the review of Zane Grey and Me from Littoral Press!

www.thewholebookexperience.com

I've added some information and a link to the campaign to save the Book Arts Program at Mills College in the Bay Area. Please help if you value fine press books and want to ensure there will be future artists and craftsmen to produce the books we love....

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2015/11/05/save-the-mills-college-book-art...

Sad news at http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

We've lost a bright star in the private press world.

>119 jveezer: So sad, he just turned 30!

This is terrible! What happened?

>121 booksforreading:
He collapsed while playing Ultimate Frisbee, according to
Obituary

He sounds a nice guy as well as a talented one. Tragic.

He was a great guy with a passion for the book craft. That's what I heard too...ultimate frisbee.

With great thanks to Django for making it possible, a review of Dickens' The Cricket on the Hearth is up on The Whole Book Experience!

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Check out the review of Willa Cather's A Lost Lady from the Limited Editions Club:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

>125 jveezer:, 126

I think this is one of the most underrated LECs - I hardly ever hear it mentioned, but I think it's quite attractive, and can be had very inexpensively for the quality.

aaronpepperdine: It's almost criminal that these books can be picked up for so cheap compared to fine trade editions. But it's a joy of a find for us lovers of finely made books.

A new Folio Society trade edition regularly goes for $60 plus and there is no comparison in quality. I paid $40 for my copy of A Lady Lost.

>128 jveezer:

The price of LEC books continues to decrease yer after year, even many of the better Sidney Shiff books. This is unique amongst many of the private press books I collect, e.g., Kelmscott, Ashendene, Golden Cockerel, Arion, etc., and is inexplicable. However, I am only too happy to purchase an occasional Sidney Shiff LEC title that comes along at one of these "inexplicable" prices. Sometimes, one has to take what Mr. Market will give you and be thankful for these oversights.

I've always loved Willa Cather! What a classic American author and a pioneer in women's literature! Actually a pioneer in all-things related to women. Hey, just a suggestion. Maybe start a new thread? Perhaps I'm getting lazy in my old age but I hate having to scroll to the bottom of hundreds of messages :)

I just checked my records on my other Willa Cather book. Death Comes for the Archbishop cost me $53 new from the Folio Society, including shipping. It's nice, it's my favorite Willa Cather book thus far; but it's not anything close to the A Lost Lady I paid $40 for.

astropi: I will start a new thread when I get a chance. In the meantime, don't forget the hyperlink at the top of every Talk page... ;)

Whew! I squeezed out one more review to end the year. A short book to read but a long one to review. Happy New Year to all of you and thanks for reading my blog. Hope your new year is an auspicious one.

Check out the review of The Iliad or the Poem of Force published by The Lapis Press.

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Whew! Been a busy couple of months with the new tea business and some volunteering with the veterans. But I finally managed to get my review of the Arion Press Poetry of Sappho up on The Whole Book Experience...

Check it out: http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2016/04/17/poetry-of-sappho-published-by-t...

133: Ugh! I really feel Arion blew this! It could have been a masterpiece, but their choice in illustrator was... well what were they thinking??

>134 astropi:
I think my four year old grandson did the illustrations.

Hee hee, right? I feel like sometimes the "livres de artiste" design style chooses investment value of book integrity and integration. If Mehretu becomes the next Picasso, then the book will be worth more than it would with similar illustrations by your grandson. But I prefer illustrations that enhance the reading experience and support the text in some way.

I had this same discussion this weekend comparing four different editions of Don Quixote: the Dore illustrated Easton Press edition, the Ricart illustrated Limited Editions Club edition, the Blake illustrated Folio Society edition, and the Wiley illustrated AP edition. That's roughly in the order of preference for me.

In 1893 William Morris went before the Bibliographic Society of London, and delivered an address upon the subject of The Ideal Book. Some forty years later (1931) the Director of The Limited Editions Club thought that a new definition was necessary. So a contest was announced for the best essay upon the subject. There is evidence that the LEC was willing to listen and produce books that would appeal to a larger audience. Are presses like Arion polling their subscribers for opinion or judging interest by revenue, after the fact?

