1User2024
Folio Society is today doing the best work it has ever done in all its storied history. By leagues. Came here to cheers them, and express hope that they keep up the good work. As a casual reader of this forum, I can say in complete earnest that every new FS release, along with its incitements here, brings me great satisfaction.
Thank you FS!
Thank you FS!
3LesMiserables
>1 User2024: Ha! I'm just not exactly sure if you're in ernest or employing irony!
4FitzJames
>3 LesMiserables: I assumed the irony was as thick and cloying as treacle.
5RRCBS
I assume sarcasm, I bough wonder if so, why take the time to post? I often wonder about the trend towards coming on FSD just to make general complaints over and over. And before anyone says anything, I don’t think FS should be above criticism, but lately I wonder why some people bother to come on and make random sarcastic/“clever” comments?
6wcarter
>1 User2024:
I agree that the quality of recent FS books has been excellent. Most complaints have been about price rather than quality. Like every publisher, there can be quality glitches, but the FS has excellent customer service and usually rectifies these problems rapidly.
When you look back to the 1970s, many of the FS books were very ordinary. So much for the "good old days".
I agree that the quality of recent FS books has been excellent. Most complaints have been about price rather than quality. Like every publisher, there can be quality glitches, but the FS has excellent customer service and usually rectifies these problems rapidly.
When you look back to the 1970s, many of the FS books were very ordinary. So much for the "good old days".
7cronshaw
>3 LesMiserables: My thought too!
>6 wcarter: The 1970s certainly weren't the 'good old days', indeed I've heard no-one on these threads refer to them as such. However the period from the late 1990s to 2016 or thereabouts was pretty spectacular in terms of SE quality and value. The limited editions too were of far higher production quality.
>6 wcarter: The 1970s certainly weren't the 'good old days', indeed I've heard no-one on these threads refer to them as such. However the period from the late 1990s to 2016 or thereabouts was pretty spectacular in terms of SE quality and value. The limited editions too were of far higher production quality.
8gmacaree
>7 cronshaw: I agree with this period as peak FS in terms of quality to cost ratio. Even if you think the books themselves have got better since 2016 (I could see the argument) the price rises have made purchases harder to justify.
9kcshankd
I think the present SE quality is at least equivalent to my earliest Folio purchases, circa 1992. It helps me to check an inflation calculator, that a $40 US purchase then is almost $90 today.
10abysswalker
I agree that, controlling for taste regarding illustrations and choice of titles, design quality is as good as ever. And a lot of their title choice is compatible with my interests. And they remain head and shoulders above trade publishers when it comes to minimum materials standards. I never worry about glued bindings or acidic paper when I order from Folio. Brand reputation maintained in that regard.
But there has been a systematic trend toward cheaping out on choice of materials beyond that minimum standard. I don't think this should be controversial at all. Yes, sometimes a full paper binding is artistically warranted (original Clockwork Orange, Jurassic Park, etc.). But there are a lot of books in paper now that definitely would have been cloth or buckram or even quarter leather, even for SEs. And I haven't investigated systematically, but my impression is that using any paper nicer than Abbey Wove has become less common for standard editions. I would be curious which, if any, of the editions in the current collection are printed on nicer papers.
Imagine something like the Russell history of philosophy as a not particularly expensive SE now. Would never happen. Maybe this is in line with the other cost increases mentioned by >6 wcarter: but I feel like it is a double, triple, or quadruple hit: cheaper materials on average PLUS higher base costs PLUS additional surcharge for non-UK customers (which comes in two layers for those of us in Canada, since we need to use the US site now).
I think I just talked myself into delaying my Wild Sheep Chase order even longer.
But there has been a systematic trend toward cheaping out on choice of materials beyond that minimum standard. I don't think this should be controversial at all. Yes, sometimes a full paper binding is artistically warranted (original Clockwork Orange, Jurassic Park, etc.). But there are a lot of books in paper now that definitely would have been cloth or buckram or even quarter leather, even for SEs. And I haven't investigated systematically, but my impression is that using any paper nicer than Abbey Wove has become less common for standard editions. I would be curious which, if any, of the editions in the current collection are printed on nicer papers.
Imagine something like the Russell history of philosophy as a not particularly expensive SE now. Would never happen. Maybe this is in line with the other cost increases mentioned by >6 wcarter: but I feel like it is a double, triple, or quadruple hit: cheaper materials on average PLUS higher base costs PLUS additional surcharge for non-UK customers (which comes in two layers for those of us in Canada, since we need to use the US site now).
