OT: Nice Editions of Harry Potter

I’m still a fan and have a Bloomsbury cloth hardcover set, though I don’t think the binding is sewn. I see a deluxe (quite expensive!) set was started a few years ago, but from what I see, it was never completed. Does anyone have a recommendation?

I have the Bloomsbury HP "gift" editions set, and yes, although the binding is not sewn, they're still pretty sturdy and match reasonably well with my Folios as they all come in an individual slipcase. They certainly don't match the quality of a Folio, the covers are a light cardboard material that looks nice but feels cheap. I looked into the deluxe illustrated editions before I purchased these and my understanding was that they're slowly releasing them one at a time - I'm not 100% sure, but I remember this being my impression when I looked into it a few years ago. Hopefully, the complete set will be available in the near future - they're probably the best you can buy.

I have the 'deluxe illustrated slipcase editions'. They are a well made, cloth covered, sewn binding, with gold lettering and illustrations on the spines and covers of both the book and the slipcase. There's a few videos on YouTube which show them off pretty well. They are releasing the whole Potter series but are doing so at the rate that Jim Kay, the illustrator, can produce his work. The paper is the same throughout and is somewhat glossy, and thick. They are effectively and generously illustrated. They look great on the shelf.

They are also huge, and heavy. This is the biggest drawback. The Goblet of Fire is around five kilos, so what the rest of the series will amount to I don't know. It's also worth noting that the same illustrations are available in a more regular - smaller but still oversized - hardback edition. I didn't realise this when I bought the deluxe ones to read to my children, given the choice I would opt for the regular, partly for cost and partly for readability in terms of the size.

>1 RRCBS: Ludlow Bookbinders offer a Bloomsbury set;

https://www.ludlowbookbinders.co.uk/ludlowRareBooks.asp

Towards the bottom of the page.

I've got the deluxe illustrated editions and definitely prefer them to the regular / smaller ones. The illustrations work really well for me. That being said: Yes, they are rather large and heavy, so I also got the MinaLima editions, which are regular sized but still very lovingly made with lots of illustrations (the style is very different) and some fun extras, like paper objects within the book. Neither set is complete yet, it takes some time for the illustrators to do their work.

I always thought and still think a Folio Society Harry Potter edition would be a match made in heaven.

>7 Eastonorfolio:

Absolutely, though I currently don't have high hopes with two editions already being in production.

>7 Eastonorfolio: I think that would sell like hotcakes, even though the author has put her foot in her mouth a few times the past few years!

>6 SF-72: I'm also a big fan of the MinaLima editions, and will be buying them as they come out (only the first two have been done so far). I imagine that even these books will be quite chunky by the time they get to book 4.

>10 TheEconomist:

Yes, that's to be expected unless they start splitting them up into two volumes, which I unfortunately doubt will happen.

I have the Jim Kay and the Minalima. I love both but the Minalima covers are quite fragile and are already worn…just something to keep in mind. And I am very careful with my books! I will likely need to replace my Year 1 Minalima.

>6 SF-72: I just took a look at the MinaLima editions and they are incredible! The illustrations are superb and the prices are very reasonable.

>13 Eastonorfolio:

Yes, it's really amazing what you get there, the majority of the pages are illustrated in some way and it's very creative.

>14 SF-72: are the bindings sewn?

>15 RRCBS:

Yes, they are.

As can be ascertained by all the replies above and after further investigation, there are far too many editions differentiated by illustrators, bindings and cover art. However, if I might be so bold, I believe the choice is fairly simple for a Folio Society enthusiast - Jim Kay illustrations or MinaLima illustrations. Only both these editions by Bloomsbury Publishing are FULLY illustrated in colour. The Bloomsbury Slipcased Gift Edition appear to have only illustrated endpapers and a monocolour map but the cover art by Jonny Duddle from the 2014 editions have been replaced by foiled artwork on the cover and slipcase.

If the 'irresistible.. exclusive interactive paper-engineered elements' of the glue-bound fragile MinaLima Editions are too playful for your tastes; the Jim Kay-illustrated Standard Hardcover Edition or the Deluxe Illustrated Slipcase Edition both smyth sewn might be to your liking. All three editions appear to be smyth sewn as observed by the video reviewers below.

