New editions of Jane Austen’s novels from Worth Press
Alert Janeite Sibylle let us know that Worth Press will publish attractive new “Winchester Editions” of Jane Austen’s novels that include 12-page introductions and information about “characters, locations and times of Jane Austen” and featuring color reproductions of Hugh Thomson’s illustrations. A PDF download claims the books are available now, though Sibylle said they will be published in February 2008. Here’s Northanger Abbey–links at the bottom of the page include the other novels.
December 4th, 2007 at 8:50 am
Hmmm. I have some doubts on this one. The first entry says:
‘Catherine Morland is the fourth child and eldest daughter of the Rev. Richard Morley’s large family…’
Looks like it may need some copy-editing…
December 4th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Oh yes, I hadn’t seen that
I hope they edited it afterwards… Anyway it says February on Amazon, maybe it was delayed.
December 4th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
These editions are already available in Australia, I noticed them in Dymocks last week and thought they looked very unusual. They look like those expensive journals one buys in designer stationery section and even possess a black elastic band to keep them closed!
December 4th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Like Moleskines, you mean?
Are they hardbacks, or softcovers? I wasn’t sure from the description. Or is it, like you said, like a Moleskine? The covers are stiff but not very sturdy–they’re easy to bend.
(Parenthetically–there are Moleskine blogs? Seems like kind of an oxymoron!)
December 4th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Yes, they look like oversized Moleskines with stiff covers (about the size of a trade paperback) with the novel’s name written in coloured metallic script on the front.
Can’t say the appealed to me much.
December 5th, 2007 at 1:56 am
Too bad, they looked great in theory
December 5th, 2007 at 4:03 am
Eeeck! They have colourized Hugh Thomson’s illustrations! Is Ted Turner their editor?
Swooning from shock over here!
December 5th, 2007 at 8:00 am
I think they were colorized originally, weren’t they?
December 5th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Nope. Black & white line drawings only in JA editions. Thomson did work in colour, but for other authors. The colour versions that one sees about, have been added by another hand.
Like when Ted Turner decided to colorized older black & white movies, they never look quite right. (personally, it is disrespectful to the artist’s original intension)