OT: Question about the 1823 edition of Frankenstein
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1SF-72
This is off topic for Folio Society, but I hope someone can help.
A friend of mine loves Frankenstein, but hasn't been able to find a reprint of the 1823 edition, only ones from 1818 and 1831. She doesn't earn a lot of money, so affordability is a very relevant point. Do any of you have some advice on what edition I could recommend to her? Any help would be appreciated.
A friend of mine loves Frankenstein, but hasn't been able to find a reprint of the 1823 edition, only ones from 1818 and 1831. She doesn't earn a lot of money, so affordability is a very relevant point. Do any of you have some advice on what edition I could recommend to her? Any help would be appreciated.
2dlphcoracl
>SF-72
1823 edition?? For practical purposes, the 1823 edition does not exists and I certainly do not know of it in fine or private press format - or any format for that matter.
The only two editions under serious consideration are the original edition of 1818 and the much later revised edition of 1831. For me, the 1818 edition is greatly preferred. The most cost effective way to obtain the 1818 edition in fine/private press format is:
1. Thornwillow Press - either paper wrappers or hardcover half cloth edition
2. Folio Society - hardcover edition (2004) or a semi-hard cover edition published as part of their Collectable Series between. 2016-2017
1823 edition?? For practical purposes, the 1823 edition does not exists and I certainly do not know of it in fine or private press format - or any format for that matter.
The only two editions under serious consideration are the original edition of 1818 and the much later revised edition of 1831. For me, the 1818 edition is greatly preferred. The most cost effective way to obtain the 1818 edition in fine/private press format is:
1. Thornwillow Press - either paper wrappers or hardcover half cloth edition
2. Folio Society - hardcover edition (2004) or a semi-hard cover edition published as part of their Collectable Series between. 2016-2017
3jroger1
Wikipedia:
“The second English edition of Frankenstein was published on 11 August 1823 in two volumes (by G. and W. B. Whittaker) following the success of the stage play Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein by Richard Brinsley Peake. This edition credited Mary Shelley as the book's author on its title page.”
Another source describes it as a reprint of the 1918 edition, supervised by William Godwin: http://romantic-circles.org/editions/frankenstein/textual
“The second English edition of Frankenstein was published on 11 August 1823 in two volumes (by G. and W. B. Whittaker) following the success of the stage play Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein by Richard Brinsley Peake. This edition credited Mary Shelley as the book's author on its title page.”
Another source describes it as a reprint of the 1918 edition, supervised by William Godwin: http://romantic-circles.org/editions/frankenstein/textual
4mr.philistine
>1 SF-72: She doesn't earn a lot of money, so affordability is a very relevant point.
Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, 1818 text, illus. Barry Moser, 1984 reprint (of 1983 Pennyroyal Press Ed.) by University of California Press in both HB and PB.
Some related posts from the FPF:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/115929#2875383
https://www.librarything.com/topic/306082
https://www.librarything.com/topic/342905
Oh, and an abridged audiobook of Frankenstein read by Christopher Lee :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNJZSoRU5r4
Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, 1818 text, illus. Barry Moser, 1984 reprint (of 1983 Pennyroyal Press Ed.) by University of California Press in both HB and PB.
Some related posts from the FPF:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/115929#2875383
https://www.librarything.com/topic/306082
https://www.librarything.com/topic/342905
Oh, and an abridged audiobook of Frankenstein read by Christopher Lee :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNJZSoRU5r4
5terebinth
Might this be of interest?
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30274511945
I've bought from this Indian publisher when I couldn't find a version of a text elsewhere - the half leather bindings aren't the most elegant but will last, and the book is a decent photocopy. They haven't listed volume 2, unless I've missed it, but an enquiry might result in confirmation of its availability.
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30274511945
I've bought from this Indian publisher when I couldn't find a version of a text elsewhere - the half leather bindings aren't the most elegant but will last, and the book is a decent photocopy. They haven't listed volume 2, unless I've missed it, but an enquiry might result in confirmation of its availability.
6Betelgeuse
If you don't care if it's part of a larger anthology, and if you really want an affordable edition, you can also find the 1818 version in a Barnes & Noble bonded leather-bound called "Penny Dreadfuls: Sensational Tales of Terror."