The fifth instalment is expected this year 2022. There was a report in Feb 2020 that Jim Kay was battling depression and this was affecting his work on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
https://www.therowlinglibrary.com/2020/02/06/artist-jim-kay-revealed-he-suffers-...
We know that as the story progresses, themes get darker and depressing so I hope he completes illustrating all the books without too many bouts of depression.

Here are a few videos showcasing many of the editions mentioned above..

Jim Kay Standard Illustrated Edition:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkg94glBSpk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hC259E_sgo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyN_LqdujV4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgdu-4bC0yw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqdSK0_45sw

Jim Kay Deluxe Illustrated Slipcase Edition:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRUk39pYRxQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWHOwwjsXYw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ViSKbIJQKI

Bloomsbury Slipcased Gift Edition:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9WN-kN7jXo

Jonny Duddle Cover Art Complete Box Set by Bloomsbury:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjBpNBn1Ne4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fh5SjwICGk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjdhsdL9o1E

Bloomsbury MinaLima Illustrated Edition:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e7msW2jx88&t=2m30s

Mary GrandPré Cover Art Complete Box Set by Scholastic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyFVhNYeUPc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvwqZNB7tAo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLgzNPlxB-U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjNXr7ks_nk

Various Harry Potter Edition Comparisons:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwBJ_kUTZKU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-ewyPu7KZs

PS: Edited to add a few more links. Also, I forgot to mention that I have discussed and linked only hardcover editions.

>17 mr.philistine: Thanks. I agree that the Kay editions seem to be the only anything sewn that are decent quality. I watched the video for the standard editions and tbh am not sure about the quality of the covers.
I like everything about the deluxe, though they are expensive, except for the size. Not a fan of large books, and HP to me are books to comfortably curl up under a blanket and read before bed. They do seem to be the only quality option though. I might try it now of the standard hardbacks from Amazon and see.

Having purchased the first four illustrated deluxe books last year, I can attest to their very high quality. I will not go into too much details as you can find most of the information on line, including pictures and videos; however, I can confirm that they are indeed very special and absolutely worthy to be called “deluxe”. If you love Harry Potter and appreciate beautiful well made books, such as these published by The Folio Society, you will not be disappointed.

I wasn’t sure about Jim Kay’s illustrations at first; however, after taking a closer look, they do work great with the story. He paints in various styles and media, which adds interest and depth to his work. The feel of the illustrations also evolves as the story progresses. You can find some great video interviews with Jim where he explains his creative process, which is very involved and extensive.

I also would like to mention that there are a number of significant differences between the regular and deluxe editions (I have purchased the regular editions first not knowing about the deluxe). Beside the obvious differences in the overall presentation (such as binding, slipcase, gilt edges, etc.), the deluxe editions are larger than the regular. They are also printed on a thicker paper and include an additional ‘insert’ illustration (e.g., a pull-out double gatefold of Diagon Alley). They are also printed and bound in Italy.

The books are relatively large (they are about the same size as some of the Folio’s larger publications such as Faust and The Natural History of Selborne), but not unmanageable. You will definitely not be able to read one of these books in bed, but should be ok in an armchair.

These books are expensive, especially if you want to buy all first four books at once. (The fifth books is scheduled to be published in October of 2022, I believe.) However, I am sure that if they were published by The Folio Society (to the same specifications and with similar illustrations), they would have been significantly more expensive. (Also, given the copyrights associated with Harry Potter, I am sure that The Folio Society will not be publishing these books anytime soon.)

My one suggestion if you want to acquire these books is to purchase them from somewhere where they can easily be exchanged. Three of the four books that I purchased were in perfect condition; however, one had a small scratch on the back cover and had to be exchanged.

>19 vadim_ca: You will definitely not be able to read one of these books in bed, but should be ok in an armchair.

An armchair plus a lectern for normal sized folk. But for those large enough to fill Hagrid's armchair, perhaps the lap should suffice :)

>19 vadim_ca: ..the deluxe editions.. include an additional ‘insert’ illustration..

Very beautiful as presented in this short video by Bloomsbury Publishing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRUk39pYRxQ

Just to confirm again: My MinaLima editions are definitely sewn and a regular hardback size, which is nice. My covers are fine so far, though I can't guarantee that this will remain so. I've had the first one for about a year, I think.

Which edition one prefers is a matter of personal taste, naturally. I'm happy to have both, since I prefer the illustrations of the Deluxe edition (though the MinaLima illustrations are also interesting and pretty) but the size of the MinaLima edition (though the illustrations in the Deluxe edition profit from the large size of the books). There you go, I wouldn't want to be forced to chose.

