Jane Austen Horrid Novels

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Jane Austen Horrid Novels

1Matthew1956
Mar 22, 2018, 11:56 am

As many of you know, the most popular complete set of the Jane Austen Horrid Novels collection, (7 books), was the set published by the Folio Society back in 1968. However, it seems this box set is the only version ever published in hardcover. There is a paperback version today, but does any one know of any other hardcover box set or collection of the Jane Austen Horrid Novels published aside from the Folio Society? Perhaps a Fine Press version, Limited Editions version, anything at all?

2housefulofpaper
Mar 24, 2018, 10:00 pm

>1 Matthew1956:

You probably already know this, but I don't think there's any point in looking for editions prior to the Folio set. The set was intended as an academic resource as much as anything, the result of long years of research (by more than one researcher) to establish that the list of horrid novels in Northanger Abbey named actual books, to find copies of them, and to edit and publish them.

3Matthew1956
Editado: Abr 13, 2018, 2:01 am

housefulofpaper

Do you have a picture of your Horrid Novels box set on the bookshelf with other books, so as to see how large it is? Also, do you store it beside other Gothic books like the Bronte 7-vol. collection from the Folio Society?

I'm trying to find a copy of it on Abebooks or Ebay but they charge 6-700 dollars including shipping for books that are 50 yrs old. If you don't mind, how much did your set cost?

Also, if you do have the 7-vol Bronte collection, which set do you have? The green, blue, or black edition?

4housefulofpaper
Abr 15, 2018, 7:28 pm

>3 Matthew1956:

Here are a couple of pictures of the set, with a couple of paperbacks to give an idea of its size. Folio 60 gives dimensions for each volume:
252 x 150 x 18 mm
252 x 157 x 33 mm
252 x 155 x 34 mm
252 x 154 x 19 mm
252 x 156 x 20 mm
252 x 156 x 34 mm
252 x 155 x 33 mm
(the measurements look a bit out, because my books aren't all different depths).





Sadly, I haven't got the space for a dedicated Gothic bookshelf!

Apparently I didn't keep a record of what I paid for my copy of the set back in 2014, but the prices you're seeing now work out at about £70 per book. I think that's about what I paid.

No, I haven't got any of the Brontë sets. I've got Wuthering Heights from the blue edition, which was also released as a standalone volume. And I've got the most recent edition of Jane Eyre with illustrations by Santiago Caruso.

5Matthew1956
Editado: Abr 26, 2018, 10:12 am

housefulofpaper Thanks so much for these pictures! I recently got the Horrid Novels set, but the slip case box set is damaged (panel is split open) and looks so out of place compared to my other FS books. I'm debating whether or not to either throw it out and have a custom made slipcase to protect the books that looks like the original. OR, buying another set, although I think it's stupid to do so just for a slipcase. The books themselves are the best condition I've ever seen of them, but the slip case bothers me so much!

What would you recommend, given that you too own this set?

6housefulofpaper
Abr 26, 2018, 4:47 pm

>5 Matthew1956:

Please bear in mind that I'm not an expert on Folio books and their resale value, or on secondhand/antiquarian books in general. But for what it's worth, here's what I think.

I would be conflicted between the sight of the damaged case continually niggling at me, on the one hand, and the thought of disposing of it on the other. I cringe when I read comments in the FSD group about throwing out the letterpress Shakespeare solander boxes, or buying a copy of The Exeter Riddles Book merely to use its slipcase on one of the recent season-based anthologies.

Is a compromise possible? Do you have somewhere to store the original slipcase, so it and the books could potentially be reunited at some point in the future, while you can display them in a bespoke case?

7LolaWalser
Abr 26, 2018, 6:18 pm

If the slipcase panel is detached at the hinge, I would repair it using archival tape from the inside. I've done this, although not for a set as large as that (a single book in one instance, two book slipcase in another). I'm thinking it might be even easier for a large slipcase, as you could get your hands freely inside.

8Rembetis
Abr 26, 2018, 7:03 pm

>5 Matthew1956: I agree with houseful that you should store the original slipcase if you decide to go for a new one. If you decide to sell the set on at some later stage, not having the original slipcase is very likely to affect the price (I got the Radcliffe Folio set for £24, excellent copies, but I think it went so cheap because the slipcase was missing).

9Matthew1956
Editado: Abr 27, 2018, 11:27 am

housefulofpaper
Thank you so much for this info; I don't want to re-sell the set ever, but the physical books themselves are in very good condition. I plan to throw out the glassine covers as they are tattered and foxed. The case itself, though, has a gash to one side, and the right panel is detached from the bottom and top of the slipcase and swings open like a door. That, plus the top and bottom are scuffed heavily. As such, I thought of having a custom-made box set to house the books, as they would sit next to my other gothic novels, all of which are in fine condition. Something like this:
http://www.progresspackaging.co.uk/daphne-du-maurier-bespoke-slipcases/

BTW, your set of the Horrid Novels is the cleanest, most perfect box set I've seen out there; it's great you don't have to go through the hassle!

lolawalser
I don't know if I should just tape this box set up and have a slip case built around it, so the original is there, but it would be silly to have a case within a case, no? If I go this route, any advice for an "archival tape?"