>136 jveezer: The Ricart illustrated Don Quixote is a handsome set. However the number of illustrations is underwhelming for such a long book. Going back and forth between different illustrators might explain why Ricart produced only 25 full page illustrations. Or may be this was due to economy on the club side. They are interesting, technically well-cut, exotic and clever (quoting from the monthly letter). I agree and would add not enough. I wonder if omitting Legrand's Don Quixote from your list is intentional? It seems to be highly regarded among LEC collectors.

BuzzBuzzard: Omitting the Legrand was only intentional in that I don't have that edition. I have the others and have been able to mull them over through the years...I would love to acquire it but that would mean I would have to read it and I'm not sure how many reads of DQ I have left in my reading life!

>138 jveezer: Both LEC editions use the same translation.

kdweber: One of my rules for keeping my library (and budget) in check is that I don't allow myself to buy books I don't intend to read, especially when it comes to owning multiple editions of the same book. So buying the Legrand LEC would mean reading DQ twice more, since the Ricard is still in the TBR queue. The other three I own I have read...

That means my TBR pile will outlast my life: one more DQ in the queue, one more Ulysses, one more Finnegans Wake, one more Paradise Lost, many more Shakespeare plays, the new Proust translations, and a whole host of other quicker but just as interesting re-reads! To say nothing of the books I've never read!!! ;)

Ha ha, I just counted my "reader's debt" to the FS Letterpress Shakespeare...I have 24 plays still to read there!

>140 jveezer:
Yes, this is one of my rules, too, for exactly the same reasons. Unfortunately, my "reader's dept" has been growing much more rapidly than my reading accomplishments. :)

J, I am in total agreement with your take on the Arion Press Sappho--the illustrations ruin it for me.

Incidentally, if one would want a beautifully-produced edition of Sappho, a real bargain is the Peter Pauper Press edition designed by Paul McPharlin. Lovely letterpress typography on really gorgeous paper, and illustrations, which while not iconic, are not aggressively annoying (at least to my eye).

Whew! Sorry for the long time between updates to my blog. Life has been hectic with the start of my tea and yoga businesses, being in the process of selling and downsizing a house, and preparing to go off grid for 3 weeks doing volunteer work.

But there is a new post up on The Whole Book Experience reviewing the standard state of Barbarian Press' Fancy: 8 Odes of John Keats. Check it out at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2016/08/11/fancy-8-odes-of-john-keats-publ...

>145 jveezer:, you have a ton going on! Great review as always!

busywine: I love your pictures of the deluxe state of Fancy on Books & Vines. I only have standard states of the the BP books and they are sumptuous enough. The deluxe states must be a joy to hold.

>147 jveezer: -- thanks....btw, my wife created, opened and ran a yoga studio in Cave Creek, Az for a number of years before selling it. Was a great experience and time...hope yours goes well also!

>145 jveezer:
Great, thoughtful review, as usual. Thank you!
I think that the main difference between deluxe and regular states in this edition is the portfolio of signed prints that are included with the deluxe copies. The books themselves do not look or feel that different - its just the spine bound in morocco in deluxe copies instead of silk in regulars, and deluxe copies have tiny leather in the corners of the binding, too. Both states are wonderful delightful productions, in my opinion.

Good luck with everything you do!!

Revisiting my post from last year on Women Writers in Fine Press...Check it out on

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Woot! 2016 was a bit tough for book reviews as I launched my tea and yoga businesses but I've finally got a new review up. The 1938 Limited Editions Club Madame Bovary.

Check it out at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Interested to hear about your tea and yoga..

astropi: Thanks for asking! After 20+ years in high tech, we parted ways 5 years ago, and I started looking for my next endeavor. Part of that was deepening my yoga practice by doing a 200 hour yoga certification and beginning to teach classes and privates hear in Southern California. The other part was sharing my lifelong love of tea by starting an on-line tea business that sells the kind of small farm, single origin, handmade teas that I like to drink and had a hard time finding in a marketplace dominated by commodity tea and business practices. In addition the website, I also do local events like the upcoming Southwest Tea Fest in Las Vegas (February 25-26).

If you are interested, you can follow my yoga practice on my FB page (J. Davis Atha Bhava Yoga). And my tea website is http://www.leavesofcha.com/ and there is a corresponding leavesofcha FB, Instagram, and Twitter feed if you just like seeing pretty tea-themed pictures (photography being another hobby of mine).

All of this has slowed down my productivity on my book blog as well as reducing my discretionary income going towards high end limited editions. But I plan to still regularly do reviews on TWBE now that things are settling down a bit.

