Photo of Penguin Hardcover Classics by perfectbound for design*sponge

Here’s a closer look at Pride & Prejudice.

(image from amazon.com)

These beautiful books are printed by Penguin Classics Hardcover and the cover designs are by Coralie Bickford-Smith. Sadly, they won’t be available in the U.S. until October 27, 2009.

I find it interesting that in addition to the usual suspects (Austen, Bronte, Dickens), Penguin chose to include Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford.

(image from amazon.com)

I confess, I haven’t read Cranford— for my Victorian Literature experience of Gaskell, I read Mary Barton instead. But I’d buy this and read it in a heartbeat, if only because the cover is so lovely.

You can find these books on Amazon by searching for Coralie Bickford-Smith.This is much easier than searching through every possible edition of Great Expectations.

These remind me of the cover of Susanna Clarke’s The Ladies of Grace Adieu.

(image from amazon.com)

As I look through my copy, I see that Grace Adieu was published by Bloomsbury and the illustrator is Charles Vess.  They aren’t related to the Penguin editions at all. Maybe a general trend is (re)emerging?

I’m hoping that as digital books become more prevalent, more publishers will risk the expense of editions like these. I’m happy that Penguin and Bloomsbury are honoring the hardback book and the art of talented designers and illustrators such as Vess and Bickford-Smith.  Show your enthusiasm by buying these wonderful editions; I certainly will.

I’ve been known to keep duplicate paperback copies of favorite books; that way I can allow friends to borrow a book without panicking over a favoite copy. Sorry, friends, but my new Penguin Hardcover Classics will definitely go on the shelf of non-borrowable books.