Best edition of the complete works of Jane Austen?
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1lucasdee
My wife loves Jane Austen, and I'd like to get her a complete set of Austen's novels for Christmas. I came very close to purchasing the Penguin Classics set that runs for about $120-$130, but there were enough bad reviews about ugly stickers and pages falling out that I decided not to.
I have read on this forum reference to the Easton Press edition, but... $500-$600 is, um, a bit much!
Anyone here have some recommendations on top-quality printed editions of Jane Austen's works?
Thanks!
I have read on this forum reference to the Easton Press edition, but... $500-$600 is, um, a bit much!
Anyone here have some recommendations on top-quality printed editions of Jane Austen's works?
Thanks!
2cpg
I really liked the Everyman's Library editions I got: Sewn bindings, good paper, decent printing, but no illustrations. It looks like the 6 canonical novels might cost under $150, depending on where you shop.
3lucasdee
Thanks for the suggestion!
My head is truly beginning to spin as I search through all the different editions of Jane Austen's works. Here are a few highlights, for anyone who passes by:
* Penguin classics (already mentioned above): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/529573/jane-austen-the-complete-works-7...
This one looks good, until you read the reviews on Amazon. I may still go with it, but I'd be nervous.
* I am completely befuddled by the reference to the Everyman's library, above. Here's one set that calls itself the everyman's edition: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31029756712
But then there's this: http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/classics-author.aspx?letter=A&search=&...
And when you try to find those on the American page for the Everyman's library, you get books that look like this: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/6403/sense-and-sensibility-by-jane-aust...
Anyway, here are a few more options:
* Harvard University Press has an annotated set that is very tempting: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/features/austen/
However, the books are fairly large, so they aren't the kind of thing you just casually pull off the shelf to read from time to time. I think I'd prefer to get her a handsome, well-done book that she can just pick up and read anytime.
* Macmillan has an edition that was also tempting: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/jane-austen/the-jane-austen-collection/9781...
However, it is described as a "pocket edition", and the books are tiny! I think they are basically 6" x 4". No thanks.
* Thomas Nelson is printing a series called their "Seasons" editions of various classics, and they have so far published 3 of the Jane Austen books. They look handsome: https://www.amazon.com/Emma-Seasons-Spring-Jane-Austen/dp/078523974X
Developing...
My head is truly beginning to spin as I search through all the different editions of Jane Austen's works. Here are a few highlights, for anyone who passes by:
* Penguin classics (already mentioned above): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/529573/jane-austen-the-complete-works-7...
This one looks good, until you read the reviews on Amazon. I may still go with it, but I'd be nervous.
* I am completely befuddled by the reference to the Everyman's library, above. Here's one set that calls itself the everyman's edition: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31029756712
But then there's this: http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/classics-author.aspx?letter=A&search=&...
And when you try to find those on the American page for the Everyman's library, you get books that look like this: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/6403/sense-and-sensibility-by-jane-aust...
Anyway, here are a few more options:
* Harvard University Press has an annotated set that is very tempting: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/features/austen/
However, the books are fairly large, so they aren't the kind of thing you just casually pull off the shelf to read from time to time. I think I'd prefer to get her a handsome, well-done book that she can just pick up and read anytime.
* Macmillan has an edition that was also tempting: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/jane-austen/the-jane-austen-collection/9781...
However, it is described as a "pocket edition", and the books are tiny! I think they are basically 6" x 4". No thanks.
* Thomas Nelson is printing a series called their "Seasons" editions of various classics, and they have so far published 3 of the Jane Austen books. They look handsome: https://www.amazon.com/Emma-Seasons-Spring-Jane-Austen/dp/078523974X
Developing...
4cpg
>3 lucasdee: "I am completely befuddled by the reference to the Everyman's library, above"
The volumes at your first two links look identical to me. And if at the third link you click on the Hardcover button, the book depicted there looks identical in style to those at the first two links.
The volumes at your first two links look identical to me. And if at the third link you click on the Hardcover button, the book depicted there looks identical in style to those at the first two links.
6Willoyd
>1 lucasdee:
My set of complete Jane Austen novels is one published by the Folio Society, and I can thoroughly recommend it as a reasonably priced and IMO very attractive option.
They've done the full set twice. The first was initially published as individual books from 1957 onwards, but then reset as a complete set in 1975, the set being in a single slipcase. It was reprinted several times, each time in a different colour. My set is the 7th impression, issued in 1989 in red. Books are introduced by Richard Church and illustrated with wood engravings by Joan Hassall. I love the set as a really well balanced, eminently readable collection. There are 7 volumes: one for each full-length novel, and a 7th covering her shorter works. At least one advert on ebay.com says 6 volumes, but shows 7! It's only available on the second hand market, but you should be able to pick up a nice set for £60-80 ($80-$100) pretty easily - there are several sets currently available on ebay and on abebooks. I like Everyman books, and have a fair number, but for me this is far nicer. It would make a lovely present.
Somewhat pricier is the second set, which is still available new from Folio Society. It's more opulent, with a gold theme a different artist for each volume (in colour, which some people value), and each book individually slipcased, but comes in at almost £40 ($60??) a volume. Lovely, but to be honest, I am very happy with, and indeed prefer, the older set (others may disagree!). This set consists only of the 6 volumes of full-length novels.
Photos are widely available of both versions: just google 'folio society jane austen' and choose Images. Anything in gold is the second set, the rest are the first (with the caveat below). Older editions of the first series tend to have faded spines, but more recent ones can still look pretty much like new.
Be warned that there was another series that the FS started but never completed in around 2007 - this can be distinguished by the fact that each volume has a framed oval portrait on the cover, and were all illustrated by Niroot Puttapipat.
My set of complete Jane Austen novels is one published by the Folio Society, and I can thoroughly recommend it as a reasonably priced and IMO very attractive option.
They've done the full set twice. The first was initially published as individual books from 1957 onwards, but then reset as a complete set in 1975, the set being in a single slipcase. It was reprinted several times, each time in a different colour. My set is the 7th impression, issued in 1989 in red. Books are introduced by Richard Church and illustrated with wood engravings by Joan Hassall. I love the set as a really well balanced, eminently readable collection. There are 7 volumes: one for each full-length novel, and a 7th covering her shorter works. At least one advert on ebay.com says 6 volumes, but shows 7! It's only available on the second hand market, but you should be able to pick up a nice set for £60-80 ($80-$100) pretty easily - there are several sets currently available on ebay and on abebooks. I like Everyman books, and have a fair number, but for me this is far nicer. It would make a lovely present.
Somewhat pricier is the second set, which is still available new from Folio Society. It's more opulent, with a gold theme a different artist for each volume (in colour, which some people value), and each book individually slipcased, but comes in at almost £40 ($60??) a volume. Lovely, but to be honest, I am very happy with, and indeed prefer, the older set (others may disagree!). This set consists only of the 6 volumes of full-length novels.
Photos are widely available of both versions: just google 'folio society jane austen' and choose Images. Anything in gold is the second set, the rest are the first (with the caveat below). Older editions of the first series tend to have faded spines, but more recent ones can still look pretty much like new.
Be warned that there was another series that the FS started but never completed in around 2007 - this can be distinguished by the fact that each volume has a framed oval portrait on the cover, and were all illustrated by Niroot Puttapipat.