I think I just talked myself into delaying my Wild Sheep Chase order even longer.
11LesMiserables
>10 abysswalker: Kind of sums it up for me. I almost always buy Folio Society editions second hand now, bar via FS sales, and even that is now a rarity.
Yes, the likes of Russell's History of Western Philosophy, Burkholders's History of Western Music, Chaucer's Troilus (1990) we won't see again at reasonable prices.
Yes, the likes of Russell's History of Western Philosophy, Burkholders's History of Western Music, Chaucer's Troilus (1990) we won't see again at reasonable prices.
12cwl
The value test for me has always been to ask myself if I saw a book randomly in a physical bookshop, with no brand loyalty or other marketing and offered at x price, would I buy it? Too often recently the answer is a definite no, which is very different from the way things once were and what led me to FS in the first place. Very often it was quite the reverse in the days of the FS reading room, where a purchase would be made after perusing the book in question. So yes, it is ultimately a personal question.
14Cat_of_Ulthar
>10 abysswalker: 'I would be curious which, if any, of the editions in the current collection are printed on nicer papers.'
I haven't seen all of the new books but these ones use papers other than Abbey Wove. Whether they are nicer is perhaps your own opinion.
Mary Poppins: Abbey Lynx Rough
The Nutcracker: Abbey Pure Rough
A Night to Remember: Arena Rough
The Mirror and the Light: Abbey Pure
I haven't seen all of the new books but these ones use papers other than Abbey Wove. Whether they are nicer is perhaps your own opinion.
Mary Poppins: Abbey Lynx Rough
The Nutcracker: Abbey Pure Rough
A Night to Remember: Arena Rough
The Mirror and the Light: Abbey Pure
15SF-72
>13 mr.philistine:
I just waxed enthusiastic about that phase to a friend. I really liked what he did.
I just waxed enthusiastic about that phase to a friend. I really liked what he did.
16PartTimeBookAddict
>14 Cat_of_Ulthar: Thank you. What is your opinion of "A Night to Remember"? How is the fold-out plan? I don't think they posted an image of it.
17Cat_of_Ulthar
>16 PartTimeBookAddict: I've only read the intro and first chapter but I'm enjoying it so far.
The cloth binding feels nice, very smooth, not as rough as silk.
Compared to the Abbey Wove used in All the Pretty Horses, the Arena Rough paper is whiter (bright white rather than cream) and stiffer and does feel a little rougher.
It's copiously illustrated with four sets of plates inserted at intervals plus numerous other pictures scattered through the text.
There is an image of the plan on Folio's website but they have the book on top of it so you can't see the whole thing. It looks sort of pink on my computer screen but the physical item looks grey to me, probably something to do with different lighting. It's very large, 26 ¼ inches x 31 ¼ inches, which I think might be 'Atlas' in the old Imperial sizes (see: https://www.papersizes.org/old-english-uncut.htm).
I do find it quite useful for getting a sense of the layout of the ship and its sheer size. And the little boy in me loves a cut-away or a plan :-)
The cloth binding feels nice, very smooth, not as rough as silk.
Compared to the Abbey Wove used in All the Pretty Horses, the Arena Rough paper is whiter (bright white rather than cream) and stiffer and does feel a little rougher.
It's copiously illustrated with four sets of plates inserted at intervals plus numerous other pictures scattered through the text.
There is an image of the plan on Folio's website but they have the book on top of it so you can't see the whole thing. It looks sort of pink on my computer screen but the physical item looks grey to me, probably something to do with different lighting. It's very large, 26 ¼ inches x 31 ¼ inches, which I think might be 'Atlas' in the old Imperial sizes (see: https://www.papersizes.org/old-english-uncut.htm).
I do find it quite useful for getting a sense of the layout of the ship and its sheer size. And the little boy in me loves a cut-away or a plan :-)
18PartTimeBookAddict
>17 Cat_of_Ulthar: Thank you. It sounds nice. Definitely on my wish list.
The movie is really good as well and worth a watch if you like the book.
The movie is really good as well and worth a watch if you like the book.
19ultrarightist
>7 cronshaw: Agreed
20PartTimeBookAddict
>17 Cat_of_Ulthar: I see the image with the plan now. It looks nice. I swear it wasn't up before.
Good listening, mole!
Good listening, mole!
