Frankenstein LE 2022

I just received this email like others here I assume for 'gothic horror’s most famous monster'

I momentarily thought it couldn't be Frankenstein or they would have simply reprinted the 2004 edition. But then I realised this looks like it could be the work of Angela Barrett, which would indeed suggest a new Limited Edition of Frankenstein in series with Dracula.

>2 ubiquitousuk: You could be right about Angela Barrett. I shudder to think what the price the LE would be based on how much The Turn of the Screw is.

>2 ubiquitousuk: Hope you’re right:)

>3 assemblyman: I shudder to think what the price the LE would be based on how much The Turn of the Screw is.

Turn of the Screw is just a ripoff. I am exceedingly satisfied with the SE. But I seem to recall the Dracula LE, illustrated by Angerla Barrett, bound in leather, was very reasonably priced - £235?

>6 SF-72:

I doubt they'll stick to that price, if that's what it was. Prices have unfortunately exploded during the last few years. And yes, Turn of the Screw really feels like a total ripoff.

>6 SF-72:

The Dracula LE was as recent as 2019. I accept the Frankenstein will almost certainy be more but surely not on the scale of Turn of the Screw.

>7 folio_books: >6 SF-72: Thinking cynically, I wonder was The Turn of the Screw a test to see if people would buy at that inflated price. FS have only sold 65 so far after just checking, so they may come down from £500 but I would not say by much. Frankenstein is also a bigger draw than Turn of the Screw. Just look at the older edition prices on the secondary market.

I preferred Abigail Rorer's Dracula illustrations to Barrett's versions and really, really like the Brockway Frankenstein illustrations from 2004 so it will probably be a pass for me. I have the 2004 and am quite happy with it and really don't need to overpay for a Barrett version.

Folio needs new ideas. The Brockway version was 2004 and was reprinted in a second version later so even with the anniversary this feels like them covering the same ground. Once again they are playing it safe and trying to mimic what already worked with the unnecesary Dracula LE that appeared so soon after the Rorer version instead of trying anything new. It's boring.

Also, not every horror selection needs to be gothic. How would you fantasy fans feel if Folio refused to publish any fantasy that didn't have a dragon in it because that was their limited view of what fantasy is supposed to mean? It would get old fast.

If this in the same style as the Dracula LE and impresses me with the design I might be tempted.

Although I agree with comments that this is likely to cost more on a like-for-like basis. Minimum of £295 I’d guess.

There's no way this doesn't eventually become a standard edition, so I see little incentive to pay exorbitant prices for the LE.

Also, while I do not own the previous FS edition of Frankenstein, from what I've seen it looks pretty attractive. I think it will be difficult for this newer edition to top it.

For me, there's simply no better illustrated version of Frankenstein than the Bernie Wrightson one. Stunning pen and ink renditions of the key moments of the novel.

>12 DaveGLeeds: could not agree more

>12 DaveGLeeds:
>13 whytewolf1:

Both the Centipede Press edition (2006) with full set of Lynd Ward's wood engravings from the 1934 edition and the expensive Pennyroyal Press edition with Barry Moser wood engravings (1983) would get my votes for top illustrated versions of Frankenstein.

>14 dlphcoracl: I agree. I have the Centipede edition and it is one of my favourite books. The closest I've come to the Pennyroyal was at a British Library exhibition and mightily impressive it appeared to be. Not having the megabucks required to purchase a copy I made do with the University of California paperback edition in order to have a set of the Moser illustrations. Having said all that, I do rather like the old Folio edition illustrated by Harry Brockway.

ETA, the illustration in >1 assemblyman: reminds me very much of Mervyn Peake's illustrations for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

>15 HuxleyTheCat: Getting off topic a bit, but I think my favorite illustrations for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner are Garrick Palmer's wood engravings in the Folio Society 1994 edition. I'd love to have a letterpress edition of that, with the illustrations printed from the original blocks....

>16 kermaier: Agreed. The 1994 edition is a super little book and perfectly proportioned for the work. If you haven’t seen a copy already, have a look at Palmer’s engravings for the Imprint Society edition of Benito Cereno, a high quality production which can be found for rather less than a basic Folio.

>14 dlphcoracl: do you have a take on the Centipede versus the 1934 original. As I understand it, the Centipede isn't letterpress and the original isn't actually that expensive. But is there something that makes the Centipede more desirable?

Hello all,

May I ask all you longterm Folio readers what you think the price will be for the Frankenstein LE? Will it be more than Dracula LE, and if so, how much more?

AND, how many copies they will have for sale?

AND, if you think it will sell out instantaneously like the Haunting of Hill House?

Thanks!

>17 HuxleyTheCat: Are those the same Palmer engravings as the FS 1967 edition of Bartleby/Billy Budd/Benito Cereno?

