The brothers Karmazov is another level of greatness! You must make time for it and read it soon. Preferably in winter. Long books always feel like winter or fall books to me
@@dggjr1759 Unfortunately I don’t know. I read it in Arabic. But a good way to decide which translation is right for you is to read the first few pages of both and see which flows better for you. Hopefully someone else will give you a recommendation ✨
Book mentioned: - A study in Scarlett - The lady of the Camellias - Martin Chuzzlewit - Bel - Ami - Uncle Tom's Cabin - The Woman in White - Metamorphoses - Ovid - Don Quixote - The Count of Monte Cristo - Madame Bowary - Wutherin Heights - Pride and Prejudice - Hamlet - The Blacker the Berry - Passing - Nella Larson - The marquise of o - and other stories - The Decameron - The curious case of benjamin button - The moon is down - Ethan Frome - The old curiosity shop - Oliver twist - Great Expectations - The mystery of Edwin Drood - Great Expectations - Thomas Hardy - Selected Poems - The Pickwick papers - Evelina - Peer Gynt and Brand - The sorrows of young werther - The Letters of vincent van Gogh - Cavalleria Rusticana and other stories - The book of disquiet - Therese Raquin - All my sons - Death of a salesman - Twelve Angry Men - Once there was a war - Maurice - Aspects of the novel - The longest journey - A passage to India - The epic of Gilgamesh - The three theban plays - We have always lived in the castle - The crucible - Lolita - Perfume - the story of a murderer - a confederacy of dunces - Swann's way - Alone in Berlin - On the road - Brideshead revisited - The grapes of wrath - Anna Karenina - The cossacks and other stories - The death of Ivan ilych and other stories - Childhood, boyhood, youth - Plays - Anton Chekhov - The Brothers Karamazov - Poor folks and other stories
I can see that you've only recommended the first book in the In Search of Lost Time . I think you should've recommended the whole ouvre of Marcel Proust
@@CarolynMarieReads The Woman in White is arguably W.K's greatest Novel. But I would recommend "The Dead Secret" as a 1st Wilkie Collins Novel to Read. It's only about 360 Pages and it's very good.
The Count of Monte Cristo is well worth it you should just hop right into it, one of the most digestible classics I have ever read. Kept my interest the whole 1000+ pages and I blew through it, one of my all time favorites.
I just wanted to say that this is one of the videos that's prompted me to start collecting classics again after 20+ years. You talk so enthusiastically about each of the editions, and it's easy to see how much the authors' works mean to you. Thanks so much for the continued inspiration!
The Penguin Classics are my personal favorites! I am always trying to find different ones in bookstores and even in second-hand shops! My advice is looking on different second-hand book websites and also looking in thrift stores! The first Penguin Classic I ever bought was The Iliad by Homer!
Im a new reader. Yesterday i went to a library. I looked for a book that i wanted to buy. I found it but it was completely different from the one i saw on pinterest and insta.. from the cover to the size of the book... like it's completely different. Like i don't understand why there are many covers and sizes... of a same book is it publishers or whatever?? Like I'm confused is it a different edition or a different publisher oe what i don't understand and how can i buy (and know) the real original first version of a book.??
I as well am intensely passionate about the Penguin collection. Also, I always look to see who's painting is displayed upon the cover, so in that manner we share the same fondness. Thank you for this episode.
Absolutely lovely. I was happy to see Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh in your modern classics. That's my favorite book. I suppose it is a slow burn, but I adored it all the way through. It's so thoughtful, so fun, and so thoroughly British! And then it gets so flipping sad. I'm so glad you think it's wonderful as well.
I agree 100% on the older penguin vs the current style. I bought all the dickens in the black spines with the ink pictures, and even amongst them I have some that are the older style and some that are the newer style and it drives me crazy.
Yes, A Doll's House is very important, even if you're a woman. I read that play as a teenager, during they 1970s, and a few years later a good friend of mine took me to a production of it at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Of course I haven't retained all of it but I have retained a surprising portion of it.
I also love Penguin classics and I have several of them. The editions are wonderful and their explanatory notes are second to none. This is so helpful when encountering historical facts or references with which I am not familiar, or when the author uses certain slang and colloquial phrases and language.
I'm currently owning one book from The Penguin Books and it's called 'The Laws of Human Nature' by Robert Greene. Talking about its design is phenomenal, it has a paper cover. I just began reading from it and I fell in love with it. I'm excited to see what comes next in the chapters to come. It's funny how I was not into book two years ago, and now I am obsessed with reading and educating myself to become the best version of myself. Keep reading and keep on shining!