I can confirm that the Deluxe editions sometimes have issues, though in my case it was only one of them and not something I requested a replacement for. One of the two reading ribbons wasn't attached and fell out the first time I opened the book. Since I'll be the only one reading it that's not an issue.

If anyone's interested: It's not just the first four regular novels you can buy Deluxe editions of. Quidditch Through the Ages is really well made and quite funny. I was rather disappointed with the illustrations for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, though. The style is very different from the other books and not to my taste at all.

>21 SF-72: Just to confirm again: My MinaLima editions are definitely sewn..

Thanks for pointing this out, not sure why I concluded it was glued but I have corrected my post. The following reviewer and various photos online clearly show the book signatures:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e7msW2jx88&t=2m30s

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I decided to buy the deuce slipcased editions because I found them for a slightly lower price than on Amazon and I found all other editions lacking in the level of quality I would want for a set I plan to treasure. I figure my kids can have my older hardcovers with their cloth covers (garnish gilding and likely glued bindings), they’ll be good for a starter book at that age and likely treasured. They’re a good reading size. We can read the deluxe editions together and they can read them when they’re a bit older and can take good care of books (currently almost 3 and almost 5 so unsure when that will be!). Really great discussion and I appreciate everyone’s help.

RRCBS
May I ask where you found them?

>24 Atheistic: Book depository

Thank you!!

Great discussion, thanks everyone for the input! I am a huge fan and also had the same problems. My Bloomsbury editions started to fall apart and had all turned dark brown and I also was looking for a good set. I started buying the Gift edition with slipcases and was pretty disappointed, I am sorry, but for a gift edition these were not so well made and I would have liked a bit more creativity concerning the covers.

I have recently bought the first two of the Deluxe Illustrated and they are amazing! Drawbacks are the price and that they don’t fit on my shelves…they are 2 or 3 centimeters too wide.
But I want to buy 3 and 4 before October when the fifth one will be released.

Just a bit of potential enablement for anyone in the UK who is considering the deluxe editions - Amazon.co.uk currently have the four that have been released so far for £86.36 instead of the RRP of £150.00. (They're also listing the forthcoming Order of the Phoenix with a release date of 11 Oct and a higher price of £200.00. I have no idea how quickly they discounted the first four, or whether they'll do likewise with the rest of the series, should Jim Kay be able to continue with them. I certainly hope he can, and would wish him the very best with what must at times feel like rather a daunting task...)

For anyone who has concerns about the size, yes - they're immense, and gloriously so. They're the same depth as FS's LE of Gargantua & Pantagruel, so they slightly overhang a deep IKEA Billy shelf, but not enough to irritate me. Jim Kay's illustrations are wonderful, the production quality is excellent, and the loose (not fold-out as I'd assumed from an image I saw) 'bonus' material is a nice touch. As mentioned by >19 vadim_ca:, the first two feature 1.5 metre long illustrations of the north side of Diagon Alley. The second picks up where the first one ends, so if you felt so inclined these could be combined and framed to make a 3 metre work of art. If pushed, the only thing that I ever-so-slightly don't like about them is that the text is split into two columns on each page. However, with such large pages, I'm sure this makes for easier reading and I don't many other people would see this as a negative.

I’m in Toronto but just ordered the three available on the UK site thanks to you! It’s a large discount!

>29 Atheistic: I would hate to make you spend more money, but... Although the search results currently only bring up books 2, 3 and 4 when searching for "Harry Potter deluxe", the deluxe version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is also available at the same price. Even searching for "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone deluxe" doesn't bring it up for some reason, but it is in stock and you can find it here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Potter-Philosophers-Stone-Illustrated/dp/14088718...

What a great thread! Thank you to all the contributors.

I have been purchasing the standard illustrated editions, not realizing the deluxe existed, which is unfortunate. The UK prices for the deluxe are great - each book is about $250 Canadian on the Canadian Amazon site. I may consider just selling the ones I have and uploading them.

30 CLWggg- thanks. I looked various ways and could not find it. Appreciate the link!!

>31 What_What:

I can't speak for Canada, but in Germany I could buy them at a very nice discount in a German online shop. Amazon isn't always the best alternative with regard to price, though one would think so since they sell so many more copies than smaller shops and should be able to get better prices.

