The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún: Pre- and Reviews - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Aiwendil · 05-12-2009, 08:05 PM

Quote:

I havent ordered this yet - I wonder if there is a way of getting an US edition shipped? Or would it have funky spelling...?

Well, the binding on the U.S. HM edition isn't that great . . . it's not about to fall apart or anything, but neither is it the sturdiest book I've ever owned. Paying for overseas shipping probably wouldn't be worth it unless the HC is truly awful.

No funky spellings, though - fortunately, HM doesn't inflict any 'Americanization' on us, unlike the U.S. publishers of certain other English books (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? Oy vey!)

Bêthberry · 05-13-2009, 11:27 AM

Given these comments about the poor binding of the hardcover, I'm thinking of waiting for the paperback, although I am very interested in reading this.

Anyone have any info on when the paperback might be out?

Mithalwen · 05-16-2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

Well, the binding on the U.S. HM edition isn't that great . . . it's not about to fall apart or anything, but neither is it the sturdiest book I've ever owned. Paying for overseas shipping probably wouldn't be worth it unless the HC is truly awful.

No funky spellings, though - fortunately, HM doesn't inflict any 'Americanization' on us, unlike the U.S. publishers of certain other English books (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? Oy vey!)

Thank you ... I have had a look at the volume in the bookshop and wil probably risk the normal hardback unless I can find and amazing deal on the special edition.

William Cloud Hicklin · 05-17-2009, 12:40 PM

Oh, the HM isn't remotely a "high-quality" binding; simply that their mass-market bindings have remained essentially unchanged since the 70's, whereas HC (and other UK publishers) have been getting progressively cheaper and shoddier.

My ca. 1973 H-M trilogy after years of use/abuse suffered broken backs, and I had to rehang them; and the size and weight of the 1992 one-volume Alan Lee was too much for the binding to handle and didn't last long at all.

davem · 05-17-2009, 01:01 PM

Oh, I didn't want to pick on HC in particular (though even their 'de-luxe Collector's editions' of Tolkien's works are shoddy - 'quarter binding' is supposed to be either cloth or leather, not paper!). As I've stated, Folio Society editions are uniformly well produced, with sewn bindings, & often at half the price of the HC 'de-luxe'. Luckily their LotR, Hobbit & Silmarillion editions are widely available from dealers - often for less than the cost of the HC hardbacks. If only they produced editions of all Tolkien's works.....

If Folio can produce quality books at not much more than the cost of HC's 'standard' hardbacks & still turn a profit one has to ask why HC can turn out such poorly made volumes.

William Cloud Hicklin · 05-17-2009, 01:55 PM

Quote:

'quarter binding' is supposed to be either cloth or leather, not paper!

Wow! Even H-M's massmarkets are cloth fullbound- I have decried Random House's cheapness in going to cloth quarter bindings!

H-M's 'deluxe' LR 50th is pretty nice- not up to Eaton standard, but fully bound in decent if thin leather, nice paper, with signatures sewn the old-fashioned way and hung flatfoot, and gilt edgesl to boot. I understand that there were quality-control problems with early examples (esp. those shipped to Amazon), but those apparently had been worked out by the time I got mine.

davem · 05-17-2009, 02:44 PM

(Hoping that this thread is not going too far off topic...) I think its about time that publishers bit the bullet & forgot about the usual hardback release followed a year later by a paperback. Go for paperback/ebook/high quality hardback simultaneous release (sorry to bang on about the Folio society but if you look here you can see how a publishing company can produce high quality books at a decent price - between £25-£50 in most cases, & so much less than the HC 'collector's' editions. Leave the mass market hardback out altogether. http://www.foliosociety.com/pages/crafting-fine-books - ). That way the collectors can go for decent books & the general reader can get hold of the text straight away at an affordable price. If Folio can do it at that price so can HC.

Kuruharan · 05-21-2009, 09:03 PM

...from the perspective of somebody who is an utter novice when it comes to Norse mythology.

