Even though I may not be able to read as much as I'd like to, given the chaos of parenthood and adult life in general, I enjoy doing so whenever possible and I highly admire and appreciate books as a form of physical media. In recent years, I've discovered the art of "fine press" books, which are books produced with a high intrinsic and artistic quality, often published in limited edition, and including additional illustrations from a famous artist, higher quality paper and premium packaging.
I tell you this because Amaranthine Books, a small (and relatively new) fine press publisher from Croatia, was recently brought to my attention. So far, the company has published two fine press editions of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and two limited editions of Bram Stoker's classic Dracula, both are filled with gorgeous illustrations and numerous design details, and have been received very well so far by the customers all around the world.
I cannot recommend these books enough for those of you looking for that perfect gift for the bookworm in your life! Of course, you could just buy them for yourself as well.
You'll find more details on each release below.
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE
The Jekyll Edition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is inspired by the kind character of Dr. Jekyll. Pure, clean, strapped in white covers with silver page edges, it represents the essence of a good man. On the other hand, The Hyde Edition is inspired by the twisted character of Mr. Hyde. Black paper strapped in black covers, it represents the essence of a troubled man.
Each edition has its own special thing. If you look to the side of the Jekyll Edition, you’ll be met with silver page edges. When you open the Hyde Edition, you’ll be met with the opposite of your usual book – white print on black paper. Upon reading you’ll notice that every chapter begins with a small chapter illustration that serves as a symbol of that chapter’s theme. Furthermore, throughout the book there are grand total of 12 illustrations spanning over six important events of the book. Inspired by the main character(s), each illustration is double-sided, giving two opposite perspectives of the same event.
Both of these books are the same content-wise, they differ only in mood set by the character they were inspired by, providing a unique reading experience depending on which is chosen first or if they are used interchangeably.
Both editions of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are available singularly or as a bundle in a special slipcover.
Preview the books below. You can see more pictures and illustrations in Amaranthine's gallery.
DRACULA
Two editions of Dracula are also available, the "Transylvania Edition" and the deluxe "Scholomance Edition."
The Transylvania Edition is a limited edition of 666 numbered copies. Draped in red, richly textured fabric, featuring glow-in-the-dark covers and illustrations, it comes in a polyurethane slipcase with a wood motif.
The deluxe Scholomance Edition is a limited edition of only 50 numbered copies. Like the Transylvania Edition, it's draped in red, richly textured fabric, featuring glow-in-the-dark covers and illustrations. It comes in a luxurious wooden box which contains real Transylvanian soil from Bran Castle in Romania. Also, the title page features a title written in real blood of the creatives that worked on this edition, as one final tribute to the bloodthirsty Dracula.
For more information on each edition of Dracula, as well as additional images, visit the Amaranthine website.