I have tried jveezer's teas, and they are wonderful! I love them!
If you are a tea drinker, I absolutely recommend to try the leaves of cha website.

Whew! Sweating to get this one done before I leave for CODEX in San Francisco...the Arion Press Tartuffe is up on my blog, The Whole Book Experience.

Check it out here:
http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

>155 jveezer:

Thanks for this review. This is one Arion Press book I would love to get. I have been critical of much of their output, but this one is definitely when the Press got it right. Although I prefer Steiner-Prag's illustrations for the LEC edition, William Hamilton's are fun, and as you point out, unlike many AP illustrations, "these illustrations correspond closely with the characters and action of the plot."

The real glory of this edition, however, is Richard Wilbur's translation--easily the best translation of Moliere I've read, and a real tour-de-force in that the rhymed couplets which can be so annoying when used in translations of Greek or Roman (or Old English) poetry, here work marvelously. I have previously admired Wilbur's ability to utilize fine verse in the service of drama and characterization (notably in his lyrics for the Bernstein opera Candide), but I had not seen his translation of Tartuffe before. This is exactly what I want in a good translation--faithful to the sense of the original but able to stand on its own as a fine accomplishment in its own language.

My report from CODEX 2017 is up on my blog The Whole Book Experience. Enjoy...and hide your wallets.

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2017/02/21/codex-2017-notes-from-book-heav...

Haha, wow! It's been a little while. Quick update on the blog for those interested. Next review coming soon!

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2017/10/31/60-boxes-of-books-to-pack-move-...

>158 jveezer: Glad to see you're back in the saddle with a functioning back and looking forward to your reviews starting back up!

>158 jveezer: I am shocked that the corporate high-tech sales career was not heart-centered work. Our Microsoft rep must have been lying all this time.

buzzbuzzard: Haha. I do have an engineering brain and degrees. So it was somewhat heart-centered in the way I functioned in my field sales role, sometimes to the detriment of making quota! I had a habit leaving my "smoke and mirrors" at home and being an advocate for both my own company and the global accounts I managed. Sometimes my company didn't like that too much...

>158 jveezer: Thanks for posting again. I really enjoy how much thought you put into your reviews. Now I'm beginning to think about how many boxes would I need. The elephant folios for which I no longer have the original packaging pose a particular problem.

The other day I checked the Nawakum Press site and was saddened to see that their entire stock was destroyed in the recent fires. Thankfully most of their books are sold out, but I guess any new books and materials in general were lost. I hope they can recover.

Finally a new post! Move all done except the unpacking and re-shelving. Slowly getting back in the read and review mode for fine press books.

A small gem from Larkspur Press, The Hatchet Buddha, is up on the blog:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2017/12/04/the-hatchet-buddha-by-rebecca-g...

>163 jveezer: Thank your for your reviews of the LEC Toilers of The Sea and Les Miserables! Truly wonderful productions.

The LEC Toilers of the Sea is one of my favorites!!!

Indeed. Both form and substance!

The Barbarian Press Splendour of a Morning is up on my blog, The Whole Book Experience. Check it out at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Next up will probably be Voices of Marrakesh published by the Arion Press.

>167 jveezer:

A great review. Splendor of a Morning looks excellent and though sold out as a deluxe offering may need to be added in it’s regular edition. Well done, and well done Barbarian Press.

Sorion: Their regular editions are top notch. I have never reviewed one of their deluxe editions and can't even recall if I've ever had the luck to have one in my hands. That would be quite a dream to come true.

>169 jveezer: After sleeping on it I think this one is going to have to happen. Poetry in limited edition and fine press form just so happens to form the core part of my book collection so the enablement required is less then for other things! This will be my first Barbarian Press purchase so more then a little excited!

sorion: You won't regret that one, for sure. Give Crispin & Jan my regards.

>171 jveezer: Well I just so happened to get lucky and email them on the right day. They had just received a brand new deluxe edition back from a book dealer who was given it on consignment and I was able to purchase it! Can't wait to get this in my hands.

Sorion: Whoa! That is serendipitous! Congratulations to you. Now I have book envy with my little old regular edition. ;)

>172 Sorion: What a lucky find, congrats! I'm stewing with envy over here, having neither deluxe nor regular.