>18 ubiquitousuk:

Neither the original 1934 edition nor the Centipede Press edition (2006) is printed letterpress.

The 1934 edition published by Smith and Haas is notable only for being the 1st edition with Lynd Ward's wood engravings and its appeal is to collectors of 1st editions, not collectors of fine & private press books. It is a generic octavo-sized trade book that is rarely found in collectible condition and it is usually soiled, rubbed and grubby. A copy in VG++ or better IS expensive, typically $500-$600.

By contrast, the Centipede edition is considerably larger (large quarto) measuring 7 3/4 x 12 inches. It is also very attractively designed with black quarter leather spine and red & black cloth covered boards patterend with one of Ward's full page illustrations. The paper is good quality and is fairly bright. The combination of brighter paper and larger size gives Lynd Ward's full page wood engravings a power and dramatic quality not found in the 1934 edition. It was issued as an unnumbered limitation of 300 copies and it is quite scarce on the secondary market. When it does appear it commands a premium price in the $700-$800 range in NF or fine condition.

For me, the Lynd Ward illustrations stand at the top of the heap with the Barry Moser wood engravings a close second. Incidentally, the octavo (8vo) Folio Society edition (2016) that was part of the short-lived FS Collectable Series, which was initially reviled by the FSD-ers, is VERY attractive with nine splendid wood engravings by Harry Brockway. Although not a limited edition, it has become a collector's item and is extremely rare. It was originally published at a cost of (IIRC) $35 or $40.

>21 dlphcoracl:
Like all of the Collectables this one is a reissue of an earlier standard volume which contained the same Brockway engravings. For some reason Folio never mentioned the earlier volume in any of the Collectables, though they did give the correct date for the illustrations. Personally I like those Collectables I have. The paper is good, the type more generously spaced, and for me there's nothing wrong with the more flexible cloth covers. There is of course no slipcase.

>21 dlphcoracl:
>22 Jayked:

I have the older FS edition with the Brockway engravings, slipcase and different cover / binding. I much prefer it to the Collectable, which in my case had a strong chemical smell. I'm sensitive there, admittedly, but it was intense enough to give me trouble breathing.

>20 kermaier: "Are those the same Palmer engravings as the FS 1967 edition of Bartleby/Billy Budd/Benito Cereno?"

I don't have the books to hand in order to be able to take some photographs for you but, as far as I can remember, no, the engravings are different. In some cases there are very strong similarities, but the overall impression is that those for the Folio book are less fully formed than those in the Imprint Society edition, more like drafts.

>24 HuxleyTheCat: I stand duly enabled! :-)

>25 kermaier: Try and get a seller to send you some photographs, as I said, I’m working from memory.

Limited Edition. $450 in the US. https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/frankenstein-limited-edition.html

£300. The Folio Society has again not accurately reflected current exchange rates. It looks fine but not worth the price IMO.

For the UK:

https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/frankenstein-limited-edition.html

£300, limitation 750

I think it looks great! Just what I was hoping for; the same style as Dracula 😊 Ordered!

Cheaper than Turn of the Screw with higher limitation which is good as I can ponder it longer. I like the illustrations but I prefer the previous Brockway ones. I was not sure about the Dracula LE when it came out but when I received the SE as a gift I really liked it. Like the Dracula LE it should easily sell out.

Nearly 50 sold already.

>27 hoyasaxa: Yes, a good-looking volume, but not worth the nearly +50% price add-on in the US. Still, I imagine it'll sell out easily enough in the UK, and their price is certainly reasonable.

Now that’s a price I can get behind. There’s a big market for sub $500 LE’s

>31 assemblyman:

Thanks again for the head's up and I've put in my order--and I just received The Pearl (number 199--an odd number for a leftover).

American collectors should compare it to this one: https://www.eastonpress.com/deluxe-editions/mary-shelleys-frankenstein-3656.html

>34 podaniel: I hope you enjoy it. It's a lovely LE.

First impressions are really positive, and I will probably be buying it. Looks like we predicted the GBP price fairly accurately.

The US price seems more absurd than ever. I know the current financial situation is highly unstable, with speculators shorting some currencies and flocking to others, but I’d love to be a fly on the wall in Folio’s meetings with their accountants and financial advisors.

Do they hedge for currencies changes, or make things up on the fly?

And someone's already listed it on eBay for 745GBP, joining the odious ranks which include Island Books.

...and it's up for sale on eBay for £745 £695 (only!) from a 'literary lady' with a Make Offer button if you wish to roll the dice!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225180863480

Does the title of this thread deserve an LE like it's counterpart Dracula LE?

ETA: reduced price!

>39 mr.philistine: I’m tempted to message and say I’ll offer £3,000 if they can send by next day delivery tomorrow.

