1969 Franklin Watts, Inc Large Type Moby-Dick

Here is the 1969 large type edition from Franklin Watts, Inc., which is listed as a division of Grolier Inc.

This book is ex Lib from the Fraser Valley Regional Library, British Columbia Canada.

The idea for this post comes from a current thread in the blog ahab beckons studying the best edition to read at the MDM.

http://ahab-beckons.blogspot.com/

Foreign Language Texts - MOBY DICK - Japanese

The Japanese edition, earlier post, broken into 2 volumes, has a great feel with a soft and subtle touch.

Leon Ingulsrud directed Moby-Dick the play in Japan in 2001.

Pictured here is chapter 9, the sermon, as other posts, the hymn.

Each edition in the collection, is unique, individual, distinct. As a composite the collection, is as if its a pod of whales. Could the netbook, IPAD, Kindle, Nook provide such a similar herd of works.... ?

Foreign Language Texts - MOBY DICK - Chinese

In a previous post, the Chinese Language Moby Dick was described. Here is an example of the text of the Hymn in chapter 9, The Sermon, also separately discussed in a previous post.

This is an example of the left to right typesetting of the Chinese characters, the next post will highlight the top to bottom typesetting of the Japanese edition in the collection.

There are several other text example posts that are labeled such.

WARNING: Hugh solar flair, lock up you IPAD

1974 Estonian Language Moby-Dick

Minetage mind Ismaeliks.

Printed with a heavy hand, the 1974 Estonian edition of Moby-Dick, feels like it was letter pressed. Perhaps in the Soviet era it was. The feel of the paper, the tightness of the binding, the crispness of the size, makes this an enjoyable book to hold in the hand.

Marked: Kirjastus eeti raamat="" Tallinn

Translated by Juhan Lohk, whom apparently via an internet search translated a host of classic literature into Estonian.

1967 Norton Critical Edition - Paperback Moby Dick

One of the most common phrases people speak after seeing the Moby-Dick Collection is: Its all the same book right!

They are perplexed, "its the same words, so how many do you need?"

But are they the same words? Not entirely.

For a moment regard the 1967 Norton Critical Edition of Moby-Dick, as an example, nothing special about it, in fact this copy has A. Hawley signed in red pen on the inside, the cover is broken, and judging by the overall condition, A. Hawley probably never finished reading it...

His or her markings and underlinings stop at page 26, therefore he or she never made it to page 44 to read the words of the hymn read by Father Maple, and specifically un read is the first line of the second stanza: "I saw the open maw of Hell..."

Maw: The mouth, stomach, jaws, or gullet of a voracious animal, especially a carnivore.

Heck of an image, the open mouth of Hell ready to receive the offering...

Checking the 1919 Page Edition of Moby-Dick, already posted, the hymn is on page 43, and the first line of the second stanza reads: "I saw the opening maw of Hell...."

Open vs Opening. Still heck of an image. This edition carries the Copyright, 1892 Elizabeth S. Melville. So presumably this is the "official" text.

Furthermore, checking the Northwestern-Newberry Edition of Moby-Dick, page 42 has the opening line of the second stanza: "I saw the opening maw of Hell....". From the back cover: "The aim of this edition of Moby-Dick, ... is to present a text as close to the author's intention as surviving evidence permits."

Conclusion: The Norton text is in error. This may or may not be a typo, every other Norton Edition has the same wording, and in no other printed text can this wording be found.

1967 Norton Critical text

1919 Page text

1988 Northwestern- Newberry text.

Both the Norton and Northwestern edidtions were edited by Harrison Hayford.

1970 Icelandic Language Moby-Dick

Kallio mig Ismael!

1970 Almenna Bokafelagid, publisher, cover by Torfi Jonsson

Cover: Brown /w gold lettering, 6 1/4 x 9 1/4 x 1 1/4

478 ppgs

Purchased on EBAY for $30 in 2000, this MOBY-DICK, would be one of my most prized books in the collection, and the first foreign language book I bought.

Perhaps, after buying this book I realized that this collection was actually something to behold, for each time I have opened the bookcase to visitors, I have shown them this book.

We Americans, sadly, can be a funny lot. Sometimes I get the impression that it is in seeing this book that folks realize that people in other lands actually read and read books not printed in the English Language. "Oh that is odd, Icelandic? Gezz I guess they must have books in their own language." That is the kind of response I get. With a literacy rate of almost 100%, (2010 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK), the Icelandic people are the most literate and well read people of us all.