Rembetis
Do you have any regrets about not having the original slipcase for your Radcliffe collection? Ah! I just wish the slipcase wasn't so damaged when it was shipped to me.

10LolaWalser
Abr 27, 2018, 12:56 pm

This is what I used (not from that site, but the shop doesn't have a website):

http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/filmoplast-p-90-8-x-164ft-roll/archival-ad...

You can probably find similar products in many places, the idea is to get something acid-free, durable, non-reactive (for a good long while anyway).

Double slipcasing sounds too fussy to me--I'd either repair the old case or make a new one--but you know best what will suit you.

11Rembetis
mayo 2, 2018, 6:15 pm

>9 Matthew1956: Apologies for the delay in replying. I like Folio editions because they are (usually) beautiful, and well made with acid-free paper. I find the typeset and spacing make their books so easy to read. The vast majority of my Folio collection (around 98%) has the original slipcase, but I don't let the lack of a slipcase put me off, especially if the price is right, and the edition relatively rare.

I have no regrets whatsoever about not having the slipcase for the Radcliffe set, gorgeous as it is, as my main pleasure is derived from reading a good copy of the work. Also, I take a wider view that I am exceptionally lucky for what I have in life, flawed or not, given so many have precious little - not even a roof over their head or food to eat, let alone a book.

12alaudacorax
Jul 15, 2021, 7:01 am

Anyone know if any nice sets have been published since this thread was last active? I've just done a quick search on Amazon, but nothing turned up (other than individual novels).

13alaudacorax
Editado: Jul 15, 2021, 8:32 am

After some further searching (and thought), I think I can forget about >12 alaudacorax:. I really don't know that I want to spend any serious money on fine editions of these things—I'd got temporarily a bit carried away, there.

Back to reality: can anyone tell me about the Valancourt Books editions? From what I can see they have decent introductions; but do they have notes and other useful stuff? If not I might just as well go to Project Gutenberg or such for the texts and hunt up biographies and other information online.

14pgmcc
Jul 15, 2021, 9:53 am

I enjoyed Northanger Abbey and have been intrigued sufficiently by the Horrid Novels to acquire at least two of them so far, albeit in editions not as elegant as those mentioned above.

Having read the Horrid Novel posts above I was prompted to do a bit of Net-surfing*, and discovered a Complete Northanger Horrid Novels Collection for sale at the price of £1.49. This is where I make enemies for life; it was a Kindle edition on Amazon.co.uk.

At the risk of being spurned and shunned I purchased said edition and hope the quality is sufficient to enable an enjoyable read of the novels within. I do not expect anything more than the text so this purchase has probably saved me no more than the effort of downloading them from Gutenberg and striving to put them onto an e-Reader.

>13 alaudacorax: I cannot vouch for the quality of the Valancourt editions of the Horrid Novels, but my one and only experience to date with Valancourt was Le Fanu's Cock and Anchor, and I was very impressed with it and its extensive introduction and notes.

*Is that term considered archaic at this stage?

15housefulofpaper
Jul 15, 2021, 9:20 pm

>13 alaudacorax:
I had the Valancourt edition of The Castle of Wolfenbach but I gave it away when I acquired the Folio Society Horrid Novels set. I couldn't remember for certain if it had notes but it wasn't a poor quality book. Although print-on-demand it wasn't noticeably inferior in typesetting/proofreading or construction.

The back cover, which you can see on Amazon, confirms that the Valancourt edition has an introduction and notes.

16alaudacorax
Jul 16, 2021, 5:28 am

>14 pgmcc:

... very impressed with it and its extensive introduction and notes.

Ah, that's what I wanted to hear.

>15 housefulofpaper:

"... includes a new introduction and notes for modern readers."

Loud facepalm. I must have been half asleep when I was looking at them yesterday. Going through them all looking at the 'Look inside's and never thought to look at the pictures of the backs ...

Thanks both. I shall get the Valancourt paperbacks in due course—can't be doing with notes on the Kindle. Actually, I've found by experience, and I don't know why, that if a book is difficult—archaic language or whatever—it just seems easier to read on paper.

17alaudacorax
Jul 16, 2021, 6:38 am

>16 alaudacorax: - I shall get the Valancourt paperbacks in due course ...

Oddly, Horrid Mysteries is currently half the price of the others. So I've ordered that one in case the price goes up. I must keep an eye on the others to see if the prices habitually fluctuate.