Penguin have just launched a new range of classics called ‘Pocket Penguins’. I couldn’t resist buying a couple when I saw the display in Waterstones yesterday…
I have to say, I love this series design. It’s based on Penguin’s Little Black Classics from last year, but with different colours indicating the original language: books from English are in orange covers; French in dark blue; German in olive green; Spanish in yellow; and so on.
In ‘the flesh’, these books are attractive and a pleasure to read. For a ‘popular classics’ series, the design manages to feel both relaxed and authoritative – they look like books that were meant to be read rather than displayed, but they still have weight. I decided that I would limit myself to two yesterday, but I can certainly see myself buying more…
30th May 2016 at 11:26 am
I do rather like the look of these – just wish it was a different translation of M&M!
30th May 2016 at 6:50 pm
Heh, your comment made me realise that I’d chosen books in the colours of M&Ms sweets! Sounds a bit ominous about the translation, though – is it really that bad?
31st May 2016 at 11:05 am
They’re gorgeous aren’t they? They also hold very well in the hand, and interestingly you can bend the pages how you like and the spine remains absolutely uncracked. I don’t know how they’ve done it but they’re really very well produced objects.
Shame I already own editions of almost everything I’d want.
I’m curious too re the translation of M&M. What should we be looking for?
15th June 2016 at 5:15 pm
I’ve gone and bought three more before even beginning to read these. They just look so pretty…