Recently I discovered a copy of the Winter 1974 issue of Folio, the quarterly magazine of The Folio Society. The Society’s mission, since 1947, has been to publish ‘carefully crafted editions of the world’s finest literature’ – current books on offer include du Maurier’s Rebecca, two Patrick Leigh Fermor travel memoirs on Greece, and Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time (which has been mentioned several times in my current read, an ARC of Jennifer Haupt’s In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills). The Folio Society editions are a little expensive for me but I certainly recommend a browse around their website.
But let’s head back to the Winter 1974 magazine and its link with Mary Stewart. As you can see, Mary Stewart (as a novelist ‘well known in the public eye’) was asked to select her favourite choices from the Society’s 1974 Prospectus:
Other contributors included violinist Yehudi Menuhin, VS Naipaul, Joyce Grenfell, Patricia Highsmith and Marghanita Laski.
I wondered what books were listed in the 1974 Prospectus. A quick internet search shows that many Folio Society prospectuses have been uploaded onto LibraryThing, and this includes the 1974 issue. Thank you, LibraryThing! This item really is worth a look, there are some beautiful images and intriguing book titles within its 20+ pages. Scroll down to 1974 on this LibraryThing page to see what I mean. Which books would you select? It is near impossible to choose only a few but I think my book choice would have to include Gaskell’s life of Charlotte Bronte, Shackleton’s Boat Journey and the Bayeux Tapestry. More to the point, what were Mary Stewart’s choices? Here they are:
The Bayeux Tapestry and the Norman Invasion, by Lewis Thorpe
From the Prospectus, this looks incredible. I would love this book. Of course, the Bayeux Tapestry is really topical since French President Emmanuel Macron announced that it will be loaned to the UK, probably to the British Museum in 2022, thus leaving France for the first time in 950 years! NB The Bayeux Tapestry scene here is from Getty Images rather than from the Prospectus or the book.
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain
It is no surprise that Mary Stewart chose this book, given its role in inspiring her Arthurian series that began in 1970 with The Crystal Cave. According to the Prospectus, the Folio Society edition has wondrous-sounding ‘miniatures from early manuscripts in full colour’. Again, the image below comes from Getty Images rather than from the book.
Embed from Getty ImagesEinhard’s The Life of Charlemagne
I know next to nothing about Charlemagne, and I suspect my only inducement to finally learning about him would be a beautifully-illustrated book (unless there is a glossy tv series on Netflix?🙂). This portrait of him is once again an image I have selected from Getty Images.
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The Universal Spider, by Philippe de Commynes
The illustration shown in the Prospectus for this book is stunning with its vibrant blues and reds. Again, I fear it might take a Netflix series to encourage me to learn more about Louis XI. Getty Images offers this gorgeous image for the French king:
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Flavius Arrianus: The Life of Alexander the Great
Yet again my ignorance is exposed. Alexander the Great is a hugely famous figure and I’m sure I know LOTS about him… until pressed and then I realise my childhood learning has gone awfully vague, and perhaps wasn’t that impressive in the first place. Never mind, here is a lovely photo of a statue of Alexander.
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Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey
At last, a book I have read! I adore Robert Louis Stevenson and enjoyed reading of his adventures with Modestine the donkey – and naturally I am reminded of Mary Stewart’s My Brother Michael, which includes a painter travelling by donkey. Going one more time to Getty Images, I can’t resist this photo of a Modestine-ish donkey.
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What do you think of Mary Stewart’s choices and her reasons for them? What would be your choice? And if you own any Folio Society books already, old or new, I’d like to hear about it. Isn’t it a pity that not one of Mary Stewart’s best-selling novels made it as a Folio Society edition? (I confirmed that this was the case yesterday, in a chat with the helpful @foliosociety twitter account.) This leads to my final question –
If you could nominate one of Mary Stewart’s novels to be issued as a lavish Folio Society book, which one would you choose?