It's always best to contact the Barbarian Press directly about availability of their books. (A) They really like to connect with the people who appreciate the types of books they do; (B) There website lags behind what's actually happening at the press as they concentrate on the important work of getting their magnificent books out; and, (C) Then you might score amazing finds like Sorion did. Once in a conversation with Crispin I found out about a book they did for Carlo Toselli and was lucky enough to score a copy. You can see that review at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2011/03/29/the-tamarind-wood-by-carlo-tose...

Ugh. Turn up the brightness on your screen. I've definitely gotten better at lighting and taking photos with all the book and tea product photos I take but still not totally satisfied that they do the books justice on my screen or yours.

Very excited to have a copy of the new Prototype Press edition of Ham and Rye to review. It's a beauty! I'm already high from the delicious smell of the handmade cotton paper from St. Armand. Look for that review on my website as soon as I can get it read and photographed.

This will push the Arion Press Canetti back in the review queue but that one is still percolating as well.

I’m looking forward to your review of Ham and Rye. I’ve been following the development of it for quite some time. Unfortunately, it’s outside my budget. But one can admire from afar :).

>176 jveezer: Really looking forward to both reviews. The Ham on Rye looks impressive.

Serving up the Ham on Rye review on http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

I'll be sorry to part with the book now that the review is up...

>179 jveezer: A really great review. Ham on Rye is stunning.

Even if Bukowski isn't your thing(which is totally understandable) the craftsmanship of the book is stunning.

For me what stands out most is the chapter numbers and the 12pt Goudy Powell typeface. The Typeface is perfect for me. It feels almost like it was typed on a typewriter. The chapter headings, are just lovely to look at.

This publication of Ham on Rye perfectly exemplifies what I'm after right now in my book collecting. Original works(not facsimiles) printed in the grand private and fine press tradition with modern sensibilities and creativity. Needless to say if I had 3500 spare dollars it would be mine. Alas...

Great work as always jveezer, you do us all a service!

Terrific review. Thank you very much. I’ve been interested in this book for quite a while.

>179 jveezer:
Another thank you. Grab the book and start driving towards the Mexican border!

I was keeping an eye on the project while it was in the works. Like others, was sorely disappointed by the limitation and price. $3,5K can buy quite a few nice books, so until I catch up on my very long wish list of cheaper titles, this will have to wait... Meaning the chances of me ever acquiring it are very slim.

On a side note - holes in black paint of the letters of the title on the title page seem to be deliberate, but is it just me, or does the uneven paint of the title letters on the spine bother anyone else?

Thanks for a great review! Although, I do wish your reviews included the original sticker price :)
In this case, Ham on Rye is $3500. A magnificent book that I imagine few can afford. Ah, but I can imagine how pleasurable it must be to read!

Ourika by the Bird & Bull Press is up on The Whole Book Experience. Still struggling with white balance to get the colors in the photographs right, especially on the paper color, but it's a work in progress. Hopefully the beauty of the books still come through even when my photos aren't to the level I hope to eventually achieve.

Check out Ourika here:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2018/05/20/ourika-by-claire-de-durfort-pub...

Next up, probably the Indulgence Press Bartleby the Scrivenor...

>184 jveezer:
Very nice review, as always! Thank you!

Bartleby the Scrivener is up on TWBE. Still mucking with white balance and it's not quite right but the photos are getting better. I've called in the professionals to give me tips. It helps to turn your monitor up full bright...

Check it out at http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

A first review of a Midnight Paper Sales title! The Intruder by Clayton Schanilec is up on TWBE. Check it out at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2018/11/15/the-intruder-published-by-midni...

A new press debuts on The Whole Book Experience! Check out the review of Thornwillow Press' Inferno at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2018/12/09/dantes-inferno-published-by-tho...

Excellent review, as always!
I love that you read the books you review instead of just doing visual descriptions of editions, as some other people do. This makes your observations more insightful and, therefore, more useful for readers and potential buyers.

>189 booksforreading: Thank you! I'm glad my little labor of literature love is helpful and enjoyable. The reading is what makes my review output a lot slower than I wish it was. But it is so fulfilling for me as I love to read, I love a beautiful piece of literature executed beautifully and thoughtfully, and I love photography. So TWBE is a great outlet for all that.

>188 jveezer: A little shorter review then I've been used to from you this time out. It seems like you were struggling a little to find nice things to say and overall weren't a fan?