My three Harry Potter deluxe editions that I ordered from Amazon Uk arrived yesterday while I was away and the concierge left them unsecured in the lobby and they were stolen today before I arrived home. I am gutted!

>34 Atheistic: Very sad, my sympathies. Are there any security cameras in your building or outside that might shed light on this incident?

>33 SF-72: Oh yes Same here! I was surprised that the respective shop even had them and ready for delivery at that! Normally they don’t have special English titles and if they do, you can wait a long long time for them to be delivered.
Got the first two illustrated deluxe editions for about 80-90€ that way.

Does anyone understand what is the difference between those two listings ?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The Illustrated Edition (Collector's Edition) (Harry Potter, Book 5) (Illustrated Edition)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Potter-Order-Phoenix-Illustrated/dp/1338853791/re...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Deluxe Illustrated Slipcase Edition https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/152660048X?tag=haggle-web-en-21&linkCode=ogi&amp...

>37 tyreas: If you scroll down to the Product Details of each page, you will find 2 different publishers:
- Scholastic have publishing rights in the USA
- Bloomsbury are the original UK publishers

The oversize Deluxe Illustrated Slipcase Edition series by Bloomsbury has been mentioned many times in the above posts but I could not find the corresponding books belonging to the US 'Collector's Edition'.
However, the details at the top of the Amazon webpage state 'This special collector's edition features a generously oversized clothbound book in slipcase, high quality paper, two ribbon bookmarks, a special art print,..'.
So I assume the Collector's Edition is the US edition of the Deluxe Illustrated Slipcase Edition by Bloomsbury UK.

>38 mr.philistine: Thank you. I saw it, but dismissed it as I was sure there was no US version. I guess I was wrong.

35 mr. Philistine…Thanks. Yes apparently there is camera footage. I have filed a police report and contacted Amazon. We will see what happens

>40 Atheistic:

I hope this will work out for you. What a disappointment, and just ugly, too.

Thank you. I hope so also!

I have read this thread with great interest and wonder whether anyone could put up pics of the deluxe edition next to a standard sized hard cover?

I’m certainly tempted by these editions.

Amazon has refunded me for the stolen books. Very pleased about it!

>44 Atheistic: The Amazon A-to-z Guarantee is a welcome relief in such situations. The icing on the cake would be the police catching those thieving miscreants and returning your lost goods! Maybe unlikely, but one can hope.

Ha ha yes that would be fantastic!!

>44 Atheistic: So glad you've been refunded – I was feeling a little sad for you, especially since my descriptions helped to enable your purchase!

>43 Priyesh2022: Here's the deluxe edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone alongside the standard hardback of Half-Blood Prince. (I hope no one's irritated by the fact that I didn't photograph two versions of the same title – only the first four have been release in deluxe edition, and I think the first five of our hardbacks are in a box somewhere…)

>47 CLWggg: thank you. The picture speaks a thousand words and I shall be ordering a copy this afternoon!

The non-deluxe versions have glossy paper. Does anyone know if the deluxe also have the same glossy paper? It's not as readable, but certainly helps the extensive art look nice.

>49 icewindraider: the deluxe versions do have glossy paper.

47 Clwggg. Thanks but enabling does not make you an accomplice to theft!!

The cover for the (standard hardback) illustrated edition of Order of the phoenix was revealed and they announced that Neil Packer join as a second illustrator. He's worked on a few Folio society edition, including The Divine Comedy and Mythical Beasts in 2021.

https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/exclusive-first-look-at-the-illustrated-orde...

>33 SF-72: Hi, do you mind sharing which shop that is? I too would like to get the illustrated editions but have been putting them off for too long, since I didn't know about the illustrated ones.

>53 sekhmet0108:

I bought them from buecher.de. They're currently listing the Harry Potters at 111-116 Euros per book (Quittich at 87 Euros), which isn't cheaper than amazon. But I paid less since I used a voucher / discount code. They have those now and then, so I ended up paying around 90 Euros per book. It pays to keep an eye on the website and maybe get their newsletter.

>54 SF-72: Ah, right. Thank you so much! I will keep an eye out for them. I hadn't realised that there were deluxe editions. Just knew about the illustrated ones. I have to get the deluxe ones. They look amazing. And Jim Kay (+Neil Packer now) illustrations are incredible.

>55 sekhmet0108:

You're very welcome. The deluxe editions are gorgeous and I'm glad I chose to buy those. And yes, they're very well illustrated. A lot of labour and love went into those books on the part of the illustrator. I'm looking forward to the next volume in October.