I'm so glad you compared the penguin and oxford editions as that was going to be my first question! I definitely prefer the black spines over white, but the oxford edition of War and Peace has a beautiful cover that draws me back to it every time 😩
I highly recommend to check the kindle samples of both Penguin and Oxford editions of any book you're planning to buy just to see which one seems like a better option. In my experience Oxford tends to fare better than Penguin regarding the extra contents
Im a new reader. Yesterday i went to a library. I looked for a book that i wanted to buy. I found it but it was completely different from the one i saw on pinterest and insta.. from the cover to the size of the book... like it's completely different. Like i don't understand why there are many covers and sizes... of a same book is it publishers or whatever?? Like I'm confused is it a different edition or a different publisher oe what i don't understand and how can i buy (and know) the real original first version of a book.??
I want to learn all about editions covers publishers og books pirated books hardcovers vs paperbacks .. newyork times best seller?? And what are classics or novels and stuff
@@joshuamatthew2897 you are getting into very muddy waters with that last question. If you're looking at NEW releases you're pretty much guaranteed an "original first version of a book" with the following caveats: the title wasn't picked up by the publisher after gaining traction as a fanfic because then it was most likely modified in some way before official publishing; you pre-ordered it, because otherwise you run the risk of getting a subsequent printing depending on how popular it turns out to be and while the book will be IDENTICAL in any meaningful way you won't get a "first printing" which is usually the most valuable edition of a book; and finally you need to get the edition from the country in which it was first published since there may be slight differences between the editions depending on the market, including WHO is the publisher (while they can be published globally by the same "Publishing House" this is not guaranteed and even if they are the "Imprint", a specialized brand name within the publishing house, may not be the same. After this your mostly looking at Special Editions without any meaningful change to the text and your main worry should be which one do you like more If your looking at older books things get more complicated, the copyright holders could have change and particular introductions or forewords might not be available anymore unless you're willing to hunt for them in the second hand market, but again, the main text should pretty much be IDENTICAL to the original text as first published barring typos, punctuations. And in works published during the last century one can occasionally find the authors coming back to rework the original text by making more substantial changes or publishers reintegrating parts that were previously censored (see the American editions of Philip Pullman's "The Amber Spyglass"). Reputable Publishers will usually mention any such changes somewhere in the book. And finally if you're looking at works published over a century ago and already on the public domain and are still aiming for the "real original first version of a book" you really have to research info on every title you´re interested in because all that I just mentioned is 10 times more relevant. Between the manuscript and the book as published today A LOT did happen! Maybe the book was first published in installments on some periodical and was then revised before being turned into a book, maybe it was being published as both at the same time and the story and structure changes a little in each (see "Lady Audley's Secret"), maybe it was published as a book but the typos and punctuation changes were too many and it took 3 editions before the "definitive" text was settled on by the author, or maybe after those 3 editions the author decides to go back and rework the text 25 years later to make the heroine less likable and while that version of the text doesn't stick on the original language that become the standard version used for translation in other languages (see Alexandre Dumas fils "La Dame aux Camélias "), or maybe the author was fine with her work but her bitter sister approves of a censored edition to make the characters more likeable after the author dies and then that also becomes the standard edition of the text for decades, and the one that gets international fame before being restored although the damage on the international markets will still linger for another 2 centuries (see Anne Brontë's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall"). And while some of those titles are usually available as digitized copies online as they first appeared in print, if you´re lucky you might even find the manuscript, fair copies or first editions corrected and annotated by the author you're still never guaranteed the "real original first version of a book". My advice: stick to Oxford World's Classics editions of older books because the do have information about changes done to the text, the Penguin Classics with the black spines are a close second (the Kindle samples of both ARE your friends, do not overlooked them) and then go to the fancy annotated versions which tend to be more expensive. And for newer books, unless you are looking at these more as a collector than a reader, don't overthink it, get the edition you like best, the text should be the same (unless they say "abridged", then it does mean that is a condensed version of the text and that parts of it that don't actually affect the plot have been removed)
Great video. I was a bookseller for a while, and of course a bookworm forever, and I always feel like publishers don’t get enough respect for the work they do in bringing this stuff into our lives. Especially for “classics” where the supplementals and translation make such a big difference in the reading experience. I also love that you love Don Quixote - I’m always pushing that one on people lol. I hope you like Passing, the movie adaptation is also very good
I have Steinbeck's The Moon is Down in an old Bantam Pathfinder edition. I would love to get it in a Penguin Classic. Great video and a great parade of Penguins.
I love the penguin classics books! Beautiful covers, comfortable reading, good translations and they look nice on the shelves. And finally, they are affordable. Chef's kiss 😘🤌
I had to read a bunch of Ibsen in college. My favorites were: A Doll House, Peer Gynt, Hedda Gabler, and Ghosts. You have to enjoy reading scripts to get much out of them but they're very affecting if you do.
So fun to watch this! I love watching book collection videos. I started collecting the Everymans Library books. They are acid free and have beautiful covers. However I think I do enjoy the feel of a paperback so I would like to have the Penguin Black spine versions as they are easier to hold and read. Always love your videos!
