Pretty books

[DaveAgain]

In the UK we have at least one publisher who sells 'presentation' books, nice hardbacks with illustrations: The Folio Society (for Jane Austen there seem to be several competing publishers ).

I've come across one similar thing in french, Tibert Editions, but that seems to be a trial effort by the artists involved.

Do you know any publishers of pretty books?

[Deinonysus]

I got a really nice omnibus edition of Jules Verne novels in French, pseudo-leather-bound and not too expensive, with illustrations. It's a subgroup of Bibliothèque des classiques called Éditions illustrées.

http://www.archipoche.com/collection/1- ... lassiques/

The ones with the black covers the Éditions illustrées. They have a mix of classic French novels and translations from English.

Barnes and Noble and Costco have some pretty but cheap omnibus books in English.

[MorkTheFiddle]

Best I can come up with is Éditions Garnier Frères. I have their hard-bound 2-vol edition of Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, published in 1962, and I would call it handsome. Unfortunately, per the reference, the publisher closed its doors in 1983.
Not to forget Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, but I assume you already know it. Usually not cheap, however.

Edited one time to add Bibliothèque de la Pléiade

[IronMike]

Library of America has nice additions available. Not sure if they count as pretty, but the novels, stories, essays they encompass sure are pretty!

[lichtrausch]

I've been impressed by Europa Editions. They publish simple trade paperbacks with French flaps that I find aesthetically appealing. I honestly prefer that over leather binding or other fanciness.

[IronMike]

I've been impressed by Europa Editions. They publish simple trade paperbacks with French slaps that I find aesthetically appealing. I honestly prefer that over leather binding or other fanciness.

What are "slaps"?

[lichtrausch]

What are "slaps"?

Oops. That should read "French flaps".

[IronMike]

What are "slaps"?

Oops. That should read "French flaps".

Ha! Thought it was a book term I didn't know!

[DaveAgain]

I've been looking at some Maurice Maeterlinck PDFs today, his German publisher seems to have been something special.

https://archive.org/details/dieintellig ... og/page/n9

https://archive.org/details/derschatzde ... et/page/n5

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_Die ... _Buchkunst