They released the cover for the deluxe edition of Order of the phoenix. It will be black, the slipcase will feature a Galleaon and the cover Grimmauld place.

https://res.cloudinary.com/bloomsbury-atlas/image/upload/w_iw,h_ih/spreads/66172...
https://res.cloudinary.com/bloomsbury-atlas/image/upload/w_iw,h_ih/spreads/66172...
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A15iLCwzGNL.jpg

Thanks for the pictures! I love it! Still only have the first two…need to catch up 😳

It available for pre order on Amazon at an inflation busting £220!

Any views on whether this is likely to go down or is the price due to the current global economic climate?

>59 Priyesh2022:

With previous volumes the prices did go down over time, though they were never as excessive as this one to start with. I naturally can't say if that will happen again, but it does seem likely for later editions. I guess if you want a first edition, this will likely be it. Those currently sell out rather fast for a lot of nice books (judging by the MinaLima Harry Potters, for example), and then it takes much longer than usual until another edition has been printed.

Order of the Phoenix was one of the longest and thus biggest of the books, I guess the price also reflects that.

Has anyone seen the Bottega Obscura one volume LOTR? It's amazing. It looks like a weathered medieval tome.

Check it out and give me your thoughts.

They also have a nice Harry Potter book set in the same style.

This thread convinced me to pick up the Harry Pottter Deluxe Illustrated Slipcase Editions that have been published so far - thank you to everyone that endorsed them. To continue off topic, are there any other recent-ish non-Folio children's books of a similar quality that people can recommend?

>64 IainFyfe: This does not qualify as a deluxe slipcased edition but with only 5 more days to go and several 'stretchgoals' already unlocked, you might want to check out the Kickstarter campaign for The Wind in the Willows - Illustrated by Chris Dunn.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/caurettepublishing/the-wind-in-the-willows-...
(first mentioned here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/340925)

>65 mr.philistine: Surely we are reaching saturation point with illustrated Willows!

>66 Aleks3000: Never! ...say 991 backers who have pledged €80,742 so far against a goal of €10,000 !!

>65 mr.philistine: Thanks for the heads up - I have the Folio CVS Wind in the Willows, so I'll pass on this one, but certainly looks like a nice edition.

Never read Potter, except for some of Book 1 in Ancient Greek and Classical Latin.

Don't know what the fuss is all about.

>69 LesMiserables:
The fuss was usually identified through interactions with or observations of the kids reading these books as they came out. They were excited and us adults were happy to see them excited about reading. I don't think they were ever meant to be read in dead languages but I'm sure that could be an amusing challenge.

>64 IainFyfe: I bought the deluxe editions when they came out and the title of my Philosopher's Stone book is not in the same position as it is on the spines of the other three books. I had to shelve them backwards as the slipcase doesn't have the problem. Does your edition of the Philosopher's Stone have the same problem?

>70 treereader:
I would argue that Latin is far from dead, and has been employed continuously in many areas since it retired as a widely spoken tongue.

>72 LesMiserables:
Not to derail the original thread but I had been taught in grade school that no one living today even knows what Latin is supposed to sound like. It’s possible to learn the language, read and write it, but correct pronunciation is a lost cause. I wouldn’t qualify using Latin to create new words for scientific or marketing purposes as meaning it’s still alive as a spoken language, either. That, too me, is more like a specialty tool in the garage that one uses on rare occasions.

>73 treereader: Latin survived as the lingua franca of educated scholars through the Enlightenment, and is still widely spoken in the Roman Catholic church. The spoken pronunciation doesn't matter a great deal. At the university where I worked we held an informal Latin discussion group every week using medieval Latin texts. I spoke as I had been taught using the Scottish (theoretically classical) pronunciation, most others used Oxford style as it had evolved there over the centuries. We understood each other quite well.

>72 LesMiserables: If Latin as a language were to die, would it qualify for a post-mortem...

A language is generally considered dead when there are no native speakers left. That is certainly the case with Latin. Whether or not there are still people who learn it as a second language and use it in some contexts is not relevant for the definition as a dead language. There's also 'language extinction' when there are no more people who use a language as a second language. That didn't happen to Latin due its role in the Christian church (and later at universities etc.) even after it died out as a native language. It's an interesting case in that regard.

