Penguin Clothbound Classics + Minis
I am once again making a list of all the clothbound Penguin books I want to buy so that this will (fingers crossed) stop me from impulse buying them all. I am not someone that will buy an entire style series unless I love them all. So I am never going to try and collect all the clothbound Penguin Classics because I don’t like them all. My controversial book opinion is that I don’t need my series to match. I just want the versions of the individual books I like the most. All that blabbering to say here are the versions I want the most. Based on aesthetics and how much I want to read the book.
Dracula – Bram Stoker
At first glance, this one isn’t all that exciting…BUT I watched an interview with the designer and learnt the flowers are garlic! The idea being they are wrapped around the cover to protect the evil inside from getting out also reminding readers that garlic flowers are wrapped around the women in the book to protect them from Dracula. I love that kind of detail. I already own a copy of Dracula but I might be convinced to swap t out for this one.
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle – Arthur Conan Doyle
I’ve never heard of this Sherlock Holmes story particularly but I am so in love with the goose design on here. Currently, the only Clothbound Classic I own is the Hounds of the Baskervilles (Nice to know that even as a broke University student I was still all about buying my favourite version of a book) It’s also a Little Clothbound Classic which just makes it all the more adorable.
Cranford – Elizabeth Gaskell
The peas speak to me, I don’t know what they’re saying because I have not read the book yet. I have watched the show with the same name that I think might be the same-ish stories. This looks like it would be a elightful book to read this summer while I sit in my garden. I can picture it already.
Babettes Feast – Karen Blixen
Once again, I have never read this book before/ didn’t know it was a book but I’ve watched the movie Babettes Feast and it’s a family favourite. I do love books about food and I love this cover. I’d read it just to own it.
The Illiad – Homer
Way back in graed 7 I had to read the Odyssey. Not the biggest fan, at least back at that time. But since then I’ve kept meaning to complete my reading with the Iliad. I just haven’t been motivated enough to actually crack the book open. Perhaps this gorgeous cover will motivate me.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Truman Capote
I’m a little on the fence about this one, it’s not the more brilliant cover I’ve ever seen but Breakfast at Tiffany’s doesn’t have that many covers I actually like. For such an evocative novel they sure play it safe in the cover design. I do also like that this is a Little Clothbound Classic, so it’s smaller than the traditional Penguin book. I’m guessing the design is supposed to replicate Holly’s pearls and the rain storm towards the end of the novel? Unlike the other books on this list I have actively been trying to find a copy of Breakfast at Tiffany’s to buy for my library.
Well, there you have it. I haven’t written a roundup post of my favourite things in a while so consider this a small little addition. I wasn’t the hugest fan of these editions (at least not to buy them for myself) but I am glad I took a closer look and learnt about the designer behind them. New appreciation unlocked, as well as a new way to spend my money unlocked.
Happy reading… or perhaps happy shopping.
Hannah
