Customer Reviews

The knave of hearts

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The last time I held a book this beautiful I was holding a first edition of "The Knave of Hearts," and holding it just as carefully as you should hold a book with a $3000 pricetag. Brokenheartedly, I returned it to its shelf, hoping that someday a reprinting would be published that would do justice to the original. That "someday" has arrived.

This beautiful edition from Calla is likely to become as much an heirloom as the original. The dimensions are practically identical to those of the first edition. The book is printed on 80# Utopia II Ivory Matte Cover, a thick paper with clothlike texture and the perfect medium for twenty-three of the most sumptuous paintings that Maxfield Parrish (or any other artist) ever created for book illustrations. The complete text of Louise Saunders' beguiling "closet drama" of the misunderstood knave is here as well, and the endpapers feature Parrish's "Romance" in one of the few reproductions I've seen that isn't so dark that the human figures are obscured. Indeed, the pictorial reproduction is top-notch throughout, perhaps a shade better than in the original edition.

There have been several artbooks showcasing most of the "Knave" illustrations, but this book finally brings the whole package to today's readers and Maxfield Parrish admirers. The price is a bargain and its contents are an embarrassment of riches. But don't be ashamed to buy it as a gift for yourself.

As a fan of Maxfield Parrish, I was intrigued to see that a publisher had brought out a facsimile edition of "The Knave of Hearts," a book I knew of only by the illustrations found in books about MP. This edition is just astonishing. I've never seen such heavy-weight (80#!) pages. This is a truly heirloom-quality book. If you buy one for small children, make sure to order a backup! You'll want it for when they get older. Bravo to Calla Editions!

I've been collecting books for some years now, and among my favorites are the Calla Editions. Being an ardent fan of fairy tales, folk tales and fables, the Calla Editions fulfill my craving for beautifully-illustrated books and imaginative tales. I finally purchased "The Knave of Hearts", the result of the successful collaboration of Louise Saunders, wife of Scribner's editor Max Perkins and renowned illustrator Maxfield Parrish.

Parrish's works are particularly interesting because of the beautiful coloring used and the element of humor in the illustrations, a touch of whimsy that delights and enchants. "The Knave of Hearts" was the last children's book that Parrish illustrated and it is a work of pure beauty. The book is over-sized, 11 1/2" by 13 3/4", 40 pages in length, and features 23 color plates with full-color endpapers. This is an unabridged republication (thank you Dover!) of the edition originally published by Charles Scribner & Sons, NY, in 1925. A must-have for collectors and those who love beautiful books!

Had excellent service from Amazon and the dealer. The book is delightfully comical, well illustrated and a pleasure to own.

I was thrilled to find that Calla had published a reissue of this beautiful book. My husband bought it for me, and it arrived quickly from Amazon. The book is perfect - except: the last several pages are mixed up. It goes from page 22 to 28 and then repeats earlier pages. Now I don't know how the story ends! Did anyone else notice this in their copies? I'll send it back to be replaced, and hope to receive a copy without the misprint.

Other than the page mix up, it is well worth it. The large size is appealing, as is the heavy paper and bright print quality.

Even before Dover began this new series of "Calla" hardbacks, I felt their top management deserved an invite to the White House for tea and crumpets and a tasteful award ceremony where they would be honored by The President for advancing the great traditions of the American publishing industry as well as American Culture in general. And these new Calla books make that mandate for recognition all the more imperative. Not only are these perfectly executed, they are bargain-priced--and actually printed here in the good old USA. Amazing.

I first fell in love with Dover about fifteen years ago when a eccentric Bohemian friend of mine recommended their paperbacks for both the subject matter of the titles and book build-quality. Even Dover paperbacks are built for a lifetime, with superior bindings and acid-free paper. But it was the eclectic array of Dover titles which fueled my evolution in all types of fascinating and arcane areas: Egyptology, American Indians, occult studies, arms and armour, castles, railways, primitive art, explorers and adventurers of every sort throughout the centuries from Marco Polo to Captain Richard Burton, fossils, travel, African exploration, lighthouses, tools, engineering, Victorian architecture, world folk lore and mythology--on and on the list goes. I really found a kindred spirit with the Dover catalogue and I must have purchased over 200 of the Dover titles. These books are older classics and I suspect the fact that many may be out of copyright has helped Dover produce them at a bargain price, but the high-end execution always gives the title the respect it deserves. I will immediately buy a Dover edition over any other publisher for any given book I'm thinking of buying.

Then, about a year ago, I was perusing the inventory of Logo's Bookstore in Santa Cruz, California and I noted a spectacular copy of "The Knave of Hearts." This is illustrated by Maxfield Parrish, and some may say it has some of Parrish's best art ever. The quality of this book was truly impressive, and I was staggered to see it was a Dover book, under the "imprint" of "Calla." I had never seen a Dover hardback before. As other reviewers have noted, the paper quality is first-rate, and the prints are probably better than the original first-printing way back when. I bought the book immediately. For some reason I didn't think to search for other Calla titles, but when I received a recent Dover catalogue I noted they had numerous other titles.

I just received "Arabian Nights" and "Tales of Mystery and Imagination." These are thicker, heavier books than the "Knave of Hearts." Like Knave, they are cloth-bound books with fabulous illustrations. Overall quality is 10/10. As a basis for comparison: I was collecting Folio Society books for several years, and they are likewise astonishing creations. (Until I realized that I had all their titles that I really wanted; and their annual list of new titles was becoming a little staid; and their membership "gifts" were far from compelling.) The build quality on these Calla editions is at least as good as the Folio Society titles, but at one-third the price. (Folio Society does provide protective slip-cover box which is a nice enhancement to the book.) Rest assured, as others have noted, these Calla volumes are stone-cold family heirlooms we're talking about here. Buy them while you can, there's no guarantee these will be around forever.

So, old Dover shook things up in my bibliophile scheme of things. It used to be: Dover for paperbacks which I read from cover to cover; Taschen for coffee-table-type collectable books, and Folio Society for a highly rendered edition of the classics. Now, Dover dominates two out of three of these realms.

Unavailable for many years, this reproduction of "The Knave of Hearts" is a treasure. Everything about this book is superb quality. The vellum-like paper, the marvelous Maxfield Parrish art, and the for-the-ages boards and binding make this Calla edition museum quality. If one could find a first edition in good shape, $3,000 and up would be the price. For less than $40, this edition is breath-takingly affordable for a marvelous "Knave of Hearts."

Is this more than a rare, appreciated opportunity for Parrish-lovers to hold in their own hands iconic and new (to me, at least) paintings? The text is charming, a wry and clever playlet imagining the often-maligned Knave in a more heroic role. The style and language is of the 1910s and 1920s, and perhaps is most enjoyable read aloud, perhaps at a celebration of St. Valentine's Day.

Our lives are our worlds can often be shadowed, complex, heavy metal. You want "Guernica" or "War and Peace?" Not here. Think "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" or "The Magic Flute" and thank Calla for giving us this treat!

This book is beautiful and amazing for any Parrish fan. Well worth the modest price. You will be thrilled to own it.

The reproductions are the reason for my purchase of this book. Now that I have it, I must disagree with those who say they're wonderful. The pictures are wonderful; the reproductions are pretty much as everywhere else I've found them -- just not that great.