[lit-ideas] Byzantium

  • From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "Lit-Ideas" <Lit-Ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:16:02 -0800

I just received an invitation to join the Folio Club.   I enjoy reading such
invitations even though I haven't joined a book club in 30 years, but this
particular invitation is tempting.   The temptation consists of the 3
volume, beautifully bound, set of John Julius Norwich's Byzantium.   I
checked Amazon.com and one would spend $32 a piece for these volumes; so
while the Folio Society claim that they are worth $175 isn't true for
Amazon, $96 is not negligible.   

 

As I opened the packet, pictures of the other things they are prepared to
give me fell out: The Compact Oxford English Dictionary and the Oxford
Compact Thesaurus, both beautifully bound - a pen with the Folio Society
logo on it - a thank you gift token worth $17.95.  

 

It would go against my principles to join this book club.  One buys Folio
Society Books, I presume, in order to keep them in perfect condition, while
I tend to mark up any book I purchase.  A person tempted by the Folio
Society might also be tempted by the Loeb Classical Library.  I'm looking
now at a copy of Manetho Ptolemy, his Tetrabiblos - not Folio Society
standards perhaps, but very well done.  This copy was printed in 1971 and
seems in perfect condition - aside from some highlighting here and there I
myself have done.  

 

I notice that this volume has "No. 350" on the back of the dust cover.  I
assume that means that at the time of the printing there were 349 other
volumes.  Amazon.com sells Loeb volumes, typically for $24 each.  24 x 350 =
$8,400.   That is a handsome gift JL intends for his Swimming Pool Library.
Even though he hopes to get them for less than $24, there are probably a lot
more than 350 by now.   I considered collecting Loebs some time ago but
eventually rejected the idea.   I see the seller has "5.00" on the inside of
my copy, but the prices I saw during my period of temptation were generally
higher - and such possibilities do not exist out here in the San Jacinto
sticks where there are just a couple of used books stores and they don't
cater to this sort of thing.

 

I had to go through the packet several times to find what their volumes
generally sell for: ". . . as low as $29.95 with many under $40."  I seem to
recall that book and CD clubs have outrageous shipping and handling fees.
I am probably overcoming my brief temptation.

 

Lawrence

 

 

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