Hey! If you want to get into Ibsen's work, I would recommend starting with Hedda Gabler and A Dolls House. I read both for my English lit course at uni and I loved them!
I'm the same - I have been collecting the Penguin Black Spines for a while now and definitely prefer the one with the author in orange text (the older version).
Just love to see every inch of your bookalicious bookshelf. How many different books can you be reading at the time? Don't the contents mix up in your head? If you scan your already read books, how well do you remember the contents of them? After ten years of reading classics you are quite aware of the good ones and the bad ones. The next ten years, which one would you prefer? Reading ever more new classics or choosing ten or twenty best ones and reading them over and over again? Just a thought because it's been said that in the best classics there are layers after layers and digging ever deeply it always gives you new perspectives and insights.
Yes Italian Literature!! If you like fantasy-esque type of stories I'd recommend "Invisible Cities" by Calvino. They make us read it in highschool because it's really short and easy. A great book to start :)
I love your collection (and how much you love them)! I personally love Peer Gynt, but wouldn't say it is even close to Ibsen's best work. I recommend you start with one or two of Ibsen's better known works such as Hedda Gabler or A Doll's House instead. I fell in love with Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite" which is probably my favorite classical music and is based on old Norwegian folk tunes, so ultimately had to read Ibsen's play which it was intended to accompany. Now when I read it I also hear Grieg's music in my head.
The count of monte cristo was released in small snippets at a time, so I kind of read it with that mentality over a year (much less daunting!) I cannot recommend it more! It also holds very fond memories when you read it like that because you tie it in with so many memories of what you were doing when you picked it up!
no matter how I'm feeling Carolyn's videos always put everything into a relaxing mood, and this was no exception! you're welcome for on the road btw, hope everything's going good for you Carolyn!
I also started collecting the black penguin classics. I enjoy how the books feel when I open them. A soft lay in my hands. If that makes sense. Don Quixote is my favorite so far. I am also using the book The Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman which gives you the order of the classics and he also does this by the century it was written in. Cool video. Thank you.
The Woman in White has one of the best villains I've ever read, and also has one of the best supporting female characters! I choose my nickname because of her. The protagonists are a bit lame but those two characters trully worth the reading. And the mystery keeps you engaged. I would love to know your thoughts on this novel when you decide to read it.
Loved this video! 🥰 I collected all the paper mill press classics, as well as all the Arcturus classics. I don't see many of the penguin editions but have bought a few at the thrift
I'm french so I had to read Thérèse Raquin by Zola for school and I really enjoyed it! From what I remember it's a pretty odd book about guilt and the human nature and what probably kickstarted my love for "weird" books.
I have read Alone in Berlin, and have that same copy. I really enjoyed it. I'm a fairly slow reader, but that book read quick for me, couple of weeks. The pace I thought was excellent. Vibrant characters. It is a little dour and depressing, but oddly hopeful too, in that an individual can make a difference.
I just got my copy of Virginia Woolf's Flush, I loved your recommendation, I got it in the Penguin Little Black Classics edition. So cute. I can't wait to read it. Thanks for inspiring me to go beyond the classics I usually read.🐶
Love your vids - so chill and interesting - The Stephen fry reading of the Sherlock Holmes series is amazing! - highly recommend when you get around to Holmes
I'm obsessed with the Penguin Modern Classics. I've started collecting them too and so far all of the novels have been excellent. The Grapes of Wrath, Alone in Berlin, and Swann's Way are on my 2023 'hopefuls' list. Steinbeck is my favourite author so I'm planning to read a lot more of his work next year.
I have my Penguins divided up into orange, black and green spines, too. Last black spine I read was Boccacio's "The Decameron", perfect for the Covid Era. Great run-down here, and obviously...new sub!
After my daughter watched this video and I started watching your videos, she bought Anna Karenina in the black spine Penguin edition for me. Thank you for being an influencer!
One of those authors had a truly wonderful father who met an incredible musical personality on his travels in Italy.They are all lovely books and I do hope to read some of them,as I hope you'll give Martin Chuzzlewit another go!😁💝
Carolyn Marie, I got to know a bookstore legend in Toronto, Terence, whom read ALL Penguin editions by the end of his 30s. Iho, they are a few jewels, and formatted decently, but not the best of the best. Folio editions are more authoritative. Best if you borrow some from the library before purchasing them.
I really enjoyed Nana by Emilie Zola. I adore the penguin black spine/blue spine collections. They have an amazing selection of classics. I truly believe that the black spine ones were meant to be annotated in and have that battered look to them lol. I also get the Oxford World classics (white spines) and Vintage classics (red spines). They are all great editions in their own way. I love buying them off the Book Depository. I think they have every book ever in each edition. They take awhile to ship the the U.S, but it is so worth it!
