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Post by Dante on May 26, 2015 9:21:08 GMT -5
#o# Dear Reader,
Long ago, before you were born unless you are very old, in a town you have never been to unless you were very desperate, I was involved in something you should not know about.
I was almost thirteen at the time, and I was wrong. I was wrong about the secret note in the restaurant. I was wrong about the old woman in the mansion. I was wrong about becoming a burglar. I was wrong about all of it.
I should have asked, "Why would someone say something was stolen when it was never theirs to begin with?" Instead, I asked the wrong questions - four wrong questions, more or less. You hold in your hands the account of the first.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket#o# This new edition of ?1, variously described as a hardcover or deluxe edition but actually paper-over-board, was released, unbelievably, on May 12th, 2015 - a fortnight ago. Somehow it slipped under everyone's radar, not least thanks to no official source doing anything to report its existence. I stumbled across it quite by chance, and subsequently traced further details back to the website of the cover designer, Maggie Edkins: What does everyone think of this new edition? It's a bit of a shame that they couldn't commission any new art for it, as I think with a fresh full-page piece of art (rather than one modified from the interior), this would be a really desirable product; the design is bold and striking, though I think the book's actual title could stand to be a bit larger. It's not yet clear whether this is going to become the default edition of ?1 from now on, or if we'll see versions of ?2 onwards in this new design - I personally hope so, though I suspect this design is simply testing the waters. For anyone who's wondering, the original front dustjacket flap (with the three questions and three motifs) is replicated on the front page, the illustrations are still in colour, there are no endpapers, and there's a preview of ?2's cover (original design) and first chapter at the end.
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Post by B. on May 26, 2015 11:27:01 GMT -5
#o# Dear Reader,
Long ago, before you were born unless you are very old, in a town you have never been to unless you were very desperate, I was involved in something you should not know about.
I was almost thirteen at the time, and I was wrong. I was wrong about the secret note in the restaurant. I was wrong about the old woman in the mansion. I was wrong about becoming a burglar. I was wrong about all of it.
I should have asked, "Why would someone say something was stolen when it was never theirs to begin with?" Instead, I asked the wrong questions - four wrong questions, more or less. You hold in your hands the account of the first.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket#o# This new edition of ?1, variously described as a hardcover or deluxe edition but actually paper-over-board, was released, unbelievably, on May 12th, 2015 - a fortnight ago. Somehow it slipped under everyone's radar, not least thanks to no official source doing anything to report its existence. I stumbled across it quite by chance, and subsequently traced further details back to the website of the cover designer, Maggie Edkins: What does everyone think of this new edition? It's a bit of a shame that they couldn't commission any new art for it, as I think with a fresh full-page piece of art (rather than one modified from the interior), this would be a really desirable product; the design is bold and striking, though I think the book's actual title could stand to be a bit larger. It's not yet clear whether this is going to become the default edition of ?1 from now on, or if we'll see versions of ?2 onwards in this new design - I personally hope so, though I suspect this design is simply testing the waters. For anyone who's wondering, the original front dustjacket flap (with the three questions and three motifs) is replicated on the front page, the illustrations are still in colour, there are no endpapers, and there's a preview of ?2's cover (original design) and first chapter at the end. I would really, really, really like to know what other books you have on your shelves, Dante. Other than that, I like this edition much better than the original UK one; is there any new material inside?
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Post by Dante on May 26, 2015 11:50:43 GMT -5
Not a jot of new material, I'm afraid. Also, since I didn't make it clear, this is an American edition.
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Post by gliquey on May 26, 2015 12:29:28 GMT -5
I think I prefer both the US and UK covers of ?1 to this one, but I do really like the way they put "1" inside the question mark dot. I agree that the title could be a bit larger — and I think perhaps that's also the case, to a lesser extent, in the US cover — and I never like the "A New York Times Bestseller" bits on covers (does that really make more people buy it?)
The "Before you read" questions on the back of the UK (and I assume original US) editions are definitely my favourite blurbs, but the blurb there is still nice, and I don't recall having read the first two paragraphs anywhere before: are they [with the exception of the first and last sentences in the second paragraph] new?
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Post by Isadora Is a Door on May 26, 2015 12:35:24 GMT -5
I like that cover a lot
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Post by bandit on May 26, 2015 12:39:28 GMT -5
Is it the same size as the original US editions?
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Post by Poe's Coats Host Toast on May 26, 2015 12:45:41 GMT -5
That's a very exciting design; I like it. But the fact that there are no endpapers is kind of a bummer. Especially since there is less artwork on the jacket now, as a sacrifice for the slicker design. So I agree, some new artwork (or maybe 'full' versions of some of the original cover illustrations) would make this release actually desirable, instead of just second option with a bit less art.
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Post by Dante on May 26, 2015 13:46:01 GMT -5
The "Before you read" questions on the back of the UK (and I assume original US) editions are definitely my favourite blurbs, but the blurb there is still nice, and I don't recall having read the first two paragraphs anywhere before: are they [with the exception of the first and last sentences in the second paragraph] new? The blurb is entirely new, though obviously parts of it are repurposed from existing text - it's unclear to me whether Handler would have written it personally or if it was created by the designers. Is it the same size as the original US editions? Yes, exactly so.
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Post by Teleram on May 26, 2015 18:27:35 GMT -5
This is really cool and everything, but did anyone else notice that Dante has a copy of Twilight in his shelf?
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Post by Cafe SalMONAlla on May 27, 2015 5:10:03 GMT -5
He also has Skulduggery Pleasant!
Apart from that, wow. I don't particularly like the design, but it's jarring in a nicely nostalgic way to see an atwq book that has a dear reader letter and LS's signature on the back.
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tfrisch
Reptile Researcher
Posts: 13
Likes: 5
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Post by tfrisch on May 29, 2015 12:44:45 GMT -5
I think the original cover is packed with illustrations and has a really cool overall feel to it, this one is kind of dull... I hope this doesn't replace it.
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Post by Dante on Jun 3, 2015 12:08:03 GMT -5
I think that's a fair opinion. I don't really like how the original cover handles the "packed with illustrations" aspect, but I do think it would be a shame to lose them. I'd just like it if they were presented differently - as a pile of photographs, for instance, rather than a series of unrelated comic book panels.
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Post by Tryina Denouement on Jun 4, 2015 9:24:53 GMT -5
TBH, this cover is much, much more pleasing to the eyes than the original one. I like the design, which manages to look new and old at the same time.
P.S: Wow, a letter at the back! I missed those already!
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