>191 Sorion: Well, I wanted to get it out there as I am also busy with the festive season with my online tea business. So I may have pushed the send button a little faster than normal. ;) But I actually am a big fan of the book for $85. I could possibly be a fan at $185 for the cloth binding. I don't have an edition of Inferno done in this style, so it is a welcome addition to my library. Personally, and mainly because I would choose to spend that kind of money on other high-ticket titles on my wishlist, I wouldn't go for the more expensive states like the $595 half-leather or the even more pricey full leathers and specials. But again, that's primarily a book budget decision.

Side Note: One thing I can't help doing, and probably picked up partially from the Sanders and Birk edition, is contemplating who else would be in each circle if this hell existed from my lifetime. I usually reserve that exercise for professed Christians since it is their hell after all. S&B added people like Mussolini, Kissinger, Hussein, Columbus, Hitler, Pinochet, Manson, Reagun, Bush (both of them), Dionne Warwick, Wilt Chamberlain, Anna Nicole Smith, and Benedict Arnold, among many others. Most are obvious; other's I'm not sure about who they are or what they did. And I like to free some of the others that aren't Christians or predate Christianity because why?

Side Note 2: I meant to include a photo of the map of hell in the Thornwillow book. Not the one I would choose if I was working my way through without the help of Virgil. The S&B map illustration is much clearer! If I find the time, I'll post the two contrasting illustrations here...

>192 jveezer: I own the half leather(as I do in all my Thornwillow books) and it really is magnificent. It is their greatest work so far. The red that they've chosen is so sumptuous and the way it blends in with the illustrations on the boards is just perfect in hand.

I think part of the disconnect for some regarding the illustration style is that this seems to be a fine press take on a graphic novel and it's illustration style. That is of course crossed with an illuminated manuscript. Both the lettering and the illustration really fit a graphic novel quite well. Or that could just be what I'm seeing as I hold it.

I will say I personally find it hard to read and very difficult to not lose my place due to the block text nature of the lettering. I always have a problem with block text however not just here and often skip it.

All in all I find it Thornwillows finest work. It really shows how they've matured in their kickstarter books from Holmes to Inferno.

Side note #1 As an Evangelical Born Again Christian and a conservative Republican we'll respectfully agree to disagree about several of those :) .

>193 Sorion: Regarding Side Note #1: agreed! ;) It would be a great discussion over tea though!

The Chester River Press edition of Qin Guan's Moon as Bright as Water is up on The Whole Book Experience at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Check it out!

>195 jveezer:

This is a timely and much appreciated post!

I have recently added several books of Chinese poetry to my book collection and have been sitting on the fence with regard to this particular book.

>195 jveezer: I have #1 of the deluxe edition and it is by far my favourite on my shelves. The craftsmanship put into the book itself, the care and artistry in the translation ... it's just transfixing to hold and read.

>196 dlphcoracl: Glad you liked it! It's definitely a book well worth owning. I'm going to miss it sitting on my shelf whlle I read through several times for the review. I also loved the Li Po book you posted; just out of my financial reach right now but who knows? Would love to own both the Qin Guan and the Li Po. I've been an admirer of Chad & Co.'s work since I became aware of it with their Heart of Darkness, which I also missed, sad to say.

I love reading your blog... and well, of course the pictures of the beautiful books :)

So, Moon as Bright as Water, a truly beautiful book, just wish it wasn't so expensive -at $650 and 34 pages that's over $19 per page! Still, if money is no issue, lovely.

Now, as for the Innocents Abroad by Sherwin Beach Press... I would pass even if I had the money. Not a fan of the illustrations. Although, I'm a huge Twain fan so I wish more letterpress Twain was done, albeit with illustrations that more suit my taste.

>199 astropi: Yeah, I probably would have said the same thing several years ago but I've slowly been reeled into the graphic novel world with things like Sandow Birk's Dante, Alpha: Abidjan to Paris, The Graphic Canon, and others. The main thing I love about the Twain is that binding! He also has a very beautiful book on beekeeping that has the most amazing paper in it and that is quite a good value, if I remember correctly.

Oh I enjoy graphic novels tremendously. A graphic novel interpretation of Twain can be great. However, anyway you cut it, those illustrations for Innocents Abroad is a real turn off for me. Personal opinion of course!