I love Penguin Black Spine, definitely my favourite editions. Great collectiona! Unfortunately, I don't have many of them yet, only Jane Eyre (the very first book I've ever annotated), The Pickwick Papers, The Old Curiosity Shop, Agnes Grey, Anna Karenina and Wuthering Heights. :)
Looking forward to seeing this amazing and fantastic video as I no that these books are amazing 😉 love you and your amazing channel prayers and thoughts for you and your family love your family friend John ❤❤❤❤
Carolyn - if you want an Ibsen work to start off with, I definitely recommend A Doll’s House! It’s tons of fun to read into the subtext of it, I think you’ll enjoy it 😊
You asked about Zola, he happens to be one of my absolute favorites and I read his books in French, éditions Le Livre de Poche, the French equivalent of Penguin. Starting with Thérèse Raquin seems to be a wise choice as it does not belong to his humongous series of Rougon-Macquart. You may start the series in order though I remember I read Germinal as my first book at 14, I liked the cover and it was just sitting there at our home library. I was then hooked and I read most of the series. Highly recommended
I highly recommend prioritizing reading The Woman in White!!! It is one of my favorite books ever!!! Evelina is on my TBR. I know that Jane Austen got a lot of inspiration from that book, and even copied exact lines out of it that we now like to quote from Austen’s books. I think it should be a very interesting read. Thanks for the video!
Lovely to watch this... you, and the books. When you mentioned the candle in the corner, I almost heard Kindle :) I had to re-run that part... no chance I'm sure
Congratulations on your collection! I recently read The Sorrows of Young Werther and didn't think it was so depressing (but perhaps that is because I didn't like Werther so much! - but that was intended, I read a supporting text that said Goethe adjusted his text so the protagonist was less likable for the readers). In fact, I'm in my 30's and, I wish I had read it when I was 15 years old or in my 20's because I would have appreciated it more. Werther is a young adult suffering from love but his feelings are very intense, so perhaps you should read it soon. But from Goethe, my preferred is Faust. I would love to see your review of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath when you get to it!
my favourite books mentioned here as well as some of my favourite books of all time are the book of disquiet and on the road!! and I think you should read the book of disquiet soon especially it's such a good book!
The brothers Karmazov is another level of greatness! You must make time for it and read it soon. Preferably in winter. Long books always feel like winter or fall books to me
Haha that’s perfect- I just started it and I’m pretty sure it’ll take me all winter
Нам в России буквально пихают их в горло, а потом мы терпеть не можем нашу русскую литературу
Which translation is better: Peaver or McDuff, or someone else???
@@dggjr1759 Unfortunately I don’t know. I read it in Arabic. But a good way to decide which translation is right for you is to read the first few pages of both and see which flows better for you. Hopefully someone else will give you a recommendation ✨
@@dggjr1759definitely Peaver
Book mentioned:
- A study in Scarlett
- The lady of the Camellias
- Martin Chuzzlewit
- Bel - Ami
- Uncle Tom's Cabin
- The Woman in White
- Metamorphoses - Ovid
- Don Quixote
- The Count of Monte Cristo
- Madame Bowary
- Wutherin Heights
- Pride and Prejudice
- Hamlet
- The Blacker the Berry
- Passing - Nella Larson
- The marquise of o - and other stories
- The Decameron
- The curious case of benjamin button
- The moon is down
- Ethan Frome
- The old curiosity shop
- Oliver twist
- Great Expectations
- The mystery of Edwin Drood
- Great Expectations
- Thomas Hardy - Selected Poems
- The Pickwick papers
- Evelina
- Peer Gynt and Brand
- The sorrows of young werther
- The Letters of vincent van Gogh
- Cavalleria Rusticana and other stories
- The book of disquiet
- Therese Raquin
- All my sons
- Death of a salesman
- Twelve Angry Men
- Once there was a war
- Maurice
- Aspects of the novel
- The longest journey
- A passage to India
- The epic of Gilgamesh
- The three theban plays
- We have always lived in the castle
- The crucible
- Lolita
- Perfume - the story of a murderer
- a confederacy of dunces
- Swann's way
- Alone in Berlin
- On the road
- Brideshead revisited
- The grapes of wrath
- Anna Karenina
- The cossacks and other stories
- The death of Ivan ilych and other stories
- Childhood, boyhood, youth
- Plays - Anton Chekhov
- The Brothers Karamazov
- Poor folks and other stories
Thank you for this! :)
I can see that you've only recommended the first book in the In Search of Lost Time . I think you should've recommended the whole ouvre of Marcel Proust
Thank you so much ❤
Wish I would of seen this before I skimped through the video.
@@CarolynMarieReads The Woman in White is arguably W.K's greatest Novel. But I would recommend "The Dead Secret" as a 1st Wilkie Collins Novel to Read. It's only about 360 Pages and it's very good.
The Count of Monte Cristo is well worth it you should just hop right into it, one of the most digestible classics I have ever read. Kept my interest the whole 1000+ pages and I blew through it, one of my all time favorites.
