WORTH THE MONEY? Penguin Clothbound Classics 

Wow! I didn't expect these books to get ruined so easily... I was thinking of starting the collection but now I am not so sure anymore... Thank you for letting us know, I haven't seen any other videos like this one!

Tip: to avoid further fraying you can slightly singe the ends with a lighter, it locks the fabric in

i have the Wuthering Heights and Pride ad Prej edition of these and they ar my fave clothbounds - I love that the pattern wears away because it looks like it's very old

The most important thing to discuss about hardbacks is what kind of binding they have? A glued hardback, like the penguin clothbound collection will not last long. They are a bit better than paperbacks and that's it, yet they still charge a premium for it. A sewn binding on the other hand has the pages sewn together. A book with sewn binding is the one which will last for a really long time.

So true! I did a video sometime ago arguing that there are many collections far superior for the same price range, such as Everyman’s Library and Knickerbocker Classics. It’s so sad that so many people bought loads of these Penguin clothbound books and don’t realize that they will fall apart very soon... Low quality paper, glued binding... people are throwing their money away... Great video!

I have four clothbound classics: Sense and Sensibility, Love and Friendship, Vilette, and the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Two are new and I bought the other two used. The new editions had the sticker on a piece of paper that went around the back cover, so they didn't have that problem. The fading of the pattern in some areas doesn't bother me very much. It looks sort of romantic, I suppose. The biggest problem for me is the binding. They are glue-bound and don't lie flat easily. This makes them harder to read. I have a reading stand which helps but still it's annoying. Despite that, I might get a couple more because they are so pretty and I like the covers. However, I won't be collecting all of them.

Thank you for this video. I've been lusting after these books for a while as I'm keen to read the classics and had been thinking of starting a collection of these with a view to keeping them for many years, potentially reading some multiple times, but I would be so annoyed with the damage from minimal handling. I generally buy reasonably inexpensive paperback books (especially novels etc), read them and then pass them on to friends or family to read, so I'll be going with cheaper paperback versions and then passing on. Thank you for saving me quite a lot of money!

This was a great informative video! I have seen those clothbound penguin books in various pictures for years but never bought one and always wondered what the quality would be like.

Wonderful presentation! I liked your opinion on it. I like that you also added the reason why someone might buy this edition. You did a fair evaluation. Please do more!

A great video! I don't have any of the penguin cloth bound classics, but I have some similar books that are bound in the same material and they are a nightmare if they get dusty! Even if you dust them they still have dust on. I love a mass market paperback, because they are indestructible! Lol small rant over x

it's kinda insane to me that they LOOK so deluxe and beautiful, like collection pieces but they're glue-bound... what's the point of the beautiful covers if it's glue binding? it feels like such a waste

These editions look absolutely lovely but it's so shortsighted of Penguin to not test how they are to actually read. It's like they expect people to buy them for how pretty they look on the shelves. I'll be sticking to the B&N Collectibles and Canterbury Classics. Also the Folio Society editions when my wallet can spare it😬

I picked up a copy of Madame Bovary (from the clothbound collection) from a charity shop a month ago. When I got it home and started to handle the book, the pink colouring began to bleed over my hands. I don't know if it was something the previous owner had done or if the book was faulty and that's why it was given away. There was also still the remains of the price sticker on the back from when it was probably first pruchased, leaving a sticky residue I couldn't remove. I'm going to stick to the leatherbound editions if I want to spend a lot on a classic.

This is a fantastic series idea! The stories are one thing but as a book collector, I love to know about special editions. I bought the Dickens collection of these and I won't buy anymore. I had all the same issues with my editions. I hate the spot the barcode sticker leaves and the pattern wearing off. Not only does the font size differ but so does the page thickness/quality. I believe this is so the books can all be closer to the same size overall. I was very disappointed in these editions. Great video Hannah!

I have recently purchased a “beautiful book” of Jane Eyre, which is my favorite book of all time in the Chiltern Edition. But I did do research to check the font, because I also want to re-read it and something that will last me so I can pass it down to my daughters and so on so forth! Like you, I buy books to read as well :) Hope you’re doing fine and staying safe ❤️- Jessica

Thank you so much! I was deciding between clothbound vs chiltern and you’ve really helped me decide on passing on clothbound x

The cloth bound classics look good but are not practical for reading. I have Moby Dick in this edition and when you read it some of the pattern comes off while you are holding the book which is annoying. I prefer the Penguin black classics or vintage red spine ones.

Thanks for the heads up. Almost bought one of these!

Thanks so much for this video, I really want to get a nice hardback edition of war and peace, and the penguin cover is so lovely with the pattern, but I’m a bit wary now

I didn't buy any of them because in the book shop I saw the pattern was peeling off. They didn't seem to be sewn either and the color seemed to have been affected (by light?) in some places... But I liked the paper a great deal and those I checked had a nice font. Paper has been an issue with my few Penguin English Library books (all without the soft finish in the cover). The paper reminded me of a newspaper to begin with and, after six months on a shelf with no sunlight exposure or unusual humidity, the color of the paper darkened considerably while all the other paperbacks didn't have the same problem...

