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Starting a Classics Collection - Penguin Popular Classics or Wordsworths


Munas

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I'm looking to start my collection of classics, which of these two are better in quality? I prefer Wordsworths blue covers to Penguins garish green. But which of the two has better paper quality and print? I also heard that some wordsworth translations of foreign literature aren't very good?

 

Or is there an alternative? Who's the publisher of your Classics?

 

Thanks in advance.

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The green Penguins have very rough, poor quality paper, if I remember correctly, but are fine if you just want them for study/a quick read. THe Wordsworth ones have much nicer covers and slightly better quality paper (at least, mine seem to). However, if you're planning on keeping a collection of classics, especially if you plan to display them, there are other beautifully bound collections available.

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The paperback editions of Classics I prefer are the 'Oxford Classics'. The covers are attractive and the paper quality is good, though as Kell says you can get beautifully bound editions, best places for them are secondhand bookshops or specialist publishers. The green 'Penguins' I wont touch with a longboat pole - its longer than a barge pole :lol:

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As others have said, both of the editions you mention are unfortunately pretty dismal. The black-banded Penguin Classics are good translations on acceptable paper; the Oxford Classics range is good paper-wise provided you get the newest editions (i.e. the ones with the brighter, whiter covers; the slightly older ones are fairly bad quality), I can't vouch for their translations but their introductions and notes are good in case that makes a difference.

 

I like my classics hardbound and oversized, such as those of Fine Editions, who unfortunately are fairly new and therefore only have a handful of available titles at the minute. The Collector's Library are very good if you want something pocketable, they're printed on very thin but good paper, which means that as long as you don't have a problem with smallish print you can take any classic around in the tiniest of purses. I personally don't like the special edition Penguins (the covers don't feel too durable), but I think I'm the minority there.

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Kell, those are lovely, and I agree, 13 pounds isn't that expensive..

 

I was going to recommend the Collector's Library ones Bookjumper mentioned, I have given someone Dracula as a present like that once.. they're pretty, and I love hardcovers. Yes, I agree, they're quite small and the paper is quite thin, but they're so much better than the Penguin Popular Classics or Wordsworth (have one of each, the Penguin one I'd never buy again, it's such a horrible color too).

Those Collector's Library Editions are lovely too, but pricey. :lol:

 

The Collector's Library smaller ones are very affordable, I payed 8,95, but that's in euros, they're 8 pounds I think. *checks* yup. :)

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I have Dorian Gray in the Penguin cloth-bound hardback (black with white peacock feathers on) and the leatherbound edition, and Pride & Prejudice in the Collector's Library edition. I'm not fussed about them all being the same, I just tend to pick up pretty books :lol: But I would like Dorian, Wuthering Heights, and Monte Cristo in Collector's Library editions also if they're available, just for ease of transportation. And I wouldn't object to Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice also in the clothbounds.

 

ETA: Thanks to Giulia's link, I also want Wuthering Heights Fine Edition.

Edited by Nollaig
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All the classic I have are in paperback.

 

I have a lot of the standard Penguin Classics (black spine with the coloured banding), most of which were purchased approx 20 years ago and have aged well, with no problems with pages falling out or too much yellowing or pages becoming brittle, and the newer ones seem to be of the same quality. I also love the design of the modern classics they do - books like Bonjour Tristesse by Fran

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As others have said, both of the editions you mention are unfortunately pretty dismal. The black-banded Penguin Classics are good translations on acceptable paper; the Oxford Classics range is good paper-wise provided you get the newest editions (i.e. the ones with the brighter, whiter covers; the slightly older ones are fairly bad quality), I can't vouch for their translations but their introductions and notes are good in case that makes a difference.

 

I like my classics hardbound and oversized, such as those of Fine Editions, who unfortunately are fairly new and therefore only have a handful of available titles at the minute. The Collector's Library are very good if you want something pocketable, they're printed on very thin but good paper, which means that as long as you don't have a problem with smallish print you can take any classic around in the tiniest of purses. I personally don't like the special edition Penguins (the covers don't feel too durable), but I think I'm the minority there.

 

These Collector's Library ones you mention, are they the same size as a typical paperback?

 

Also if you had to choose between Fine Editions and Penguin Leatherbounds which ones?

 

Thanks for all the answers. Looks like I won't be ordering any penguins.

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I love the Penguin Bill Amberg collection, but there's only a handful of titles in the collection and they're not all available now either.

 

I don't know how many titles are available in the Fine Edition collection, but the few I've seen have beautiful covers.

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The Collector's Library books are very small, say about half the size of a typical paperback - when I said pocketable I meant pocketable :lol:.

 

The issue of Fine Editions vs. Penguin Leatherbound doesn't really exist as there aren't many books of either series, and there's no overlap of titles between them.

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Nope - Penguin has this special edition Jane Eyre, but it's bound in cloth rather than leather; the only Penguin Titles available in leather are The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Great Gatsby, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Big Sleep, Room with a View and Brideshead Revisited.

 

Between the Penguin hardback and the Fine hardback of Jane Eyre, I've already chosen the Fine - I like the cover art more, it's nice and big without being massive, and most importantly the binding feels a lot sturdier. Then again, if you want something that you can carry around in a bag, the Penguin is probably your best bet as it's about half the size of the Fine.

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