Your Penguin Classics collection look so cool. Seems like they're all taken care of.
"Taken care of" is not how I would describe a book that has never been read, which most of these were at the time of upload.
Ibsen 's Doll's House is absolutely beautiful and so inspiring
I just wanted to say that this is one of the videos that's prompted me to start collecting classics again after 20+ years. You talk so enthusiastically about each of the editions, and it's easy to see how much the authors' works mean to you. Thanks so much for the continued inspiration!
The Penguin Classics are my personal favorites! I am always trying to find different ones in bookstores and even in second-hand shops! My advice is looking on different second-hand book websites and also looking in thrift stores! The first Penguin Classic I ever bought was The Iliad by Homer!
Im a new reader. Yesterday i went to a library. I looked for a book that i wanted to buy. I found it but it was completely different from the one i saw on pinterest and insta.. from the cover to the size of the book... like it's completely different. Like i don't understand why there are many covers and sizes... of a same book is it publishers or whatever?? Like I'm confused is it a different edition or a different publisher oe what i don't understand and how can i buy (and know) the real original first version of a book.??
I as well am intensely passionate about the Penguin collection. Also, I always look to see who's painting is displayed upon the cover, so in that manner we share the same fondness. Thank you for this episode.
Totally agree with you. The older Penguin is much better than the new ones.
Love your channel
Absolutely lovely. I was happy to see Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh in your modern classics. That's my favorite book. I suppose it is a slow burn, but I adored it all the way through. It's so thoughtful, so fun, and so thoroughly British! And then it gets so flipping sad. I'm so glad you think it's wonderful as well.
Thank you for making the bookshelf tour series I love it so much. Looking forward to your everyman's library collection!
I agree 100% on the older penguin vs the current style. I bought all the dickens in the black spines with the ink pictures, and even amongst them I have some that are the older style and some that are the newer style and it drives me crazy.
About Ibsen: A Doll's House is a good place to start (if you don't mind reading plays)! Loved to look through this part of your book collection!
Yes, A Doll's House is very important, even if you're a woman. I read that play as a teenager, during they 1970s, and a few years later a good friend of mine took me to a production of it at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Of course I haven't retained all of it but I have retained a surprising portion of it.
I also love Penguin classics and I have several of them. The editions are wonderful and their explanatory notes are second to none. This is so helpful when encountering historical facts or references with which I am not familiar, or when the author uses certain slang and colloquial phrases and language.
I'm currently owning one book from The Penguin Books and it's called 'The Laws of Human Nature' by Robert Greene. Talking about its design is phenomenal, it has a paper cover. I just began reading from it and I fell in love with it. I'm excited to see what comes next in the chapters to come. It's funny how I was not into book two years ago, and now I am obsessed with reading and educating myself to become the best version of myself. Keep reading and keep on shining!
I only have one black spine, Sense and Sensibility. I love a well worn paperback. I may have one from every publisher. Lol
They all look beautiful together! Classics are a must collection for me.Your hair looks gorgeous. I hope you have a great day!
I'm so glad you compared the penguin and oxford editions as that was going to be my first question! I definitely prefer the black spines over white, but the oxford edition of War and Peace has a beautiful cover that draws me back to it every time 😩
I highly recommend to check the kindle samples of both Penguin and Oxford editions of any book you're planning to buy just to see which one seems like a better option.
In my experience Oxford tends to fare better than Penguin regarding the extra contents
Im a new reader. Yesterday i went to a library. I looked for a book that i wanted to buy. I found it but it was completely different from the one i saw on pinterest and insta.. from the cover to the size of the book... like it's completely different. Like i don't understand why there are many covers and sizes... of a same book is it publishers or whatever?? Like I'm confused is it a different edition or a different publisher oe what i don't understand and how can i buy (and know) the real original first version of a book.??
I want to learn all about editions covers publishers og books pirated books hardcovers vs paperbacks .. newyork times best seller?? And what are classics or novels and stuff
@@joshuamatthew2897 you are getting into very muddy waters with that last question.
If you're looking at NEW releases you're pretty much guaranteed an "original first version of a book" with the following caveats: the title wasn't picked up by the publisher after gaining traction as a fanfic because then it was most likely modified in some way before official publishing; you pre-ordered it, because otherwise you run the risk of getting a subsequent printing depending on how popular it turns out to be and while the book will be IDENTICAL in any meaningful way you won't get a "first printing" which is usually the most valuable edition of a book; and finally you need to get the edition from the country in which it was first published since there may be slight differences between the editions depending on the market, including WHO is the publisher (while they can be published globally by the same "Publishing House" this is not guaranteed and even if they are the "Imprint", a specialized brand name within the publishing house, may not be the same. After this your mostly looking at Special Editions without any meaningful change to the text and your main worry should be which one do you like more
If your looking at older books things get more complicated, the copyright holders could have change and particular introductions or forewords might not be available anymore unless you're willing to hunt for them in the second hand market, but again, the main text should pretty much be IDENTICAL to the original text as first published barring typos, punctuations. And in works published during the last century one can occasionally find the authors coming back to rework the original text by making more substantial changes or publishers reintegrating parts that were previously censored (see the American editions of Philip Pullman's "The Amber Spyglass"). Reputable Publishers will usually mention any such changes somewhere in the book.