Mary Queen of Plots 
I found myself drooling over the options. I’ve never heard of the Folio Society. For my choices, I’d have picked The Odyssey (one of my favourite stories of all time!), the Rare Adventures and Painful Peregrinations (being a 17th Century travel guide) and the Hundred Years’ War.
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Hi Cryssa, the Folio Society produces some amazing editions of popular and classic books but I don’t own a single one – yet! That may change now, I think I will be spending all my spare time browsing through those prospectuses on LibraryThing and then hunting down second-hand copies of the books online.
I like your book choices – I almost picked the Peregrinations one (which I’d never heard of) but I don’t think I’d like an abridged FS copy unless I *also* had an unabridged version. Of course, if the FS sold Mary Stewart’s books, I’d save up for the lot!
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This was my first look at the Folio Society, also. It is certainly a book lover’s dream come true. (the only mark against them, is of course, neglecting Mrs. Stewart!) Her choices were fitting, especially Geoffrey of Monmouth. The Merlin/Arthur books brought these figures to life and became, for me, the standard by which every Arthur tale was measured.
Choosing a book of Mary’s is near impossible. Touch No the Cat was the very first MS book I read, and it holds a special place as it opened the door to her world. This past Christmas, I read The Wind off the Small Isles for the first time and was moved to tears by the scene in the cave. Even though it is not a long novel, Mary’s word artistry so pulled me into the story, I felt the heat and ash swirl around me, the crispness of his shirt beneath my fingers and heard his heartbeat in my ear. But then, ALL of her books should make the list.
My own choices are equally difficult. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain; The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: Charles Dicken’s The Christmas Carol; Burnett’s The Secret Garden and Enigma, the Battle for the Code by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore. A book not on their list is Stephen Lawhead’s Avalon, the Return of King Arthur.
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Hi Nan, thanks for your comments, I hope that you are enjoying browsing the Folio Society’s books. I agree completely, of course, that it is a pity that they have neglected Mary Stewart but it is not too late for the Society to fix that!
I agree too that one’s first Mary Stewart holds a special place and for me that is Wildfire at Midnight. Your description of Small Isles and your response to it is just wonderful, that book is special to me too, especially as I never thought the day would come when it would be published alongside The Lost One, Perdita’s original adventure in rural England.
You have chosen a lovely mixed bag of Folios, I would very happily have most of those too!
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I have long longed for the 5 volume boxed set of Dorothy Sayers ‘s Lord Peter novels published by the Folio Society some years back. From images I have seen, some lovely books. But I am sure that if I had access to the full catalog of everything they have published my wish list would become huge. And I do already own copies of the Sayers novels in different formats.
As for one Mary Stewart novel to propose to them, it is difficult. The Crystal Cave springs to mind as her first serious historical novel, and some lovely images could be found or developed for it. But, then, she really developed her fame as a writer of romantic suspense, but how to pick one: Either her first, Madame Will You Talk, or perhaps the late Touch Not the Cat? But how to leave out The Ivy Tree or Nine Coaches Waiting or . . .
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Hi Jerri, I haven’t read any Dorothy Sayers in years (it may be time for a re-read 🙂) but I do love Harriet Vane: I think I could only buy the Folio Society editions if they tallied with *my* idea of how she ought to look! I think the price tag can only be justified by the book itself being an absolute favourite, and for me of course this certainly includes Mary Stewart. And you highlight the problem there nicely – how on earth to choose only one? I think they’ll just have to publish the lot…
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I’m so pleased you are reading an ARC of my novel, “In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills”. I just want to make a correction in your blog post: my name is Jennifer Haupt. Thank you.
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Hi Jennifer, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what brain-glitch caused me to get your name wrong! I have fixed the mistake now.
I am on chapter 24 of your book and I’d just like to say how powerful and compassion-filled your novel is, I imagine it must have been really difficult to write but thank you so much for writing it.
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I think the three Greek novels that were in the Triple Jeopardy omnibus: My Brother Michael, The Moonspinners & This Rough Magic would make a lovely Folio set. Think of the illustrations they could do! Though these were the first three Mary Stewart books I read, so I have a soft spot for them.