8SF-72
>3 jroger1:
Yes, exactly, that's the one. There was a photo of that edition on Twitter and I saw my friend asking if anyone knew of a re-release. I thought I might be able to surprise and help her by asking people here.
Can anyone confirm that it's just a reprint where the 1818 version was split into two volumes? If so, it really shouldn't be of that much interest to my friend. I'm sure it's about different versions for her.
>4 mr.philistine:
Thank you very much, I'm sure she'll enjoy the Christopher Lee audio book. That's a very nice combination.
As for the 1818 edition, she already has that, though I'm not sure in which version(s). The 1823 edition is a big draw since she doesn't have that at all. It looks like the other two are far more popular, but I frankly don't know about the differences between those and the one from 1823. The information that was provided with the photo of the original edition was that in this one, Mary Shelley's name was given for the first time, but I don't know what else might have differed. I know the novel, but I'm not the big collector and fan my friend is. If it's just a reprint (see above) that should solve the problem.
>5 terebinth:
Thank you, I just sent them an email. I don't really have high hopes, though. If it isn't available 9 years after vol. 1 was done by them, I'm not sure if they'll do vol. 2. Still, it's definitely worth a try. Thanks.
Yes, exactly, that's the one. There was a photo of that edition on Twitter and I saw my friend asking if anyone knew of a re-release. I thought I might be able to surprise and help her by asking people here.
Can anyone confirm that it's just a reprint where the 1818 version was split into two volumes? If so, it really shouldn't be of that much interest to my friend. I'm sure it's about different versions for her.
>4 mr.philistine:
Thank you very much, I'm sure she'll enjoy the Christopher Lee audio book. That's a very nice combination.
As for the 1818 edition, she already has that, though I'm not sure in which version(s). The 1823 edition is a big draw since she doesn't have that at all. It looks like the other two are far more popular, but I frankly don't know about the differences between those and the one from 1823. The information that was provided with the photo of the original edition was that in this one, Mary Shelley's name was given for the first time, but I don't know what else might have differed. I know the novel, but I'm not the big collector and fan my friend is. If it's just a reprint (see above) that should solve the problem.
>5 terebinth:
Thank you, I just sent them an email. I don't really have high hopes, though. If it isn't available 9 years after vol. 1 was done by them, I'm not sure if they'll do vol. 2. Still, it's definitely worth a try. Thanks.
9jroger1
>8 SF-72:
According to this source, there were more than 100 substantive changes in the 1823 edition: http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/Articles/murray.html
According to this source, there were more than 100 substantive changes in the 1823 edition: http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/Articles/murray.html
10terebinth
>8 SF-72:
On further examination, the Gyan offering mentions 548 pages, and that's about the total number of pages of the 1823 edition - archive.org has it,
https://archive.org/details/ost-english-frankenstein_or_the_modern_prometheus/pa...
Pagination is xi+249+280 plus blanks. So I'm rather expecting Gyan would use the archive.org file, and are just calling their offer Volume 1 because that's what the title page says - the two volumes are there together. They seem to be open to communication, so I think they would be happy to leave "Volume 1" off the binding - or maybe to split the work into two volumes and block the spines accordingly, for a higher price of course.
On further examination, the Gyan offering mentions 548 pages, and that's about the total number of pages of the 1823 edition - archive.org has it,
https://archive.org/details/ost-english-frankenstein_or_the_modern_prometheus/pa...
Pagination is xi+249+280 plus blanks. So I'm rather expecting Gyan would use the archive.org file, and are just calling their offer Volume 1 because that's what the title page says - the two volumes are there together. They seem to be open to communication, so I think they would be happy to leave "Volume 1" off the binding - or maybe to split the work into two volumes and block the spines accordingly, for a higher price of course.
11jroger1
>8 SF-72:
Perhaps this would be an item to search for: https://www.amazon.com/Frankenstein-modern-Prometheus-1823-Hardcover/dp/B011ONEL...
Perhaps this would be an item to search for: https://www.amazon.com/Frankenstein-modern-Prometheus-1823-Hardcover/dp/B011ONEL...
12terebinth
>11 jroger1:
That's a jacket style used by another, possibly the same, Indian print-on-demand operation. They list a vast number of titles, most of which nobody will ever order.