And finally if you're looking at works published over a century ago and already on the public domain and are still aiming for the "real original first version of a book" you really have to research info on every title you´re interested in because all that I just mentioned is 10 times more relevant. Between the manuscript and the book as published today A LOT did happen! Maybe the book was first published in installments on some periodical and was then revised before being turned into a book, maybe it was being published as both at the same time and the story and structure changes a little in each (see "Lady Audley's Secret"), maybe it was published as a book but the typos and punctuation changes were too many and it took 3 editions before the "definitive" text was settled on by the author, or maybe after those 3 editions the author decides to go back and rework the text 25 years later to make the heroine less likable and while that version of the text doesn't stick on the original language that become the standard version used for translation in other languages (see Alexandre Dumas fils "La Dame aux Camélias "), or maybe the author was fine with her work but her bitter sister approves of a censored edition to make the characters more likeable after the author dies and then that also becomes the standard edition of the text for decades, and the one that gets international fame before being restored although the damage on the international markets will still linger for another 2 centuries (see Anne Brontë's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall").
And while some of those titles are usually available as digitized copies online as they first appeared in print, if you´re lucky you might even find the manuscript, fair copies or first editions corrected and annotated by the author you're still never guaranteed the "real original first version of a book".
My advice: stick to Oxford World's Classics editions of older books because the do have information about changes done to the text, the Penguin Classics with the black spines are a close second (the Kindle samples of both ARE your friends, do not overlooked them) and then go to the fancy annotated versions which tend to be more expensive. And for newer books, unless you are looking at these more as a collector than a reader, don't overthink it, get the edition you like best, the text should be the same (unless they say "abridged", then it does mean that is a condensed version of the text and that parts of it that don't actually affect the plot have been removed)
Such a wonderful collection, thank you for showing it!
I really enjoyed the book Lolita.
Don’t be daunted by Sophocles - it’s amazing - so easy to read
The lighting complements you and acts as a supporting character. Instead of warning us about it, welcome it and the depth it adds!
Hi! Don't worry about the length of The Count of Montecristo. I was afraid too but it is really fast paced. Loved it. ❤️
So glad that I will be ending my Friday night watching this. Thanks for sharing this with us, Carolyn. Greetings from the Philippines. 🥰
Aw thank you for being so lovely and kind! Sending love from New York to the Philippines 😄
My eyes my eyes ! 🤯😍 What an amazing collection!!!!
The book of Disquiet! Lovely to see Portuguese literature on your channel 😍
Great video. I was a bookseller for a while, and of course a bookworm forever, and I always feel like publishers don’t get enough respect for the work they do in bringing this stuff into our lives. Especially for “classics” where the supplementals and translation make such a big difference in the reading experience.
I also love that you love Don Quixote - I’m always pushing that one on people lol. I hope you like Passing, the movie adaptation is also very good
That's a small fortunes worth of Penguin Classics. Great investment. I think their children's classics are Puffin classics.
Just what I needed this Friday! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! 🍁🥰
Aw I’m so glad! Thank you, I hope you had a great thanksgiving as well! 🧡
Great to see you again! Thank you for posting.
it made my day a little bit better to watch this video. thank you.
East of Eden is in my top 3 favorites!! Steinbeck is a treat, you'll love him!! Super evocative, amazingly fleshed out characters.
That’s my favorite book but I just started reading. What are your other two?
I have Steinbeck's The Moon is Down in an old Bantam Pathfinder edition. I would love to get it in a Penguin Classic. Great video and a great parade of Penguins.
I love the penguin classics books! Beautiful covers, comfortable reading, good translations and they look nice on the shelves. And finally, they are affordable. Chef's kiss 😘🤌
I was craving a video like this, thanks so much Carolyn!
Ahhh! I have been hoping that you would film this! Thank you Carolyn!! My favorite editions!
I had to read a bunch of Ibsen in college. My favorites were: A Doll House, Peer Gynt, Hedda Gabler, and Ghosts. You have to enjoy reading scripts to get much out of them but they're very affecting if you do.
I love well worn books --- you can tell that they were well loved.
Thankful for you and your soothing voice 😌💛
Aw thankful for your kind words! 😄
Quite a variety. I have a few but I mainly have the orange spine Non-fiction variety. Thanks for the vlog.
Omg!! You will definetely love The Count of Monte Cristo!!
So fun to watch this! I love watching book collection videos. I started collecting the Everymans Library books. They are acid free and have beautiful covers. However I think I do enjoy the feel of a paperback so I would like to have the Penguin Black spine versions as they are easier to hold and read.