But while this is an interesting excursion, it certainly doesn't have anything to do with the topic of this thread. To get back to what started this: I didn't 'get' the Harry Potter phenomenon after taking a look at a German translation either, but was charmed by the wit and humour when I stumbled over an English original in a German bookstore and read a few pages. It was a completely different animal, which I'm sure is as true for a Latin translation.

>76 SF-72: totally agree with this! I was in hospital as a teenager (12 or 13 years old) and someone gave me Harry Potter to read (in my native language German), some things I found strange and it sounded wrong.
I read it in English, because the next book hadn’t been translated yet…a whole different thing! I was a Potterhead ever since. The humor and all the subtleties…they don’t translate well. I recently saw the movies, they lack all that, too. Hard to describe.

>76 SF-72:
I'm not arguing that we do not have native speakers but the language is far from dead being the official language of the Vatican State. But its common use in Ecclesiastical expression, Canon Law, Secular Law, Scientific Vocabulary, History etc makes it the universal language.

>77 woodstock8786:

That's exactly it. You just can't get all that into a translation.

>59 Priyesh2022: "It available for pre order on Amazon at an inflation busting £220! Any views on whether this is likely to go down or is the price due to the current global economic climate?"

I don't know what the market price of the deluxe edition of Order of the Phoenix will be when launched but it is available for pre-order on the Bloomsbury website with 'an exclusive Order of the Phoenix double-sided shopper bag' with Jim Kay's Grimmauld Place illustration for £175 at https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix-deluxe-i...

>80 Hrodberht: Great news! I am grateful to you for bringing it to my attention and will put an order in! The price is more palatable than Amazon and the nicely illustrated shopper will come in use too!

Jim Kay anounced he won't illustrate the two remaining books.
https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/a-celebration-of-jim-kay

"I have been struggling with mental health illness for some time, and it would be wrong to try and continue when I can no longer give the fans and the series the full commitment and energy it deserves. What comforts me is the knowledge that Bloomsbury will continue working with and supporting other artists to make the remaining books both beautiful and inspiring for new generations of young readers."

>82 tyreas:

Thanks for sharing this information.

I'm not surprised due to his mental problems, but this is disappointing. It would have been great to have all the books 'from one hand', especially since he did such a wonderful job with the books so far.

>82 tyreas: Perhaps the project will be continued by Neil Packer (first mentioned in >52 tyreas:)? The appointment of a second illustrator always struck me as a harbinger of things to come, coupled with a Feb 2020 report of Jim Kay's ongoing battle with depression that had delayed the release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

>84 mr.philistine:

It's quite possible.

It will be interesting to see how the mix of the works of these two artists works in the new book. I pre-ordered it a while ago, but it usually takes a while for pre-orders to actually make it to Germany.

>85 SF-72: If you want an early look you can find a flip through here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y9CIzPETZI

>84 mr.philistine: Yes, it seems likely. Kay used different styles across each book so maybe they can get a few artists to share the work. I hope they'll use Kay's design.

I am sorry but I do not hope that Neil Packer will completely take over. He is a very good illustrator, but he has a distinct style that wouldn’t fit for all the illustrations. His pictures stand out pretty much as they are…quite different from Kay‘s…
I just love Kay‘s sometimes romantic and whimsical style and he uses colour in such a wonderful way.

>86 tyreas:

Thank you, but I prefer to wait for my own copy, even if it takes a bit longer. It's always a special moment to open a new book.

>71 c_schelle: Apologies - I've only now seen this message, but sad to say, my copy of the Philosopher's Stone has just the same title misalignment as yours. I hadn't noticed earlier because all mine are still in their boxes waiting for my daughter to get older, but how pointlessly annoying!

>89 IainFyfe: it is just a tiny bit right? I had not noticed this either, now I cannot unsee it 🤣

>90 woodstock8786: Yes, it's small, but as you say, difficult to unseen once you're aware of it :-)

>91 IainFyfe: if your daughter is anything like my granddaughter, she’ll be so thrilled with these beautiful editions she’ll never notice. And, she’ll treasure the memory of her Dad giving her such a special gift. :-)

Hagrid is no more... (Robbie Coltrane passed away today, aged 72).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JiSQ0bv_qs&t=3m15s

>92 EdwinDrood:

That's sad news. RIP.

I received my deluxe edition, like the previous books it's gorgeous.