Pedro Paramo as published by the Arion Press is up on the TWBE website! Enjoy!

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2019/05/21/pedro-paramo-by-juan-rulfo-publ...

Pride and Prejudice as published by Thornwillow Press is up on TWBE. If you regularly read my reviews, it would be a great help to me if you subscribe to my review via email on the home page of the blog. Regardless of how you get there, here's the review:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2019/06/25/pride-and-prejudice-by-jane-aus...

Next up might be a new press I've never reviewed before! Very excited for that possibility.

>203 jveezer:
Very nice review, as always! Thank you!

The Tao Te Ching in a letterpress edition by Providence Press is up on my blog. It's marvelous and you should check it out.

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2019/12/29/tao-te-ching-by-lao-tzu-publish...

>205 jveezer: Very nice. I've enquired about a copy for myself.

Not a fine press review, and only 8% about fine press books, but my 2019 reading stats and data analytics are up on the blog at http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Left brain, book nerdy stuff but I like numbers and I cannot lie. Educated and 20 years of working as an electrical engineer, I stopped the prop and became a yogi teamonger. But I still love analytics. Especially when they expose and help me overcome cloistered biases and habits.

And now I'll get back to choosing a new fine press book to read and review...

My post on the Thornwillow Press edition of The Great Gatsby is up on my blog at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

I apologize in advance for the formatting as I try to figure out the "features" another new WordPress version.

Very nice and thoughtful review, as always! Thank you!

>208 jveezer: >209 booksforreading: Just wanted to write the same. Thank you also for recommending Rodoreda. Never heard of her but sounds like some promising reads.

>208 jveezer: I'm curious if the 40 volume collection of Balzac you referenced is published by J.M Dent and Co. ? Funny how the habit of buying books and not reading them is not a modern phenomena but has been around forever.

>211 Sorion: Mine is the Hanska edition of Balzac's Works by Little, Brown, & Co. I got them when one of my favorite San Diego bookstores were closing and they were having a "$10 per grocery bag of books" clearance sale. I managed to get the whole set into three bags. I can't remember what they had priced it at before they went OOB, but it was a steal. They were VERY happy to sell it to a reader like me at $30.

>210 SebRinelli: I just finished The Garden by the Sea which was just published in English by Open Letter Books (weird the touchstone doesn't pull up the English edition). Coincidentally about the same era and the same jet set but set in Catalonia and told through the eyes of the gardener. Much more delightful than the world through Nick's eyes in Fitzgerald.

>211 Sorion: >212 jveezer:
The original owner of my 40-volume leather-bound Balzac set, that is limited to 25 registered copies, is John Smith - I have good reasons to believe that it is John J. Smith (1820-1906) who was an American abolitionist, a three-term Massachusetts state representative, and the first African-American member of the Boston Common Council.
Just had to brag, sorry!
The last owner of this set, before me, is also a famous person.
Many pages in this set are still uncut...
Oh, and my set is published by Dent and Co.

Pandemic appropriate reading material is now up on TWBE website. Check out the review of Arion Press' Journey Round my Room

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2020/07/18/journey-round-my-room-by-xavier...

I enjoy your reviews very much! Thank you for doing them!
Please continue staying safe and stay well!

At long last, having to read the book, mull it over, push through pandemic malaise to make my fingers actually write and take the photos, and the ongoing struggle to work with the "new and improved(!?)" Wordpress, I offer up

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2020/10/19/of-human-bondage-by-w-somerset-...

A review of the Limited Editions Club Of Human Bondage on my blog.

Next up, probably Thornwillow's Frederick Douglass edition.

>217 jveezer:
An absolutely brilliant review!
Thank you!
You should post the link to it in the Macy's Devotees forum.

>218 booksforreading: Didn't even think of posting it there...

A review of the ERB Books edition of A Princess of Mars is up on my blog. While obviously more fine press (Centipede, Subterranean, etc.) than private press (Barbarian, Arion, LEC, etc.), at least according to my personal definitions, it is a very nice book for this long-time ERB fan.

Check it out at: http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2021/01/04/a-princess-of-mars-by-edgar-ric...

Just under the wire for Black History Month, is my Whole Book Experience with the Thornwillow Press edition of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, published along with some excellent essays.