Always love your videos!
Hey! If you want to get into Ibsen's work, I would recommend starting with Hedda Gabler and A Dolls House. I read both for my English lit course at uni and I loved them!
anna karenina LOVE!! I love how you went through every book with enthusiasm :) so excited to see more !
Evelina is one of my favourites! Very similar vibes to Jane Austen, definitely think you would enjoy it ❤
I'm the same - I have been collecting the Penguin Black Spines for a while now and definitely prefer the one with the author in orange text (the older version).
The collection that all we want
Just love to see every inch of your bookalicious bookshelf. How many different books can you be reading at the time? Don't the contents mix up in your head? If you scan your already read books, how well do you remember the contents of them?
After ten years of reading classics you are quite aware of the good ones and the bad ones. The next ten years, which one would you prefer? Reading ever more new classics or choosing ten or twenty best ones and reading them over and over again? Just a thought because it's been said that in the best classics there are layers after layers and digging ever deeply it always gives you new perspectives and insights.
I love this collection of Penguin Black spine classics! You made my day, Carolyn! 💖📚✨
Nice collection. One of my life goals is to read all of the classics of literature.
amazing collection! i'm more of an oxford classic girl myself but i hope mine gets as big as yours one day 😍
I collect the black spines as well. I agree with the new b&w penguin editions. I prefer the orange ones.
I ❤ Penguin Classics! And such a broad range of selections (moreso than Oxford World's Classics, which I love also).
Thank you for sharing your collection. A worthy addition is the Mark Musa Portable Dante edition of the Divine Comedy.
Yes Italian Literature!! If you like fantasy-esque type of stories I'd recommend "Invisible Cities" by Calvino. They make us read it in highschool because it's really short and easy. A great book to start :)
I love Zola! I suggest starting with 'L'Assommoir', it seems to be most people's favourite, including mine :)💓
I love your collection (and how much you love them)! I personally love Peer Gynt, but wouldn't say it is even close to Ibsen's best work. I recommend you start with one or two of Ibsen's better known works such as Hedda Gabler or A Doll's House instead. I fell in love with Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite" which is probably my favorite classical music and is based on old Norwegian folk tunes, so ultimately had to read Ibsen's play which it was intended to accompany. Now when I read it I also hear Grieg's music in my head.
Does your copy of the sorrows of young werther include annotations/notes throughout the chapters?
The count of monte cristo was released in small snippets at a time, so I kind of read it with that mentality over a year (much less daunting!) I cannot recommend it more! It also holds very fond memories when you read it like that because you tie it in with so many memories of what you were doing when you picked it up!
I’m almost on chapter 33 of The Count of Monte Cristo and I’m enjoying it! I’m also reading In Search of Lost Time. 😊
no matter how I'm feeling Carolyn's videos always put everything into a relaxing mood, and this was no exception! you're welcome for on the road btw, hope everything's going good for you Carolyn!
I also started collecting the black penguin classics. I enjoy how the books feel when I open them. A soft lay in my hands. If that makes sense. Don Quixote is my favorite so far. I am also using the book The Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman which gives you the order of the classics and he also does this by the century it was written in. Cool video. Thank you.
Your colection is beautiful!! Congratulations and thank you ❤
The Woman in White has one of the best villains I've ever read, and also has one of the best supporting female characters! I choose my nickname because of her. The protagonists are a bit lame but those two characters trully worth the reading. And the mystery keeps you engaged. I would love to know your thoughts on this novel when you decide to read it.
Thanks a lot! Now i know what books i should buy. Have you read meditations by Marcus Auerlius ? I can highly recommend that book.
Loved this video! 🥰 I collected all the paper mill press classics, as well as all the Arcturus classics. I don't see many of the penguin editions but have bought a few at the thrift
Loved the woman in white! Recommend! I collect the older pan macmillans. They used to be a Barnes and noble brand.
Start with Zola with Therese Raquin, 100% you're gonna love it!
The Count of Monte Cristo only took me just over a month to read. If you’re daunted by the size I would recommend reading it along side the audiobook
I’ve always enjoyed Henrik Ibsen’s works. I would suggest ‘A Doll’s House’ to begin your Ibsen adventure.
Sherlock Holmes is so wonderful to read. I remember being entertained all the way through when I read all the stories a few years ago.
I'm french so I had to read Thérèse Raquin by Zola for school and I really enjoyed it! From what I remember it's a pretty odd book about guilt and the human nature and what probably kickstarted my love for "weird" books.
I have read Alone in Berlin, and have that same copy. I really enjoyed it. I'm a fairly slow reader, but that book read quick for me, couple of weeks. The pace I thought was excellent. Vibrant characters. It is a little dour and depressing, but oddly hopeful too, in that an individual can make a difference.
