{"id":4180,"date":"2017-08-09T20:23:36","date_gmt":"2017-08-09T18:23:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/?p=4180"},"modified":"2020-05-30T23:05:15","modified_gmt":"2020-05-30T21:05:15","slug":"manesse-bibliothek-relaunch-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/2017\/08\/manesse-library-relaunch-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Manesse Library Relaunch 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

The overview of my reviews<\/a> shows that I greatly appreciate the Manesse publishing house and regularly turn to books from the series Classics of World Literature<\/em>. Both in terms of content quality and bibliophile design, these books have always convinced me. However, under the umbrella of the Random House Group, a new Penguin Hardcover imprint<\/a> was announced, set to launch in autumn 2018. The assumption that the publishing group would now focus exclusively on the new Penguin Classics hardcover line was quickly denied<\/a>. Now Manesse is taking action and renewing its most famous series, releasing classics in a new look starting October 2. I\u2019ve taken a closer look at all this and want to share my impressions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

More than 70 years ago, Manesse launched the Library of World Literature<\/em> and has been publishing readable, newly translated, and luxuriously produced classics annually since 1944. An overview of all books by publication year can be found on Wikipedia<\/a>, showing that many well-known triple-A titles are part of the program. From my perspective, this series brings together many outstanding books that have consistently delighted me \u2014 both in terms of content and through the charming design of the small, handy volumes with their thread binding, linen covers, and gold embossing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Over the years, the design has been adjusted a few times \u2014 but only slightly. For example, earlier editions used black-and-white illustrations, later replaced by color paintings. The color scheme has also changed somewhat, moving from mainly ochre tones and light blue to a more colorful palette. Overall, the Manesse volumes have always maintained a uniform style. You often have to look twice to see whether a Manesse book is a recent edition or an older one. And even in a freshly purchased volume, the text itself might be several decades old.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Many books are no longer available new, but they can still be easily found secondhand, and I have several of the older editions with earlier designs on my shelf. Above you can see a picture showing an older edition on the left, a current one in the middle (with the traditional uniform style), and the new design on the right. On the far right, you can also see a newer book<\/a> with a particularly unique appearance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Despite decades of loyalty to its consistent style, Manesse has now decided to relaunch the library \u2014 a change much more significant than previous adjustments. The goal is to achieve a contemporary and modern look that gives these classics the freshness they still deserve after all these years. This is particularly fitting for modern classics from the 20th century. Another goal is to strengthen marketing and give each book a more individual, content-specific appearance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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I took a closer look at the new edition of Frankenstein<\/em> and want to share my impressions \u2014 some very positive, others more mixed. The cover immediately catches the eye with its bright color. The new, modern style with its pop-art-like illustrations (a hand for Frankenstein<\/em>, zebras for Out of Africa<\/em>) makes it look more like a contemporary novel than a classic. The endpapers reflect this modern style and are now individually designed to match each novel \u2014 a first for the series. Frankenstein<\/em> feels high-quality and elegant, just as I\u2019ve come to expect from Manesse. However, the overall appearance is a bit too modern and pop for my taste. While the old covers were admittedly rather old-fashioned, I always found them appealing, especially with the carefully chosen paintings. For modern classics, though, I find this look quite fitting \u2014 for instance, Babbitt<\/em> by Sinclair Lewis perfectly captures the atmosphere of early 20th-century America and makes one eager to dive into the story. But for Frankenstein<\/em>, a gothic horror tale, the cover doesn\u2019t quite entice me.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Another change is the abandonment of the linen cover. If you\u2019re a regular reader of my blog, you know me \u2014 there\u2019s only one reason to give up a linen cover: in favor of a luxurious leather-bound edition. There are books where a simple binding fits perfectly \u2014 for example, certain novels from Hanser Verlag (I\u2019m thinking of In Love<\/a> by Alfred Hayes). But the linen bindings from Manesse, with their gold embossing, were always a highlight for me \u2014 they made my heart beat faster. That said, the publisher will continue to decide the binding on a book-by-book basis. So I hope we\u2019ll continue to see many books like Wine and Hashish<\/a> by Charles Baudelaire. My impression is that Manesse is currently experimenting a lot, and the newly designed classics from the past two years have really impressed me because of their individuality \u2014 including the beautiful volumes by Henry James.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The format of the books has remained the same, which I see as a major plus. They\u2019re compact and fit comfortably in the hand \u2014 perfect for reading on the subway \u2014 yet they\u2019re still proper hardcovers. That hasn\u2019t changed, and these books still feel great to hold and read.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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I especially like the color coordination. In Frankenstein<\/em>, everything fits perfectly together \u2014 the cover, the black dust jacket, and the matching black endpapers. Even the thread binding and ribbon bookmark are black, which contrasts beautifully and looks very stylish. The black thread binding, in particular, is a wonderful touch \u2014 for me, it\u2019s always a big plus when a book includes this detail as part of its design. It\u2019s a clear sign that time and care went into its production. My other favorite premium publishers, Mare and Hanser, also include such details, and I wouldn\u2019t want to miss them there either.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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The typeface is also very well chosen. The title on the cover, the chapter headings, and the page numbers are printed in a clean, modern font. I lack the typographic expertise to identify the exact style, but I really like this neat and highly legible font \u2014 it actually reminds me of something from the digital world.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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I\u2019ve written a lot about the design \u2014 and rightly so, since that\u2019s where the biggest changes are. But the content quality remains the same. These are still high-quality new translations, accompanied by afterwords and annotations, and they clearly belong in the premium classics category. In this regard, I can wholeheartedly recommend the books \u2014 everything about them still works beautifully.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Conclusion:<\/strong> I have mixed feelings about the new design. The bright colors, the illustration style, and the absence of the linen cover only appeal to me in the case of modern classics, where the look matches the content. The color coordination, the fine thread binding, the compact format, and, of course, the consistently excellent content are all convincing. The traditional design of the Classics of World Literature<\/em> series holds many fond associations for me, bringing back memories of countless hours of reading pleasure. In any case, I hope that Manesse continues to design books in diverse styles. Wine and Hashish<\/a> by Charles Baudelaire, Washington Square<\/a> by Henry James, or the announced deluxe edition of Homer\u2019s Iliad<\/em> show that there is still much to discover here. For me, Manesse, together with Mare and Hanser, remains one of my absolute favorites \u2014 and that won\u2019t change, even after the visual relaunch.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Note:<\/strong> The newly designed series will be available starting October 2. Further information can be found in the Fall 2017 catalog<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The overview of my reviews shows that I greatly appreciate the Manesse publishing house and regularly turn to books from the series Classics of World Literature. Both in terms of content quality and bibliophile design, these books have always convinced me. However, under the umbrella of the Random House Group, a new Penguin Hardcover imprint … <\/p>\n

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