Or just offer £299.99.

>40 Uppernorwood: I'm sure they would have the limitation number to hand if it was asked for also.

It does look quite nice and glad to see it's a more reasonable price as compared to some of the last few LEs. Looks like they've sold almost 1/4 of the stock already and it's only been live for around 3.5 hours so would suggest it'll be gone before tomorrow.

Nearly 200 sold already, not bad going. My pondering time gets shorter and shorter. It would have been easier if I hadn't finally snagged a FS Beowulf yesterday :(

>40 Uppernorwood: For £3000 they would probably drive to bring the book to you themselves tomorrow (straight after receiving it)!

Note that the new FS LE of Frankenstein uses the vastly inferior 1831 text instead of the original 1818 text. This is a non-starter for me, at any price.

>45 dlphcoracl: FS describe it as the 'authoritative 1831 text'.

>45 dlphcoracl:
“On 31 October 1831, the first "popular" edition in one volume appeared, published by Henry Colburn & Richard Bentley. This edition was heavily revised by Mary Shelley, partially to make the story less radical. It included a lengthy new preface by the author, presenting a somewhat embellished version of the genesis of the story. This edition is the one most widely published and read now, although a few editions follow the 1818 text. Some scholars prefer the original version, arguing that it preserves the spirit of Mary Shelley's vision.” - Wikipedia

>46 mr.philistine:
>47 jroger1:

The Wikipedia description aptly and accurately describes why the original 1818 edition is superior to the 1831. The original edition was shocking and controversial, so much so that Mary Shelley extensively 'revised', i.e., butchered, the original version to make it more palatable and appealing to a wider audience. It lacks the vision and power of the original.

A good and useful rule of thumb in deciding between which edition of a famous work of literature to get if it has been revised:

Always (well, almost always) go with the original version. The revisions become progressively worse and stray far from the inspiration and genius of the original version. Classic examples:

1. The Prelude by William Wordsworth
2. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Edward Fitzgerald
3. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

Angela Barrett's illustrations are not as interesting as Brockway's. His were a little more gruesome - this is a book about a main character created from cut up and sewn together cadavers, after all. Barrett's version looks more old lady friendly with that soft, safe look Folio seems to prefer these days.

I really think Folio does a huge diservice to their International customers. The markup from 300 BPS to $450 for the US is horrible. If I paid this in British Pounds on my credit card I would pay $322 based on today's currency conversion rate. I have stopped buying books from Folio. So if they are using the US to prop up their bottom line their strategy is backfiring since they are now losing customers. Last year I bought about $2500 directly from Folio Society on books. This year I've spent nothing.

>39 mr.philistine: Does the title of this thread deserve an LE like it's counterpart Dracula LE?

Done.

Colour me disappointed. Frontispiece and only 7 plate illustrations (compared to 14 in Dracula) for this far shorter work at a price considerably more than that of the Dracula LE, despite the same limitation number. I'll stick with my standard Folio edition with Harry Brockway's woodcuts which I find much more evocative.

>45 dlphcoracl: the harry brockway illustrated 2004 FS edition also follows the 1831 edition.

>43 assemblyman: Nearly 200 sold already

Where are you getting the numbers from, Brendan?

>54 folio_books: By how much I can put in my basket. 462 left now after I just did a check so 288 gone.

>50 hamletscamaro: Agreed. As others have pointed out, there are many options available. There is the nicely done EP DLE for $300, which according to EP is "Last Chance" - which I believe means they are close to selling out although they unfortunately do not note how many copies are left
https://www.eastonpress.com/deluxe-editions/mary-shelleys-frankenstein-3656.html

The Centipede Press edition, as was noted, is majestic because of the Lynd Ward illustrations. Now, I might be very unfortunate, but my copy started to deteriorate. Parts of the cover, which I believe was covered in quarter fake-leather, just starting to come apart. I've never had any other CP book do this, and it was a very early publication so I suspect either some of the quality control got lost or maybe I just got unlucky.

There is the letterpress Arion Press edition
https://www.arionpress.com/store/115-frankenstein
At $1200, it's expensive. But, it is letterpress and I think the illustrations are quite beautiful and fitting. Not a big fan of the cover. Still, if money were no objective this would be my purchase.

Another letterpress edition is the LEC. I do not like the LEC edition because the illustrations by Everett Henry are ruined due to them being colored. As an example:

>56 astropi: although they unfortunately do not note how many copies are left

There's a red banner across the top that says 46 copies left.