I'm not sure about the galleon on the slipcase, I kinda wish they had gone with a phoenix since book 2 to 4 had beasts/animals. But the cover with grimmauld place is impressive. Unfortunately the deluxe edition seems to be missing the back cover illustration of the standard edition, and only features the right side of the full image.

Kay's illustrations are beautiful and I think Packer's illustrations fit pretty well as smaller or "in world" pieces, he has a few double pages, especially the Black family tree and a side view of the ministry's floors. On the other hand, he didn't do any piece that makes me believe he'll take over for Jim Kay.

All of Neil Packer's illustrations are signed and there is a list at the end. They also mention Packer illustrated books for the Folio Society in the American edition.

I want nothing more than for Folio to tackle this series. I imagine the rights are cost prohibitive to do so.

With two editions already on the market, I'm not sure that the publisher would grant the rights to another one.

The above Google Doodle celebrating Alan Rickman's (1946-2016) 76th birthday has appeared today and perfectly timed as I concluded rewatching Die Hard where he played the lead antagonist. It was amusing to recognize his facial expression and dialogue inflection that became more pronounced in his role as Prof. Severus Snape for the Harry Potter film series.

PS: This thread seemed most appropriate for this post.

Professor Dumbledore is no more... (Sir Michael Gambon passed away today, aged 82).

ETA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGY7JMQ_odM

EDIT: I enjoy HP privately and had mentioned some interesting editions but it appears that I personally feel weird promoting the books so I’ve removed my comment!

The italian publisher for Harry Potter (Salani) is releasing the entire series with the gorgeous thai covers and illustrations.

I am very excited about it, and just hope that they also release the beautiful slipcase that was released with the thai set.

Hi, need to resurrect this thread.
Can anyone confirm what type of binding do the 2015 Bloomsbury "Adult Edition" Hardbacks have? I've seen conflicting info, some say it's glued, some say it's sewn. Does anyone have it? How's the binding, how's the paper quality?
Honestly for that price I'd probably much rather buy the original Bloomsbury hardbacks used, they seem more sturdy

Also, I'm fairly certain it's a no-go on Folio Harry Potters for quite a while, especially with the TV series starting soon. Franchise&merch, the two pillars

What TV series?

>104 olinko: netflix, not TV.

>106 Ragnaroek: Well actually HBO Max but that's all a 'TV show' to me. How else to call it, a streaming series? haha
>105 treereader: Warner (HBO Max) has a HP series currently in development, not much is known other than the main cast and the fact that it'll - reportedly - be more faithful to the books. Seven seasons for seven books

>107 olinko:
Oh I thought netflix 🤔. Thanks for the knowledge 🙂

I always found the Bloomsbury editions subpar in quality. I have the so called gift editions, which even have a slipcase and even those are not great. Still the paper is better than other editions.

>109 woodstock8786:

I found both Bloomsbury's cloth hardback set (single red slipcase) and the oversized deluxe slipcase editions to be pretty nice.

>110 treereader: With oversized slipcase, do you mean the illustrated version? Or is there another one? Would be interested in that.

>111 woodstock8786:

To my knowledge the Jim Kay-illustrated ones come in two flavors: oversized/no slipcase and super-oversized/slipcased (the first and second sets of links in >17 mr.philistine:). Probably 100-150£ difference in cost.

I don’t know of any unillustrated oversized slipcased versions but there was the single slipcased set from Bloomsbury with normal-sized cloth hardbacks. I believe it was called the “Harry Potter Signature Deluxe Special Edition”. Here’s a random example or two:

https://www.harrypotterbooksonline.co.uk/harry-potter-deluxe-book-boxed-special-...

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/295599123482?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=705-53470...

And while I’m at it, since I didn’t see them mentioned in a quick skim of this thread just now, the first two books were made in leather by Scholastic, too. But those weren’t slipcased and they didn’t make any others leatherbound.

>112 treereader: thank you so much for the info! I already own 3 of the illustrated deluxe editions, currently I am not buying more, as the price has gone up significantly…although they are beautiful, they are highly impractical for reading, as they are so huge.

I like the clothbound ones and remember them from back in the day when HP first got published, they released the bundle and we actually had it in our classroom.
I was a bit shocked to see it is worth so much now.

>113 woodstock8786:

It makes one wonder, if we wait long enough, whether Folio Society will ever get the rights to publish a decent set.