TW: This reviewer can't read a book about American slavery and not get pretty blunt about institutional racism in the U.S. Perfect for Black History Month but if that's not your jam, maybe skip this one (or just read the end where I talk about the physical book).

But please, enjoy: http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2021/02/27/portrait-of-a-free-man-by-frede...

>221 jveezer:
Thank you! Very important and well-written review!

Quick little post on a little book of Thoreau's journal writing over at TWBE:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2021/06/09/the-gaspereau-press-the-library...

Trying to feature some of my smaller books that won't get a full review between the big books. Stay tuned for the Black Sun Press Les Liaisons dangereuses

Writing block breakthrough, fittingly on an epistolary novel! I've finally posted my review of The Black Sun Press edition of les liaisons dangereuses! Check it out here:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2021/10/14/les-liaisons-dangereuses-by-cho...

Eight World's Wives by Andrew Moorhouse of Fine Press Poetry is up on The Whole Book Experience at

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2021/12/08/eight-worlds-wives-by-carol-ann...

Enjoy! If you are a lover of contemporary poetry in fine press editions, definitely check this press out!

>224 jveezer: belatedly, wow thanks for sharing this. I love Les Liaisons but this is my first chance to see the famous Black Sun edition in any detail. The binding you have looks perfect to my tastes. Alas, I'll probably end up settling for the HP edition or one of the Folios, as soon as I can decide which I'd prefer.

>226 ubiquitousuk: Yeah, that book was one of my holy grails for a good many years before I found a copy at the right price and when I actually had a little money in my wallet to spend on books.

Whew! It's been a minute but I just posted my review of Consider the Oyster published by The Prototype Press...

Check it out if you're hungry at:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2022/04/07/consider-the-oyster-by-m-f-k-fi...

>228 jveezer: So has anyone here purchased the $3500 Ham on Rye?

>229 punkzip: Of course! But I don't know the details of how many are left. You'd have to talk to Mark about that. There are plenty of Bukowski fans out there that I'm sure went for it (and of course plenty that would but couldn't afford the funds). That book was amazing to read even if you are indifferent/annoyed to/by Bukowski like this reader.

>229 punkzip: That's an expensive book and quite ironic being that Bukowski was anti-establishment and all of his books are about the poor and destitute. I've read every one of his books and love his work but there's something about him where I think a ragged, stained and torn paperback fits him more. I'm not sure if it's there anymore but I lived in Boston for roughly ten years and was so excited when I moved close to a bar named Bukowskis expecting a cheap dirty dive atmosphere with limited drink options and to my surprise it was clean, modern and expensive!

>231 Joshbooks1: Yeah, kinda ironic but sometimes you put a little "lipstick on the pig", pun intended. I've heard the same thing said about nice editions of Thoreau for different reasons: he's best to read outdoors so throw that tatty paperback or LOA hardback in your backpack/beach bag and go for it.

But if you love the piece of literature, it is nice to have a book that some press who is also a fan spent time lovingly designing, printing, and binding. For myself, a Black Sparrow or Bottle of Smoke edition is probablyabout as uptown as I would go for Hank.

And the Mad Parrot Press The Wind in the Willows review is now up on The Whole Book Experience:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2022/04/27/the-wind-in-the-willows-by-kenn...

>233 jveezer:
Excellent review. Thank you!

>233 jveezer:
Just back from the Manhattan show, which was very good, and I see this notification pop up in email. Love your personal history with the book and I'm honored you hold our physical interpretation in such esteem.

ha! I couldn't beat my deadline and get this done last year but my long gestating review of the Arion Press Animal Farm is up on The Whole Book Experience:

http://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2023/01/02/animal-farm-by-george-orwell-pu...

Thanks for the enjoyable review, >236 jveezer:
I regret missing an opportunity to purchase it when prices were still low.

I guess lots of people share your sentiment of not being particularly fond of this edition but strangely few actually make it to the secondary market.

>236 jveezer:
Thank you for another informative and thoughtful review!

>237 SebRinelli: I'm with you. I'd expected it to be available for a long time based on Arion's track record.

>237 SebRinelli: I was surprised it was sold out when I checked availability for my review. Not because of the text but more because these more pedestrian editions of the AP usually hang around for a while. Probably this new strategy of having a sale is moving these books faster than they did under Andrew Hoyem's direction.