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Oh that is a really good idea, I would buy those in a heart-beat – now we just need to persuade the Folio Society, Lucina!
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Well, that was an interesting side trip.
I had no idea the Folio Society had been around so long. It would be fun to see their entire list, through time.
So. I would select The Ivy Tree for them to publish. I think of it as a mature story, convoluted in plot and character. With visual potential. But then, they all have that.
And now, I think I’d better find a copy of Travels with a Donkey. I’ve heard about it so often, and it’s mentioned in at least one of D E Stevenson’s novels. In fact, RLS is mentioned by her frequently; he was her father’s first cousin.
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I think the Folio Society prospectuses are going to gulp up all my free time, there are some quite stunning books!
I’d love to see The Ivy Tree as a Folio and, as you say, all her novels have great visual potential.
I love RLS and I know that DES was a cousin, despite my ignorance of her books. I now know that my library holds many of her books, where do you think I should start?
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Miss Buncle’s Book is often considered a good start to reading DES. It is a very early work, but very readable , and has two direct sequels and a related book if you get hooked. Those who are wives or children of military men (and others who enjoy diary books) often enjoy the Mrs. Tim books. The first in that series has appeared under various titles, including Mrs. Tim, Mrs. Tim of the Regiment or Mrs. Tim Christie, and there are 3 sequels. Another easily available title is Celia’s House, which has a companion book, Listening Valley, with some connected characters. Or, you might explore Susan D’s DEStevenson web site:
http://www.destevenson.org/
All of the titles I suggested are currently in print in either paperback or eBook.
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Thanks, Jerri, I think the fact that you and Susan D have *both* suggested Miss Buncle’s Book means that has to be my first DE Stevenson!
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Where to start? Well. Many many readers have been drawn in with Miss Buncle’s Book. It is a sheer delight, and loved by most. One thing though, it’s not entirely typical of many of her others. Not a problem, and it leads to more favourites, like The Two Mrs. Abbotts and The Four Graces. The ideal starters, I think, are Amberwell and The Blue Sapphire.
But really, you almost can’t go wrong.
What do you think, Jerri?
check here for a list of which books come before or after which others.
http://dalyght.ca/DEStevenson/deslinkedbooks.html
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Thanks so much, Susan, that is really helpful, I shall see if my library has all these – I’ll let you know on your blog how I get on!
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I would go for Wildfire At Midnight as a Folio edition, just edging out The Ivy Tree because I’d love to see those icy Cuillin crags as illustrations.
You can pick up Folio editions reasonably cheaply (in the UK at any rate) in places like Oxfam bookshops. My favourite purchase is Eric Ambler’s Epitaph of a Spy, which has gorgeously chilling illustrations which perfectly convey the paranoid atmosphere of the plot. I had never read Ambler before but I absolutely loved it – perhaps it’s a coincidence but I am not getting on nearly as well with another Ambler story I’m reading in an ordinary modern edition.
A quick aside on the Bayeaux Tapestry – there is, bafflingly, a full-sized replica in the Reading Museum (Reading being the medium-sized town in Berkshire, not the habit!). I have no idea where this replica came from or why it is there, but there it is. It would love a few extra visits – its neglected status does make me wonder about the point of bringing over the original at a cost of millions.
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Hi Annabel, I think that would make for a stunning Folio edition, they could illustrate the sweep of Camasunary Bay too. And I would love to see an illustration of Gianetta Fox (or our Gianetta Drury) posing as My Lady Greensleeves!
Funnily enough, as soon as I posted about the Folio Society, I started seeing their books in second-hand bookshops, and I’d agree that they seem to be very reasonably priced – I think I spotted an Eric Ambler book too but I have never read his work and don’t know anything about him except to recognise he is a writer if I see his name. It’s interesting if the illustrations really did help you better enjoy his writing.
I didn’t know there is a replica of the Bayeux Tapestry in the UK. Have you been to see it? I must search online to find out some more about it.
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