Wuthering Heights on Sale

I made another trek to Bayer's Lake today, lured by the siren song of classic literature (so difficult to find in my hometown, where the shelves are stocked instead with home fondue-kits, coffee books, or trashy novels). I finally surrendered to my desire to read Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, unabridged, in French (yes, after the thesis...).

I still hate Chapters, but they have Wuthering Heights on sale. They have a special offer of three books for $25.00 including Wuthering Heights and several other classics ranging from Jane Austen to James Joyce.

Speaking of Jane Austen, and of worthwhile purchases, I would recomend purchasing this little edition of Wuthering Heights by the Collectors Library. It's only $5.00 but a quality book- well bound and beautiful. The series also has Jane Eyre, however, they are completely sold out of Charlotte's novel. I purchased their edition of Northanger Abbey today, and am very pleased with it. It is also illustrated, but I cannot say whether or not the Bronte novels are as well. They are pocket-sized and very handy for emergencies (such as long bus rides). NA has gold gilding, burgundy cloth binding, and a matching silk ribbon bookmark. These pages are certainly not going to fall out easily!

Book Releases and More on Chapters

We have a few new editions and other books to look forward to next year. But first, there are a few new editions available today including:

The Bloomsbury Editions, reported here back in June, and known for their quirky marketting to teen readers.

Villette by Dover publications. And another edition by Oberon Books.

New editions of Shirley, and a 3 CD audio book of Jane Eyre will be available March 15th and August 1st, 2007.

Alas, Chapters, when will you believe that Charlotte Bronte did not, ever, write In Her Nature, a novel about werewolf sex. How it even got on their catalogue is baffling, but why it has stayed there... Here is original post from when it first came to our attention.

I Have Failed You

Yesterday I travelled north with a friend of mine to do a little shopping. There is a shopping centre in Bayer's Lake which has several 'big box' stores and the like. There is a branch of Chapters there. Chapters is the only major mainstream bookstore left in Canada, if I'm not mistaken. Long time readers will know my feelings about them and their practices, but I went all the same. To my relief, their selection was a slight improvement on the one back home (although an entire section on poop was unnecessary... It was called 'the scoop on poop.' What the deuce...)

Anyway, to my delight, I kept bushing up against Bronte novels. Back in my part of the country, it took me months to find a copy of Agnes Grey, and the Chapters stocked a grand total of one copy of Villette, three of Jane Eyre and two of Wuthering Heights. They had some very nice editions of the collected works.

And here is where I have failed you all. As my eyes glittered with the book lust, I neglected to note any information on the publisher or other details. Priced at about $30 was a hardcover edition of the Bronte novels- illustrated. Illustrated with images from turn of the century editions of the novels. My only complaint was that the book was laid out in the same way as the editions of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, with the text in two columns on the page.

I also had the chance to personally handle one of those Jane Eyre journals I reported last year. The journal is made to look like bugundy, aged leather with a page from the Jane Eyre manuscript embossed in gold on the front. Interestingly, the page chosen for the journal is from the interrupted wedding scene and begins somewhere near Mr. Brigg's first lines about the 'impediment.' Not exactly what I expected. Also, the signature they chose was probably one of Charlotte's messiest, but messy is in. In fact, at first glance I could not even read it... I would suspect that it was fabricated, but that the cross on the T is very high. Yes, I may be just a little too methodical.