I tried to like them so much, thank you for helping me break through the denial 👍

Thank you for the honest review amd verdict. This gives me another insight on why i should choose vintage prints vs modern prints. Vintage might be pricy but its a fact that I think I can accept if it can last for years amd years. It such ashame that we are in the modern era but the old world has alot of high quality products that already stand the test of times. I even saw a book 100 years old being sold in a thrift shop still has high quality print and the color images were still vibrant as if its newly printed.

Another key element to knowing if a book is badly or well done is to find out whether its pages are well sewn or glued. In my opinion, there is nothing worse than seeing a book shed its leaves while you are reading it

I have a few and love them. Not having any untoward issues at all. TBH I would consider any wear in the future par for the course. These are nicely done for the price imho. Mileage varies as they say.

It's weird, the Penguin clothbound I ordered of Anna Karenina didn't come with a barcode sticker. It came with a flap that went over the back part of the book which had the barcode. I ordered War and Peace sometime later and it had the sticker. Some of them have the stickers and others don't.

The Macmillan and the Everyman's editions are far far far superior to the penguin clothbounds, and very reasonably priced, especially for the quality

Very informative review! I would love to hear your opinion on barnes and noble collectible editions.

Thanks for the review! for I have debating with myself for sometime as to whether to start collecting them! 😅

I just bought The Count of Monte Cristo clothbound classic yesterday and it is the first time I have bought one of these editions and it will be the last. Infact I want to return my copy. I don't mind having books that look somewhat aged and worn, especially if I buy them secondhand, but I am someone who handles books very carefully and once I have bought a book I do my utmost to keep it in the condition it was in when I bought it. This clothbound classic not only arrived damaged due to the sticker with a VERY noticeable stain andd part of the pattern pulled off but the quality of the print on the cover has deteriorated noticeably in less than 24 hours having been hardly handled in that time! All I've done is give it a very quick, careful inspection and put it on my shelf, but when I took my hand off the book, significant patches of the printed pattern came away stuck to my fingers! My hands where clean and dry and I handled the book carefully; why did so much of the pattern seem to stick to my hands more than the book itself?! Supremely dissapointed in this, especially considering the cost

I own a few of these but I am too scared to read them as I am worried the pretty cover won’t be there by the time I have finnished the book!! Haha x

thank you for filming this!!

Thank you so much for this video! I have The Travels by Marco Polo, but it’s a relatively short book and I was curious as to what the font size was like on longer novels in the series. The local bookstore doesn’t usually stock these so I haven’t been able to see for myself. My copy of The Travels also has part of the pattern missing from the barcode sticker, and I was very careful removing it. It’s a shame because they’re beautiful, but like you I want a book that I can read.

Thank you so much for this! I am trying to save up some money for this collection so this is a great heads up. Now thinking of staying away from this collection and getting more Penguin Classics black spine /Oxford World's Classics paperbacks instead.

I cover mine with non stick plastic book cover. I like the look of the ribbon . I think they're supposed to be like that. The pages and everything works for me.

I read classics as ebooks since I can get them for free. If it’s a book I love then I consider buying a physical copy. I also can’t stand small font size 😂

They are beautifully designed, but the build quality is horrible! They are glorified paperbacks, nothing more. They use glued binding, the ribbon bookmarks fray easily, and the patterns on the cloth come off very quickly.

You have nailed it! Have 10 volumes and the ones l have read the design has become quite worn.Look good but don't touch.Have swiched to Everyman's library. Just for ref. Have a small collection of Collins Classic's from a bookstore in Chester which have held up

I spent $100 on a few of these books only to find out that the pattern comes of so easily and I have to be so cautious while reading.

I was going to buy these online but I wanted to know what the font size was. Thank you so much for making this video

Things I would worry about clothbound, not just that it wears away easily and quickly. Is how they would easy pick up dirt and show damage well. The thing that would bother me is the font size, I like a nice big font size and decent sizes between lines. And a lot of the time with those types things are mostly very close together and not great for reading.

I’ve read these books and haven’t noticed the damage noted. All ribbons will eventually fray so that should be expected. Everyman’s Library is my favorite.

I own 4 of them now and I'm almost done reading wuthering heights. My ribbon is a little frayed, but very little. Some of the pattern has come of, but also very little. Mind, that I'm very careful with this book. I'm not touching the design when reading and I haven't took it anywhere. My hands get sweaty when reading so I'm only holding on to the sides where the design doesn't start yet. The binding isn't much of an issue for me. Sure, they don't lay flat, but I didn't have much of an issue with that. The font is very nice to read in my opinion. I usually don't really care for font size, but it's a relief to have a decent size

Thank you for this video! I'm from Argentina and there aren't lots of books in English available, so I buy most of my books (the ones I read in English at least) online. This is a very very useful review. Since my country's currency is going down 😓 books only get more and more expensive, being a fan of physical copies this helps a lot. Thanks again 👍🏼 I'm curious about the Canterbury editions, do you own any of those? Love from the end of the world 😉🤗

I quite like the wearing pattern and fraying ribbon as it gives the book some character and uniqueness - I think a well-loved book should look used ... For me the annoying part is the inconsistent fonts ...