I haven't seen these firsthand, but the editions by Minalima look fantastic. I do question the bindings and how tight they are. https://minalima.com/product/harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone-uk-edition/ For a book that's full of magic, mysteries, and puzzles, this edition looks to have it all, literally. There are numerous pop-ups, fold-outs, and lots of extras.

>114 treereader: I wouldn’t be surprised, J.K.Rowling doesn’t miss an opportunity to market Harry Potter further

>115 Eastonorfolio:

I have the first of these (Philosopher's Stone). It's certainly original, colourful, and packed with pull-outs and pop-ups, but I'm too afraid of damaging it to actually read from it. Paradoxically, it's far too delicate to let a child anywhere near it!

>115 Eastonorfolio: They are nice and quirky and act like books with pop-up ads. I don't like that they are square backed and that the paper overall seems fragile. As with the Kay books, I wonder how they plan to pull the entire series through as the books grow longer.

>115 Eastonorfolio: yeah I was looking for a text-only version, all of the illustrated ones are too kitschy for me. whereas the new 'house' editions they have on amazon and elsewhere just scream FRANCHISE, it's all very silly to me.
Anyway in the end I opted for the original Bloombury hardcovers (nowhere near the first editions ofc), got a pretty fantastically well-kept set of all 7 hardbacks for like 90 EUR, which I think is not bad at all honestly.

As for the quality, yeah, they're not the best bound editions and the papers not that great either but hey, it's as good as it gets it seems (and I think they're better quality than the 2015 'adult' editions but can't confirm)

Yeah, hoping for a nicely done Folio set one day

I'm pretty sure they don't reprint the pages on better paper or anything. They just rebind them. But, if you really want and can't wait for the "inevitable' publication of a LE Harry Potter a few years from now: https://junipercustom.com/collections/trade-favorite-book-sets/products/genuine-...

I think they are thinking of remaking the Harry Potter Movies as a television series at some point. So, maybe when that happens Folio will get on board.

>120 billburden: Well those are startlingly inelegant, looking like nothing so much as the tread of a tyre that has had the misfortune to run over a spot of gilt foiling.

Those are just mass market books with a leather cover added. So much money for junk.

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I feel a chill when I read about 'genuine leather' and see books priced at £3600. Genuine leather can vary widely in quality, ranging from the worst to the best. Typically, if someone is using a top-notch product, they'd likely mention it, wouldn't they?

>120 billburden: The fact they sell "books by the foot" alone gives me pause. I think a better alternative is Ludlow Bookbinders' custom job (scroll near the bottom). Still not a great-looking set (in my opinion), but better, and at a much better price, and you can be confident Ludlow did a top-notch job.

>123 Alan_Wake: Someone who knows such things once told me that "genuine leather" is actually a low grade of leather. What you want is split grain, full grain, or top grain leather. Genuine is better than bonded leather of course, but calling that stuff leather is a bit of a stretch to begin with. The better leather grades are used most often in high-end furniture, shoes and jackets - I don't know how often it is used for bookbinding.

I actually have a book by Easton Press that turned out to be a re-bound edition by a regular publisher, as in no high-end editions, but general books for the mass market audience. The binding is very nice, but as it turned out, the book as such, as in the pages, were sewn by stabbing thick yarn sideways through the pages, and then attached to the new leather binding by Easton Press. The pages have holes, creak whenever you turn a page, and the book likely won't survive repeated reading. When I showed an interest in books where I knew they'd be rebound from mass market books, I was told that's how it would be done there, too, so I stayed away from that. It seems to me that as long as you can't get a good basis for the text, as in not some glued paperback or hardcover, having that rebound in leather at a high cost is pearls before swine. I definitely wouldn't invest the money.

Seems they cater to people with a lot of money just wanting to buy books in order to post something on Instagram or have a nice background for the Google Meets.
I doubt their customers actually read those books

>127 woodstock8786: notice most news pundits exhibit a desperate looking book shelf in the background, most often a motley collection of current event bestsellers, inspirational biographies and popular histories along with the speaker’s own book(s) facing prominently.

>120 billburden: the fact that this cash grab exists is...ugh. hate being reminded that I'm living in a world where 'well-made' has become a niche market at this point

I wish Minalima charged a bit more and used better materials, because they show wear extremely quickly. I also really dislike their decision to include a hard rounded piece of plastic to hold one of the interactive elements in place, which digs into the surrounding pages and required them to shove in pieces of cardboard on either side in attempt to minimise the damage.

Other than that though, I really like the design and artwork a lot.