Illustrated Versions of Beloved Classics

Emma: Illustrations by Marjolein Bastin (Marjolein Bastin Classics Series) Hardcover -- March 2, 2021
by Jane Austen (Author), Marjolein Bastin (Illustrator)
Hardcover : 360 pages
ISBN-10 : 1524863076
ISBN-13 : 978-1524863074
Reading age : 7 - 10 years
Lexile measure : 10L
Grade level : 4 - 6

Pride and Prejudice (Marjolein Bastin Classics Series) Hardcover – March 2, 2021

by Jane Austen (Author), Marjolein Bastin (Illustrator)
Hardcover : 288 pages
ISBN-10 : 1524861758
ISBN-13 : 978-1524861759
Reading age : 7 - 10 years
Hardcover : 288 pages
ISBN-10 : 1524861758
ISBN-13 : 978-1524861759
Reading age : 7 - 10 years 

Jane Eyre: Illustrations by Marjolein Bastin (Marjolein Bastin Classics Series) Hardcover – March 2, 2021

by Charlotte Brontë (Author), Marjolein Bastin (Illustrator)

Publisher : Andrews McMeel Publishing (March 2, 2021)

Hardcover : 408 pages

ISBN-10 : 1524861723

ISBN-13 : 978-1524861728

Reading age : 12 years and up

Publisher’s Blurb:

The Marjolein Bastin Classics Series is a chance to rediscover classic literature in collectible, luxuriously illustrated volumes. For the first time ever, the internationally celebrated artwork of Marjolein Bastin graces the pages of timeless classics. Beyond bringing these stories to life, Bastin’s series adds elaborately designed ephemera, such as letters, invitations, and more. Whether an ideal gift for an Austen or Brontë devotee or a treat for yourself, the Marjolein Bastin Classics Series, as a set or individually purchased, is perfect for anyone who feels a connection to these enduring literary gems.

My Thoughts:

Marjolein Bastin’s beautiful illustrations of botanicals and nature have long been a favorite. Combine them with some of my favorite literature? Yes, please!

That said…the illustrations are incidental to the story. They are not illustrations of scenes from the books. The publisher’s blurb says there are facsimiles of sheet music, family trees, etc., but the eARCs I was provided did not include these, so I cannot comment on them.

Story wise, these are as they have ever been. Pride and Prejudice is one of my “desert island” books; I can read it over and over, and not tire of it. Emma is still my least favorite of Austen’s works, and she still bugs me.

But there is a reason these classics have been made and remade as movies, whether set in their original timeframe or updated. They are charming and witty, and Austen’s observations on human nature, like Shakespeare’s, hold up to the test of time.

Bronte's work is a little moodier and a little more tragic, but, like Austen, her story has permeated film and literature in the decades and centuries since its publication.

I definitely disagree with the publisher’s details on the reading level of these books. They are not for 7-10-year-olds, or 4^th- to 6^th-graders. I was a pretty advanced reader and didn’t read P&P until my sophomore year in high school. My college prep reading class struggled with the language and long sentences of these books.

If you’re looking to collect beautiful copies of favorite books, these fill the bill. I couldn’t find specific information, but I imagine them in a larger trim size, on beautiful glossy 100 lb. paper, as with our fancy editions of Tolkein or Rowling. As they will not be released for three more months, this is only speculation. However, that would definitely do Bastein’s beautiful, delicate work justice!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARCs.