Jane Austen in fine press treatment

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Jane Austen in fine press treatment

1BorisG
Mar 8, 2022, 4:30 am

Having just now watched the recent Emma movie, I was wondering – apart from the Thornwillow Pride and Prejudice, and the LEC editions, are there any other fine press treatments of Jane Austen’s works?

2grifgon
Mar 8, 2022, 4:45 am

Two well-regarded editions from different ends of the fine press / private press spectrum:

https://www.arionpress.com/store/111-sense-and-sensibility

https://booksandvines.com/2012/05/27/a-folio-of-letters-from-jane-austen-novels-...

I don't know the full story behind Bowler Press' Jane Austen project, but I believe they had planned a hand-set three-volume edition of "Pride & Prejudice" which never materialized. I don't know whether their wonderful "Folio of Letters" was a smaller, more manageable project undertaken when P&P didn't work out, or if its a separate project entirely. Either way, it's very sought-after.

3wcarter
Mar 8, 2022, 5:36 am

Not fine press, but quality press and a very different Jane Austen book that you may be interested in.
See - https://www.librarything.com/topic/266196

4Glacierman
Mar 8, 2022, 3:44 pm

Folio did a very nice edition of Austen's letters. Super binding on that one.

5BorisG
Mar 10, 2022, 8:01 am

Thanks for pointing these out! The Arion Press Sense and Sensibility is the closest to what I was looking for, but the illustrations are a bit of an acquired taste…

Isn’t it a bit surprising that Austen didn’t get more treatment?

6Praveenna_Nagaratnam
Mar 11, 2022, 7:53 am

>5 BorisG: It really is surprising. I am hoping Lyra's Classics do Jane Austen sometime in the near future and fingers crossed they do Mansfield Park (probably a less likely and less popular choice, but it is my favourite Austen)

7grifgon
Modificato: Mar 11, 2022, 8:51 am

>5 BorisG: >6 Praveenna_Nagaratnam: Austen is impossible for 99% of fine/private presses from length alone. Her six novels are all fairly long:

Sense & Sensibility - 120,000 words
Pride & Prejudice - 120,000
Mansfield Park - 160,000
Emma - 160,000
Northanger Abbey - 80,000
Persuasion - 80,000

Even for presses tackling novel-length works, it's a heavy lift. "Dorian Gray" is around 80,000 words, so "Mansfield Park" could be twice the printing. I believe the Thornwillow "Pride & Prejudice" uses 10pt or *maybe* 11pt type to fit the novel onto one volume, and it was only possible with polymer plates and a Heidelberg press. Even then, an enormous printing job. Doing a little back-of-envelope math, I think the cost of the polymer plates alone for a modest octavo "Emma" would run something like $18,000...

Impossible for most, merely very difficult for a few!

I think the same problem confronts other 19th century novels, where 150,000+ word counts were typical. Why has there been no private press "Notre-Dame" or "Crime & Punishment" or "Vanity Fair"? (Or, is somebody going to make my day and tell me that I've overlooked one???)

8GusLogan
Mar 11, 2022, 9:54 am

>7 grifgon:
Not true private press, but the LEC did all three letterpress at least!

9Praveenna_Nagaratnam
Mar 11, 2022, 3:36 pm

>7 grifgon: Wow thanks for the insight. That sounds like a massive take for any fine press

10BorisG
Mar 11, 2022, 5:37 pm

>7 grifgon: Thanks a lot for the detailed reply, Griffin. Makes total sense when you point it out.

What would be the printing equivalent of Realpolitik - Realdrückerei?