As a general rule I don't enjoy poetry very much (I know, I'm an insufferable cretin) so I have to admit that I was approaching this book more as a learning opportunity. It didn't take long, though, before I really started enjoying myself. There truly is a vigor in these verses that I was not expecting that carried me away to the "unnamed North"...at least for awhile. Once familiar historical places and personages started to be mentioned my historically geared brain started taking over. I do seem to be in something of a minority in having enjoyed the Lay of the Volsungs more than the Lay of Gudrun as I enjoyed the epic sweep of time and characters the first encompassed.

I did notice a number of parallels or at least similarities with the Turin story, particularly with the slaying of Fafnir and the dwarf Andvari's ransom...particularly with some of the earliest versions of the Turin story.

I echo Aiwendil's sentiments about the general all-round awesomeness of the commentaries.

05-13-2009, 11:27 AM	#2
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 6,003	Given these comments about the poor binding of the hardcover, I'm thinking of waiting for the paperback, although I am very interested in reading this. Anyone have any info on when the paperback might be out? __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.

05-17-2009, 12:40 PM	#4
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	Oh, the HM isn't remotely a "high-quality" binding; simply that their mass-market bindings have remained essentially unchanged since the 70's, whereas HC (and other UK publishers) have been getting progressively cheaper and shoddier. My ca. 1973 H-M trilogy after years of use/abuse suffered broken backs, and I had to rehang them; and the size and weight of the 1992 one-volume Alan Lee was too much for the binding to handle and didn't last long at all. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.

05-17-2009, 01:01 PM	#5
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Oh, I didn't want to pick on HC in particular (though even their 'de-luxe Collector's editions' of Tolkien's works are shoddy - 'quarter binding' is supposed to be either cloth or leather, not paper!). As I've stated, Folio Society editions are uniformly well produced, with sewn bindings, & often at half the price of the HC 'de-luxe'. Luckily their LotR, Hobbit & Silmarillion editions are widely available from dealers - often for less than the cost of the HC hardbacks. If only they produced editions of all Tolkien's works..... If Folio can produce quality books at not much more than the cost of HC's 'standard' hardbacks & still turn a profit one has to ask why HC can turn out such poorly made volumes. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

05-17-2009, 02:44 PM	#7
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	(Hoping that this thread is not going too far off topic...) I think its about time that publishers bit the bullet & forgot about the usual hardback release followed a year later by a paperback. Go for paperback/ebook/high quality hardback simultaneous release (sorry to bang on about the Folio society but if you look here you can see how a publishing company can produce high quality books at a decent price - between £25-£50 in most cases, & so much less than the HC 'collector's' editions. Leave the mass market hardback out altogether. http://www.foliosociety.com/pages/crafting-fine-books - ). That way the collectors can go for decent books & the general reader can get hold of the text straight away at an affordable price. If Folio can do it at that price so can HC. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

05-21-2009, 09:03 PM	#8
Kuruharan Regal Dwarven Shade Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: A Remote Dwarven Hold Posts: 3,593	My own personal take... ...from the perspective of somebody who is an utter novice when it comes to Norse mythology. As a general rule I don't enjoy poetry very much (I know, I'm an insufferable cretin) so I have to admit that I was approaching this book more as a learning opportunity. It didn't take long, though, before I really started enjoying myself. There truly is a vigor in these verses that I was not expecting that carried me away to the "unnamed North"...at least for awhile. Once familiar historical places and personages started to be mentioned my historically geared brain started taking over. I do seem to be in something of a minority in having enjoyed the Lay of the Volsungs more than the Lay of Gudrun as I enjoyed the epic sweep of time and characters the first encompassed. I did notice a number of parallels or at least similarities with the Turin story, particularly with the slaying of Fafnir and the dwarf Andvari's ransom...particularly with some of the earliest versions of the Turin story. I echo Aiwendil's sentiments about the general all-round awesomeness of the commentaries. __________________ ...finding a path that cannot be found, walking a road that cannot be seen, climbing a ladder that was never placed, or reading a paragraph that has no...