It started with William Faulkner's ‘The Sound and the Fury‘, a baffling, fragmented narrative. A modern classic of American fiction. A book I would never have read. Except that the edition in my hands was a thing of beauty. What attention to detail in the printing – fulfilling Faulkner's wish that distinct narratives have their own coloured ink; the quality of the paper, and the clean design of the cardboard case that keeps the book safe when travelling. The cloth-bound hardback and the neat binding. Much that I applaud affordable paperback editions of the classics, there's something about experiencing a luxurious edition of a book that heightens the enjoyment of the text. Over a decade ago, ‘The Sound and the Fury' was my gateway drug into the world of Folio Society editions.
Where to look for Folio Society editions
Available new exclusively from the Folio Society website (catering for UK and US readers), with new titles released quarterly throughout the year with the changing seasons, and with special collector's editions and regular sales, there's always something to make it worth your while keeping tabs on. These books are a wonderful occasional treat to celebrate a pay rise or new job. I buy them for friends on special occasions such as a wedding, a big birthday or the birth of a child (they have a great selection of timeless children's books – for nostalgic reasons, ‘The Night Before Christmas‘ and ‘The Magic Faraway Tree‘ are among my favourites).
Once your eye is trained to recognise the distinctive Folio Society spines (you'll know you've been bitten by the bug when this happens) you spot their tomes in book shops (those that trade second hand and collectable volumes) and high end charity shops (a few I've found regularly stock them but mum's the word). There's the Folio Vault as well as groups on Facebook dedicated to buying and selling solely Folio Society editions, and they are quite the hub of activity.
Through a combination of EF reviews, gifts, book shop finds and pure luck, I've accrued a fine collection of Folio Society editions since William Faulkner set me on the path to a new obsession. Here are some of my favourites.
‘The Box of Delights' by John Masefield
As a young child in the run-up to Christmas 1984, I was spellbound by the BBC's fiftieth anniversary TV adaptation of this charming children's book. Better-known during his lifetime as a poet, and these days somewhat forgotten, Masefield's name lives on mostly through ‘The Box of Delights'. After I rediscovered the series and took to watching it every Christmas through tradition, one year I decided to read the book, and found it even more spellbinding than the serial. On a visit to Somerset for a family occasion, I happened into The Frome Bookshop, that stocked plenty of Folios, on the lookout for ‘The Box of Delights'. I found myself an Evelyn Waugh ‘Sword of Honour' box set, but no Masefield. Then, just as I was paying, I caught sight of more Folios in the glass case behind the cash register. At eye level stood ‘The Box of Delights', calling to me. It was the first time I had seen it in the wild. The 2012 pressing was no longer available, so this was a rare opportunity to add it to the bookcases, but I had already bought the Waugh collection and didn't want to seem extravagant. Seizing the opportunity, my in-laws returned to the store and snapped it up, squirrelling it away for Christmas. It now sits neatly next to the other Folio Society Masefield title, ‘The Midnight Folk' which introduced the world to the character of Kay Harker, and many others he encounters later in ‘The Box of Delights'.
‘Pax' by Tom Holland
As a student of classics and a dedicated listener to ‘The Rest is History' podcast, I'm a self-confessed Tom Holland fanboy (not the ‘Spiderman' guy). Hadrian is also my favourite Roman Emperor, having become enthralled by the history of the era on seeing remnants of his famous wall in Northern Britannia as a child. Decades later, with an appetite for seeking out old rubble undiminished, I couldn't wait to add ‘Pax‘, a majestic narrative about Rome's Golden Age to my collection. Now my attention pivots to Holland's other titles in Folio Society edition, ‘Dominion' and ‘Rubicon'. Mary Beard's ‘Emperor of Rome‘ is another fantastic tome for history buffs. I'm also slowly buying up The Folio Society's editions of the primary sources – a dangerously expensive and space-consuming habit (but ‘Cicero: Selected Letters and Speeches‘ is an epic tome of top notch oratory). Polybius, never my favourite historian as a student (I was more of a Tacitus man) is top of my wish list. The Folio Society edition of ‘The Rise of Rome' is such a thing of beauty I could stare lovingly at it all day.
‘Jurassic Park' by Michael Crichton
This was a Christmas gift. Opening the wrapping and feeling the scaly, dinosaur skin binding of the case was quite a thrill! As a big fan of the movie (especially Bob Peck as the gamekeeper Robert Muldoon – him of ‘Clever girl!' fame), which remains a stunning Spielberg masterpiece over thirty years on, I was keen to enjoy the original source material. Although the film version diverges markedly in some ways, ‘Jurassic Park‘ is an impressive high-concept story with plenty of hard science to challenge the grey matter for fans of thorough research.
‘The James Bond Collection' by Ian Fleming
This one became a collection within a collection! Once I started I just couldn't stop. But I now have every slimline, gunmetal-grey spine ‘James Bond' book that Ian Fleming ever wrote in Folio Society edition. Uniformly presented and superbly illustrated by Fay Dalton so as to evoke the 1950s/60s period in which the books appeared, the James Bond Folios take pride of place on my bookcase. It was an agonising few years waiting for ‘Octopussy and the Living Daylights‘ to be released to finish the collection, but that dream came true last year. I also have Fleming's ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang‘.
‘A Confederacy of Dunces' by John Kennedy Toole
This is a modern American classic that is beloved by my husband and me. He introduced me to it a few years ago, and once it came out in Folio Society edition we jumped at the chance to add it to the collection. Eye-popping illustrations by Jonny Hannah reveal that the books can be modern, vivid and vibrant. In a similar vein, Irvine Welsh's ‘Trainspotting‘ is easily spotted on the shelves thanks to its bright yellow spine.
‘Dracula' by Bram Stoker
Having been to Whitby where the vampire came ashore in Stoker's classic yarn, I was keen to add this one to the collection. Returning to ‘Dracula‘ after adoring the book as a teenager, I was thrilled to find I rated it just as highly as an adult. The blood-red case, bat-against-moon cover design and creepy Victorian-style illustrations by Angela Barrett help to hold the reader in an atmosphere of intense Gothic horror.
‘Giovanni's Room' by James Baldwin
Released only last summer in Folio Society edition, Baldwin's poignant gay romance ‘Giovanni's Room‘ was well ahead of its time. A brilliant writer of many classics including ‘If Beale Street Could Talk' and ‘Go Tell it on the Mountain', we have our fingers crossed that decision-makers at The Folio Society work their way through the celebrated author's back catalogue and give him his own collection, in the style of…
‘The Cormac McCarthy Collection'
I'd read ‘The Road‘ and never forgotten it. There was nobody quite like Cormac McCarthy. His stark, stripped-back and often brutal prose is always an impactful read. Lining up ‘The Road' with ‘Blood Meridian', ‘No Country for Old Men' and ‘All the Pretty Horses' has been a great pleasure. Last year saw ‘The Crossing' released, and I have my sights set on that title…
For anyone who loves beautiful books and feels drawn to the pleasure of collecting, picking up Folio Society editions of your favourite titles and authors is a hobby, an obsession, a dent on the bank balance and a quandary for wall space. But these beautiful books are an investment too, at least retaining their value if treasured and looked after. Having moved with the times and diversified its design work, the publisher goes from strength to strength, with dedicated fans of their work on both sides of the Atlantic. Which are your favourite Folio Society titles? See ‘The Folio Society‘ to browse their current catalogue.