Only 9% fine press, but a review of my reading for 2022 is up on TWBE. I like to crunch those numbers after I read, ha ha.

https://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

A review of the No Reply second edition of Preludes is up on TWBE! Enjoy.

This is a teaser for an interview with Griffin Gonzales at No Reply. Hoping to visit the press on my way through Portland this month to snap a couple photos to accompany the interview Griffin and I have been working on for the last couple of months.

https://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2023/07/27/preludes-by-t-s-eliot-publishe...

>242 jveezer: Oh, sounds good! Waiting for the interview.

>242 jveezer: A typically enjoyable write up for a very fine edition of my favourite Eliot poem sequence. I look forward to the interview with Griffin!

And finally, part 1 of my interview with Griffin Gonzales, proprietor of No Reply Press, is published on The Whole Book Experience. Check it out here:

https://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2023/11/30/no-reply-press-an-interview-wi...

>245 jveezer:
Wonderful interview with fascinating information.

>245 jveezer: I completely agree with >246 wcarter:. Looking forward to part 2!

>245 jveezer: Very nice! Pesky typo in Dickins, I assume.

>245 jveezer: Great interview, thank you for sharing.

>245 jveezer: An interesting man and an excellent interview. No Reply is definitely worth keeping an eye on. As a beginner in the world of fine and private presses one unexpected joy has been the personal interactions, including with Griffin. All part of the whole book experience.

>245 jveezer: Finally, indeed! Thank you for the interview, it was a pleasure to read. Waiting for the second part.

>248 BuzzBuzzard: Good catch! Griffin and I might have been tea drunk or run out of e's. But I stole one from somewhere else and got my composing stick out and reset that line.

>245 jveezer: J, it was fabulous getting to know you better! Valeria still thinks you should have edited me down by half ("You've just got to cut him off at some point") but overall she approves.

The most wonderful part of our conversations for me was learning all about tea. The similarities, actually, between the making of tea and books is eerie.

For anybody who doesn't already have a tea hookup:

https://www.leavesofcha.com/

Cannot recommend enough! J's teas are the private press of the tea world.

...and the second half of the interview is up!

https://www.thewholebookexperience.com/2023/12/26/no-reply-press-an-interview-wi...

Happy New Year, however you celebrate it and whatever date you start it from...

>254 jveezer: Happy New Year and thank you! Another interesting read.

I always enjoy your posts! I used to also love Books & Vines... last post was 2019 :(
https://booksandvines.com/
anyone know what happened? Hopefully Chris just decided to take a break and it wasn't anything "unfortunate".

>254 jveezer: Outstanding interview! I'm looking forward to the future of No Reply Press.

And, I need to order some tea.

My little trip report from CODEX is up on The Whole Book Experience.

https://www.thewholebookexperience.com/

Enjoy! But beware...

>258 jveezer:
Thanks for the report. One day I would love to visit Codex or the Oxford Book Fair, but it seems unlikely I will ever make it. Second hand voyeurism through your report is next best.

>258 jveezer: I hope you stopped by Thomas Ingmire’s booth and talked to the artist. He was very interesting. Sad that Vladimir Zimakov cancelled due to a busy schedule. I really enjoyed talking to him at the 2022 CODEX. My big find was discovering a local artist from Berkeley, Li Jiang, her Lemoncheese Press published Thirty-Six views of the Golden Gate Bridge, an homage to Hokusai’s 36 Views of Mount Fuji not to mention Henri Rivière’s derivitive workThirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower.

A great book week, CODEX on Tuesday and I just got back from visiting the Antiquarian Book Fair at Pier 27 in SF today (Saturday).

>260 kdweber: I breezed by his table and would have like to spend more time there but I ran out. I was also bummed not to visit with Vladimir.

I really should take two days at CODEX, one to do the quick walk through and then a second to spend time with specific presses.

I was also sorry to miss Griffin at the reception for the binding exhibit he helped curate at the American Bookbinders Museum. I highly recommend checking it out if you go through the city before it's over in April. You can say hi to my Barbarian Press Pericles.

At the time I only knew he had an "issue" but now knowing the details I'm just happy he should be fine in time. (And obviously he's still sending out the books even with a tell-tale heart)

>258 jveezer: Great report! Happy to hear a rave review of the upcoming Foolscap edition, and also good to know the “new” Lone Oak book advertised is just the recently published rhino book.