That's a jacket style used by another, possibly the same, Indian print-on-demand operation. They list a vast number of titles, most of which nobody will ever order.
13terebinth
>8 SF-72:
In case they help, a few photos of my fairly recent order from Gyan. Not fine press, of course, but agreeably done, and if your friend wants to be as close as she readily can to the experience of reading the 1823 edition this might be the way to go - though I'm not sure just how they would handle reproducing the smaller pages of the 1823 volumes, as it seems all their books are of this page size. Either the margins or the typeface would be very large, or they could compromise by being fairly generous with each. The black stone in the second image isn't part of the book.
In case they help, a few photos of my fairly recent order from Gyan. Not fine press, of course, but agreeably done, and if your friend wants to be as close as she readily can to the experience of reading the 1823 edition this might be the way to go - though I'm not sure just how they would handle reproducing the smaller pages of the 1823 volumes, as it seems all their books are of this page size. Either the margins or the typeface would be very large, or they could compromise by being fairly generous with each. The black stone in the second image isn't part of the book.
14SF-72
Thank you both very much, jroger1 and terebinth. Your information is very helpful. It definitely looks like the Indian book seller could have used the archive-org scan to produce their printed version, just minus some blank pages. I've sent an email and asked them just to be on the safe side, but I think this looks good.
The photos are also very helpful, terebinth, thank you for those. I've seen some pretty awful reprints based on scans, but these look really nice.
The list in post 9 about all the changes to the edition is also very interesting. It certainly shows this wasn't just a reprint of the 1818 edition, but more like a stage in the novel's development between 1818 and 1831. So for someone who is as interested in Frankenstein as my friend, these changes should make it worthwhile having this version, too.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me with this. I'll let you know what the seller on Abebooks will answer.
The photos are also very helpful, terebinth, thank you for those. I've seen some pretty awful reprints based on scans, but these look really nice.
The list in post 9 about all the changes to the edition is also very interesting. It certainly shows this wasn't just a reprint of the 1818 edition, but more like a stage in the novel's development between 1818 and 1831. So for someone who is as interested in Frankenstein as my friend, these changes should make it worthwhile having this version, too.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me with this. I'll let you know what the seller on Abebooks will answer.
15uncledaveh
>terebinth
Thank you for posting the Gyan pictures. I have been considering them for a few volumes, and it is nice to see photos of their actual work.
Thank you for posting the Gyan pictures. I have been considering them for a few volumes, and it is nice to see photos of their actual work.
16terebinth
>15 uncledaveh:
A pleasure. They seem to have moved away from offering plain hardbound books to these leather bindings, and often there's a "premium" full leather version at about twice the price - to me their standard work as shown above is more than good enough for a print-on-demand photocopy, even a sewn one (and I think their bindings are always sewn). Here's an instance, though, of the style in >11 jroger1:'s Amazon link above.
Again, a volume I couldn't locate in any other form, so I was delighted with what I received. They're of course limited by the quality of any particular scan they use, and they do add some extraneous matter at the front of the book - in this instance an advertising leaf, a half-title page with barcode and a half-title page with their symbol all in front of the actual half-title and title pages! This one is from 2018, I've just checked the volumes of The Month from I think late 2020 and the extra pages are all present again, but the advertisement has been moved to the back: a definite improvement.
A pleasure. They seem to have moved away from offering plain hardbound books to these leather bindings, and often there's a "premium" full leather version at about twice the price - to me their standard work as shown above is more than good enough for a print-on-demand photocopy, even a sewn one (and I think their bindings are always sewn). Here's an instance, though, of the style in >11 jroger1:'s Amazon link above.
Again, a volume I couldn't locate in any other form, so I was delighted with what I received. They're of course limited by the quality of any particular scan they use, and they do add some extraneous matter at the front of the book - in this instance an advertising leaf, a half-title page with barcode and a half-title page with their symbol all in front of the actual half-title and title pages! This one is from 2018, I've just checked the volumes of The Month from I think late 2020 and the extra pages are all present again, but the advertisement has been moved to the back: a definite improvement.
17uncledaveh
>terebinth
Thank you for the additional information. Can you tell me the height and width of their books? (It is my understanding they are all the same size.)
Thank you for the additional information. Can you tell me the height and width of their books? (It is my understanding they are all the same size.)