All my sons is my favorite Miller. As for Ibsen, I really liked the Doll's house
I just got my copy of Virginia Woolf's Flush, I loved your recommendation, I got it in the Penguin Little Black Classics edition. So cute. I can't wait to read it. Thanks for inspiring me to go beyond the classics I usually read.🐶
Love your vids - so chill and interesting - The Stephen fry reading of the Sherlock Holmes series is amazing! - highly recommend when you get around to Holmes
Grapes of Wrath was really good, but I wasn't taken by On The Road. I loved The Old Curiosity Shop by Dickens.
My collection is very small, but growing! I prefer the ones with the penguin in the orange circle too.
I'm obsessed with the Penguin Modern Classics. I've started collecting them too and so far all of the novels have been excellent. The Grapes of Wrath, Alone in Berlin, and Swann's Way are on my 2023 'hopefuls' list. Steinbeck is my favourite author so I'm planning to read a lot more of his work next year.
Ohhh Peer Gynt is amazing!! Also there is a balley based on it with beautiful music!!
12:24 - Don MacLean has a song called Vincent.
I have my Penguins divided up into orange, black and green spines, too.
Last black spine I read was Boccacio's "The Decameron", perfect for the Covid Era.
Great run-down here, and obviously...new sub!
After my daughter watched this video and I started watching your videos, she bought Anna Karenina in the black spine Penguin edition for me. Thank you for being an influencer!
One of those authors had a truly wonderful father who met an incredible musical personality on his travels in Italy.They are all lovely books and I do hope to read some of them,as I hope you'll give Martin Chuzzlewit another go!😁💝
The book club is going so well! It's always been a big deal to me!
Carolyn Marie, I got to know a bookstore legend in Toronto, Terence, whom read ALL Penguin editions by the end of his 30s. Iho, they are a few jewels, and formatted decently, but not the best of the best. Folio editions are more authoritative. Best if you borrow some from the library before purchasing them.
I really enjoyed Nana by Emilie Zola. I adore the penguin black spine/blue spine collections. They have an amazing selection of classics. I truly believe that the black spine ones were meant to be annotated in and have that battered look to them lol. I also get the Oxford World classics (white spines) and Vintage classics (red spines). They are all great editions in their own way. I love buying them off the Book Depository. I think they have every book ever in each edition. They take awhile to ship the the U.S, but it is so worth it!
Definitely prioritise ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther’ by Goethe - it is a masterpiece; incredibly beautiful and poignant.
I love Penguin Black Spine, definitely my favourite editions. Great collectiona! Unfortunately, I don't have many of them yet, only Jane Eyre (the very first book I've ever annotated), The Pickwick Papers, The Old Curiosity Shop, Agnes Grey, Anna Karenina and Wuthering Heights. :)
You should get and read the bell jar ! It’s my favorite book
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea is a good read.
Looking forward to seeing this amazing and fantastic video as I no that these books are amazing 😉 love you and your amazing channel prayers and thoughts for you and your family love your family friend John ❤❤❤❤
Definitely move Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden to the very top of your TBR !
need/want to have that collection!!!!!! ASAP!😍😍😍😍😍😍
Carolyn - if you want an Ibsen work to start off with, I definitely recommend A Doll’s House! It’s tons of fun to read into the subtext of it, I think you’ll enjoy it 😊
You asked about Zola, he happens to be one of my absolute favorites and I read his books in French, éditions Le Livre de Poche, the French equivalent of Penguin. Starting with Thérèse Raquin seems to be a wise choice as it does not belong to his humongous series of Rougon-Macquart. You may start the series in order though I remember I read Germinal as my first book at 14, I liked the cover and it was just sitting there at our home library. I was then hooked and I read most of the series. Highly recommended
I highly recommend prioritizing reading The Woman in White!!! It is one of my favorite books ever!!! Evelina is on my TBR. I know that Jane Austen got a lot of inspiration from that book, and even copied exact lines out of it that we now like to quote from Austen’s books. I think it should be a very interesting read.
Thanks for the video!
I love these editions. Nice collection.
Lovely to watch this... you, and the books. When you mentioned the candle in the corner, I almost heard Kindle :) I had to re-run that part... no chance I'm sure
Congratulations on your collection! I recently read The Sorrows of Young Werther and didn't think it was so depressing (but perhaps that is because I didn't like Werther so much! - but that was intended, I read a supporting text that said Goethe adjusted his text so the protagonist was less likable for the readers). In fact, I'm in my 30's and, I wish I had read it when I was 15 years old or in my 20's because I would have appreciated it more. Werther is a young adult suffering from love but his feelings are very intense, so perhaps you should read it soon. But from Goethe, my preferred is Faust. I would love to see your review of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath when you get to it!
my favourite books mentioned here as well as some of my favourite books of all time are the book of disquiet and on the road!! and I think you should read the book of disquiet soon especially it's such a good book!