>56 astropi:

"Now I might be unfortunate.......... . '

You are not unfortunate. The "leather" used for the quarter-leather spine is (or must be) faux leather because it literally disintegrates upon touch. Every copy of the Centipede Press 'Frankenstein' I have seen demonstrates rubbing, abrasions, and loss of leather along the black spine. This can be prevented or minimized by using a clear Dura-Lar dust wrapper so that you eliminate direct contact with the faux leather spine. If this maneuver doesn't work, the book must then be rebacked by a professional bookbinder, replacing the faux leather with black Oasis goatskin (morocco) leather.

>57 rsmac: I seriously did not see that :)

>58 dlphcoracl: Thanks, I figured I most likely was not the only one...

>45 dlphcoracl: "...vastly inferior 1831 text..."

While I agree with you that in general it's best to go with the first version, in this case I'm not sure the difference is as drastic as you shared here. Earlier this year we read the book in my book club, and found that some unintentionally purchased different versions of the story. While initially concerning, we struggled to find significant differences between them. Yes, there were subtle differences here and there but nothing that significantly changed the story or reading experience, at least not that we could detect in our discussions.

>56 astropi: Another version worth consideration is the recently published Amaranthine Books. While some might label it as gimmicky, when I watched the video of the publisher explaining the design choices (on their Facebook page from June 26th) I found that it was rather interesting. Their "Doctor" edition is $480, so right in the same ballpark cost wise as the Folio LE (at least for US customers).

https://amaranthinebooks.com/portfolio/frankenstein-or-the-modern-prometheus/

>56 astropi: >58 dlphcoracl: I can only speak about my own copy of the Centipede edition (purchased secondhand), but it is pristine with no 'disintegration' at all. No mylar or any other protection is in use, it's out on an open shelf and the book has been relocated (minimal bubble wrap in a cardboard box) 200 miles. Maybe it's something to do with the UK climate?

ETA Having just re-read your comments at >21 dlphcoracl: I'm going to immediately wrap it in silk and put it away in a locked box in a darkened room: the way the UK economy is going I may soon need to sell it to buy a loaf of bread!

>60 ExLibrisDavid: Here is a useful article about the differences between the two editions: http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/Articles/mellor9.html

A counter has appeared on the Frankenstein LE webpage. It currently shows "Low Stock: 400 left".

>55 assemblyman:

Ah, I didn't think about that one. But now I see the low stock counter has appeared. >64 pythagoras: Much easier!

>65 folio_books: Yes this looks well on its way to selling out easily enough. I think I will leave this one and may pick up the probable SE to follow, but I was reading some of the Brockway edition last night and I feel quite happy with it and still prefer his illustrations. Have you received yours yet Glenn?

>66 assemblyman:

Yes, I received mine this morning and am pleased with it. In today's uncertain climate I think it's good value for money. I'm a big fan of Harry Brockway so I know where you're coming from, but this is a great companion to the Dracula LE, hence the purchase.

>67 folio_books: As a Brockway fan, my 2004 Folio Frankenstein where Brockway is giving me dissected corpses is matching my Centipede Press "Powers of Darkness" version of Dracula where Brockway is giving me a full-on vampire orgy, so that's way better than Barrett's conservative granny versions of Dracula or Frankenstein.

>68 rsmac: I felt the problem with Angela Barrett's Dracula illustrations were that they were largely without any sense of drama, and all the figures like little posed toys (Transylvanian Families maybe?), very small and unscary and too far away - like pictures from a Holga camera. Having said that, these seem better, and they will make a nice LE set. If it weren't for the illustrations being not quite to my taste, I would have pounced on both. I'm a Brockway Boy as well, though I have never seen it for a reasonable price.

>69 red_guy: Sent you a PM

Does anyone happen to know where Folio’s Frankenstein LE was printed and bound? Thanks in advance for any info!

Reading from the limitation page in the promotional video, it was printed by Memminger Mediencentrum and bound at Richard Mayer Buchbinderei, Esslingen/Zell.

>65 folio_books: But now I see the low stock counter has appeared

And lo! It's gone.

The over half sold sign is up but they have now restricted the number that can go in your basket to two, so you can't do a count yourself. Why wait until now to do that?

Frankenstein is sold out...

Hoping for a reprint of the SE. This LE struck me as Easton Press in design and as such (for my personal taste) not desirable.

>76 L.Bloom: i own a lot of easton press books and i'm curious what EP book that looks even remotely close to the FS LE

>77 HamburgerHelper: I suspect >76 L.Bloom: meant: like Easton in that this LE is a full leather binding with relatively literal foil blocked design. I haven't seen it in person, but I agree, though I suspect the LE binding will be executed to a slightly higher standard given the bindery.

>78 abysswalker: This is correct. Mind, I haven't seen the thing in person but the design looks a bit boring and uninspired on the site.

>78 abysswalker: oh ok but it looks nothing like easton press. lyras numbered christmas carol looks more like easton press than this LE