Customer Reviews

Everyman's Library 100 Titles Set

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I agree with those who have expressed their affection and respect for Everyman. I have been purchasing Everyman editions for over forty years. When I started, the imprint was defunct and only second hand editions were available. Some years back, the imprint was revived, and a flow of excellently produced, affordable hardcover editions became available again, (though not in the same small, pocket-sized format as the original Everymans).

BUT: is this collection a good idea? If you want to fill up the bookshelves in a new house, maybe. But realistically, how many of these books do you really want to own, and how many (of those you don't already have) will you really read in the next five or ten years?

I have looked through the selection of books, and it's certainly a strange group of books. For myself, I already own about two thirds of the titles, and have little interest in the other third. I would venture to guess that few readers would be that interested in enough of these books they don't already have to make the purchase of the set a good economic value. (Which isn't to say they wouldn't be a good decorative element, but that's not what my review is about.)

If what you want is to own a lot of classic texts, you might be better off with one of the Penguin Classics libraries. Yes, they're paperback rather than hardbound, but you can replace those paperbacks you want to read again with hardbacks and still save money. And the Penguin editions usually have more notes and supplementary material than the Everyman editions.

If what you want is a library of the great writings of Western civilization, you can get the Great Books of the Western World series for less money than the Everyman set, and have enough great reading to last you for two or more lifetimes. (Plus, if what you want is an impressive looking bookshelf, GBWW is the set for you!)

Basically, then, while the Everyman books are wonderful books for serious readers, and I am grateful to Knopf for resurrecting the imprint, I think most readers would be better off going down the list and purchasing individually the titles the actually intend to read than they would be purchasing the whole set.

The thing I like most about this set is the quality of the books themselves. I'm a reader who can't stand newspaper quality paper in a book - or flimsy covers. The Everyman set is top notch. The paper is smooth and the bindings are beautiful. Additionally, each book includes a ribbon marker - nice touch.

Regarding the titles, here are the top works of literature from the western world, and some form the east. The list of books says it all.

Yes, there are a number of authors missing who I'd like to see here - Oscar Wilde, Augustine, HG Wells, Jack London, RL Stevenson. Even so, there are a number of great titles here.

Let's see, one book a week, and that's... two years of reading! Start with the best and move to the rest... :)

I love the Everyman's Library. I own several volumes and have nothing but praise for the books. They are well-bound and printed on high quality paper, the covers are tough, and they look great on a bookshelf. On top of that they're very affordable--what's not to like?

This collection contains 100 titles from the Everyman's set, and while it isn't comprehensive by any means it is an amazing collection of literature. While I may have preferred a few books over some of those in the collection (its hard to imagine a collection such as this without Paradise Lost, for example) the overall selection is excellent and, while the price tag may be a bit of a shocker, is a tremendous value.

I recommend the Everyman's collection for anyone wanting to build an instant library of world classics. These books match, look good together, and will still be pleasing to the eye after having been read (unlike some similarly priced paperbacks!).

There are many reasons to own this set. That the volumes in it are smaller than the original editions is a plus, not a minus. If you want a pocket book, then get the Penguins. These Everyman's are beautifully bound, beautifully printed, light and and compact; I love the way they fit the hands. A set of them is for reading, not for decoration. I've found that having them actually encourages me to read. Out of sight is out of mind, but these are always here to say, "Read me!" I own The Great Books, and they are not nearly as readable. They are bulky, the paper stock thin and the print tiny.

Unless you are one of those who outsource their kid's education, reserving to themselves the teaching of such life essentials as shopping and television, your home library will be the core of the family's culture and learning. I've found a sriking difference between the kids of people who keep a big bookcase and kids of those who don't.

The titles offered are a wonderul survey of world literature, weighted to the modern. Yes, I am glad there's no Jane Austin here. No, I'm not glad to see some politically correct selections. But making a big issue of some inclusions and omissions is just vanity. Only stupid people say they will never read a certain book. Smart people will put books before them, for example by buying sets.

No, don't buy them piecemeal. Buy a whole set, either this one or the smaller Contemporary Classics set, plus, for the kids, the Children's Classics set. And, to round out, a set of the Harvard Classics, which are amazingly complimentary, with little duplication. Yes, it's an expense, but it's also an investment of a lifetime. And a legacy.

Everyman editions are just about my favorite, but unless you're looking specifically to build a library of modern works, this doesn't (shouldn't?) hold much interest.

However they came up with this list (the Amazon description says something about "100 of our bestsellers," but that particular word doesn't mean much without clarification and context), they managed to make about 5% of literary history make up about 90% of the selections.

I guess this isn't Everyman's Library so much as it is Modernman's.

Sept. 15th: A great set for any collector, however the price was $ 1312.17 just a few months ago.

Nov. 18th: From August to November they increased the price to $2230.95, but it looks like its back on sale ($1,338.57).

One of the books - just one - was shipped without a dust jacket.
This made me very sad and will probably be a factor in my discussion of the set on various talk shows.