Trollope’s The Duke’s Children, with bedraggled geranium s.
I was glued to a tea-drinking scene in a 19th-century novel.
I didn’t hear the mail arrive.
I went to get tea and saw a box on the stoop.
I opened the door.
I picked it up.
The sticker said “Royal Mail” (much more awe-inspiring than USPS), and the return address sticker said The Folio Society.
Yes, my gorgeous copy of the Folio Society’s complete edition of Trollope’s The Duke’s Children arrived.
It is bound in Indian goatskin leather, with hand-marbled endpapers.
Hand-marbled endpapers, and Line counter bookmark.
And it comes with an adorable “Line counter” bookmark. Most of the pages have exactly 39 lines. When I blog about it, I will be able to cite the line number. Fun, fun.
The copy number is written in by hand. It is 7__ of 1980. And it says that:
The first complete edition of The Duke’s Children has been typeset in Miller by The Folio Society, printed on Caxton Cream Wove… It is limited to 1980 numbered copies, and 20 lettered copies hors de commerce.
At work with my Line counter bookmark.
It has an introduction by Joanna Trollope.
And there is a second volume, a commentary on the book.
My misgivings: I have never had a leather book before.
I am a paperback person.
My cousin the librarian is laughing at me. “You’re not a f—ing collector and what about tea stains?”
The commentary.
Trollope write The Duke’s Children as a four-volume novel and it was cut to three volumes. The complete edition is only available from the Folio Society.
I retort, “It’s not a collectible. It’s mine now.”
I am a bit worried. I read my books HARD. I throw my paperbacks down on the couch. I write in them.
Wish me luck! It is no longer a collectible… It is a reading copy!
mirabile dictu 
Mazel tov! What does the paper feel like? There is no way in hell I would ever eat or drink near it.
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It feels like very, very, very creamy, sturdy, will never tan paper. I will treat it like a reading copy, but no food! It reads so much better than the three-volume edition available in paperback. But it is nerve-racking to have such a well-made book.
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Oh my dear. Soon you will get a brochure and notification you are a member of the Folio Society. Do not worry: you are not obliged to buy any books, but you can get onto their site as a member. It’s beautiful, easy to use. It has pleasant intelligent blogs by illustrators. I read about the illustrations to the recent editions of The Warden and Barchester Towers and if you can find it there was a place for me to blog about these illuistrations. The books are beyond my pocketbook, even the launch and sale ones but it’s a lovely place — and you get phone numbers, the address of their shop in Holborn, when they hold their book clubs and so on. For your next visit to London. Soon I will be reading this DC. We should remember it is the result of hundreds of choices of Armanick and Wiseman, but they worked hard and selflessly on it. Ellen
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Yes, it is a beautiful book, and it is tempting to get The Warden and BC, though I must decline. We become members of the Folio Society when we buy the book! It is a lovely website. I’ll have to spend some time reading the blogs. DC seems to read very well (I’ve skimmed a little), but I won’t have time to read it for a while yet.
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Absolutely beautiful. Lucky you 🙂 enjoy it. Trollope is fantastic.
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It is a gorgeous book! And it’s so much longer than the other Duke’s Children!
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I didn’t see the bookmark. Or I didn’t recognize it. So it’s gone, probably with that bag. I assumed the ribbons were the (old-fashioned) bookmarks. Do write when you get onto the Folio Society website and tell what you think of it. Me I love pictures and most Folio Society editions have illustrations secured just for that book.
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The ribbon bookmark is lovely. This other one was inside the book. Oh, I do wish this were illustrated, but it is just so huge. Not as huge as I’d thought it might be, however.
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Wear gloves!
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Oh no! That’s the problem with getting a beautiful book, isn’t it?:)
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What a lovely, lovely volume – but books are meant to be read, so read it in your way and love it!
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Thank you, Karen! Once I start reading i’ll forget the rest. It’s new, not an original manuscript, after all!:)
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what a handsome volume that is! and the end papers are swoon-worthy! enjoy it and make it your own, looking forward to your posts about it!
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I have a huge paperback Trollope section and now this! It doesn’t fit in with them, but it is certainly very pretty and I’m looking forward to reading it!
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I bought one too , Kat. It is a nice book, but if you take reasonable care, it will be fine. I have collected Folio Society books for decades. Most are illustrated and the paper stays white, unlike some well known publisher’s books. Unlike USA, it is not illegal to produce books with paper that yellows as a result of the use on non-acid free paper. Lots of Folio Society books are 18th and 19th century classics and these are the ones I collect. I am sure you will get used to owning and reading this book, you just might get hooked on hardbacks though.
Clare
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I’m very glad to hear someone else has bought this! I could get used to reading only Folio editions.
Last fall I was tempted by the Wuthering Heights with the Patti Smith introduction, which got a lot of press here. I already have three editions, though.
We do have some yellowing pages in our American books, too. Some of the publishers are or were
not that fussy!
I do have paperback mania and when the Folio Society does paperbacks I’ll REALLY be happy.:)
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I have collected them since my twenties, so have lots. EBay is a good source, if you are careful.
Clare
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They are lovely and that’s something to bear in mind. I’ve never shopped on e-bay, believe it or not!
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It is often cheaper than Amazon and all sorts of treasures are there, including thousands of paperbacks. LOL.
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What a beauty, Kat. Enjoy reading it. Don’t let the cats get too near…
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I thought about the cats, too.:)
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There was a long(ish) review of The Duke’s Children in the Irish Times last weekend, which you might like – http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/the-duke-s-children-anthony-trollope-restored-to-his-full-glory-1.2168751 (not sure if you can access Irish Times sites outside Europe – if not, I have the actual cutting from the paper and would be happy to post it to you). I’ve really enjoyed reading your Folio society adventures and I’m starting to think I should plan a Trollope read for the summer!
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Oh, thank you! The link works. I can’t wait to read the review. I shall delve into The Duke’s Children soon. A blogger somewhere out there is sponsoring a Trollope read, but unfortunately I can’t remember who’s in charge! (It’s quite a good blog but I only went there once.) I always mosey through one Trollope a year. This is the year I finish the Palliser series. But it’s nice to think everybody’s celebrating Trollope’s bicentenary.
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