I love the idea of this series! I've seen people collecting these for years but without much content on the books' well... Contents. I got Les Mis in this edition and lord it did not hold up well, the red pattern came off onto my fingers and sadly stained the edges of the pages. I also noticed quite a few printing issues with mine, and few genuinely blurry pages - a little weird. One of the few collections that look amazing all together on the shelf, but I'm with you - not keen on these.

I bought a copy of The Cout of Montecristo a few days ago and the moment I picked up the book the print got sticked to my fingers, it makes me really sad because I've been wanting to get this copy for months but at least it I feel a little bit better knowing that I'm not the only one who has this issue

Great review Hannah. Not impressed that the patterns are rubbing off, will think twice before buying one now. A quick tip for ribbon fraying, cut it and then burn the tip by quickly passing over it with a match stick (I use a gas cooker lighter). This is just to melt the edge of the ribbon (not to the point of blackening the ribbon) which will stop it from fraying ever again. Maybe try it on a different ribbon till you get a hang of the technique first. 😉 Edit: Ignore all that, had a quick look at the "ribbon" and the above technique won't work with that weaved material, the only thing I can think of is to cut it then put some sticky tape at the end to protect it. Not something the customer should have to be doing to protect the condition of the book in the first place though, agreed! ☹️

I have five and don't love how stiff they are. I bought them plastic covers, I read them and they stay in mint condition. 🙂

You may like Everyman's Library and Library of America. They are well done and last a long time. Better quality than the Penguin Clothbound Classics, You may also like Folio Society, but they are expensive.

i liked the video, but i would prefer that you talked about editions you've read and talked about the footnotes, translation, introduction, annotations, etc etc. to me that's the most important aspect. my main problem with these though is that some editions in the collections are gorgeous and the others i don't find appealing at all. for example the edition of Pride and Prejudice doesn't have the best colors or design but their edition of Villette is simply stunning. i prefer buying vintage (1930's-70's) clothbound editions for most classics. they're beautiful, cheap, and i like the aesthetic. my only caveat is how small the font is haha

Some covers wear better than others. It did annoy me. I had that copy of Middlemarch and most the portraits wore off; well not completely, but they faded. I did not mind with that book because I did not like the cover design particularly. I think the design on Great Expectations wears off badly, and it was my favourite design. I did buy the clothbound copy because I liked the story so much, but after I read it in a second hand paperback from Oxfam. Other covers, like the Wuthering Heights cover, wear much better. I did not notice the Middlemarch font being small, but it is a very long book. When I was young and poor I would not have paid for a hardback, but most of those classics are long books that take a long time to read, so I am prepared to pay. Most books, hardback or paperback, do not look pristine after reading. I never noticed the frayed ribbon problem.

Funny, Penguin Clothbound Classics are still sold today with the same defects. For the classics, go for Barnes & Noble leather-bound series or save the 50 pounds for a Folio Library book or two.

Use matchstick to burn a little part of the ribbon bookmark and it'll all be okay

I was laughing at the state of those books. A relative of mine has got loads of those Reader Digest mock leather hardbacks from the 60s and 70s with the page tassles. All been well read and in way better condition than these books lol

why would they put a sticker on it like that. seriously?

I feel as though every video on this series could just be that it's worth the money if you find them in charity shops, otherwise maybe not so much ^_^ Keen to see which ones you'll do next. Folio society? :D

Is it better than the regular paperback tho??

Your review helped me a lot tnx

The books.are beautiful but mine have done as yours have. The stickers ruined the back covers, and the pattern rubs off. I will not purchase more of them.

I have the Bronte set of these and I hate them. The ribbon fell out of Jane Eyre just a few pages into my reread, and when I started The Tenant of Wildfell Hall a little tiny speck of water got on the cover & the pattern instantly came off. I will not be buying any more of them, and I may even rebuy different editions of those 4 Bronte books.

I bought plastic covers for them. They protect the books from fading. This books have stiff glue binding, so they don't stay open by themselves. I have 6 of the most beautiful ones and that is about it. I will not buy anymore.

Totally agree, these books are purely made for aesthetic purposes. I have Wuthering Heights in this edition, and by the time I’d finished reading it the pattern had completely gone and you couldn’t even see the title or tell what the book was. Totally poorly and cheaply made, unstable spine and definitely not worth the money if you actually want to manhandle and read the books.

Why the hell do they make the font size vary and why the fuck is it so small on a luxury eddition?

Wow

just knot the bookmark!