Category: Rare Books

On October 23rd, the entire English 123 class took a trip to Wilson Library to take a look at many unique and rare adaptations of the novels that we were reading in class. The materials out on display had specific details and instructions on how to handle the materials. There were two specific materials on display that stood out to me, which were Jane Eyre: an autobiography and Frankenstein, which was published in 1953. Each of these two materials being looked at and talked about as a class made the trip to Wilson Library not only intriguing but also made reading these specific novels more understandable as to why we were reading them.

Jane Eyre: an autobiography was the best material out on display in my opinion. When opening the book, the paratext seemed odd. Jane Eyre was easily one of the hardest reads I have had to do. The deeper meaning of the book is clear when reading Wide Sargasso Sea, but when reading Jane Eyre, I struggled to read it and comprehend everything throughout the book. At the beginning of the novel, multiple quotes and reviews were written to encourage people to read the novel. Other people could have been struggling to read this novel or there may not have been enough purchases of the book so it was decided to put reviews as a part of the paratext. The material aspects of the novel appeared old and worn. For example, the pages in the book were a yellow color rather than white. When turning the pages, they had to be supported when attempting to turn them.

The other material I found intriguing was the 1953 edition of Frankenstein. This specific book was so fragile that we were told not to open the book and turn the pages. The only thing we were allowed to do was turn the novel over to the back cover. This novel was easy on the eye, meaning that the cover was fun to look at with it having multiple colors and having a distinct picture of Elizabeth’s murder as the cover. Along with having Elizabeth in the cover of the novel, there was also a depiction of the monster’s characteristics. This copy of Frankenstein is considered a part of the Rare Book Collection at Wilson Library, which makes the field trip there all the more exciting and special. Being able to touch and handle such rare materials is not something that many people have access to, so being able to have that opportunity was awesome.

The trip to Wilson Library was helpful in learning new facts about the books that were being read and talked about in class. The adaptations on display were good representations of what we learned throughout the class during the semester. This was an insightful trip and I plan to go back to Wilson Library to do some research or maybe to just simply study. I enjoyed exploring and seeing Wilson Library and having a staff member talk to us about the property.

During our visit to the Wilson Library, we were presented with many different works and adaptations relating to the books and movies we have read and watched in class.  There were posters, comics, children versions, pocket editions, deluxe issues, and magazines that all contributed to our expanding ideas of adaptations.  One thing I noticed was that it seemed as if the medium a story was portrayed through often altered the overall plot and purpose of the original work.  I consider this the most interesting aspect of our trip to the Wilson Library since it changed my view of adaptations.  I know that adaptations do not always imply a different plot, yet I argue that it at least offers a different purpose compared to the original.  Before further explaining, I must first define that “purpose” is simply the reason for a creation.  By this definition, I present two examples from the Wilson Library that support my argument.

Firstly, there was the children’s edition of Robinson Crusoe displayed to us.  At first glance, I noticed how small and old the book was and immediately thought it could have been a pocket edition for travelers or soldiers.  However, upon opening the cover I knew the edition was meant for children by the many drawings and easy reading.  From this form of adaptation, it is rather obvious that the purpose of its creation opposes that of the original work.  This edition was formed to offer kids an easy and fun read, while the original was likely written to provide adults with a story containing political and cultural weight.  Not only the purpose but also the plot of this edition is likely changed to shelter the kids from violence and depict more adventure.  Overall, it is clear the children’s edition of Robinson Crusoe changes the plot and purpose of the original.

As the second example, the deluxe edition of Frankenstein is an interesting adaptation of the original 1818 Frankenstein.  The edition is massive with glitz and glamour all throughout the text.  The materials of the book are of the highest quality from the time it was created.  From these aspects, we can tell that the purpose of its creation is to show off wealth with the eloquent text.  This is different than the original since the story is likely not even the main aspect of the deluxe edition.  In fact, it is likely that the plot of the story is unchanged from the first work.  This implies that the deluxe edition is only considered an adaptation due to its luxurious presentation.  In other words, even though the plot is the same, this edition is an adaptation simply because the purpose is altered.

In conclusion, from the class held at Wilson Library, I have expanded my knowledge of adaptations and now believe that an adaptation can simply be shifting the purpose of a creation.  From the children’s version of Robinson Crusoe, we can tell that changing the medium the story is displayed through can change both the plot and the purpose creating an obvious adaptation.  However, from the deluxe edition, we can argue that a new edition can be considered an adaptation by only a change in the purpose it was created.  Overall, my experience at the Wilson Library shaped me a new understanding of adaptations and furthered encouraged me to continue analyzing adaptations.

On Tuesday, October 23, our class met in Wilson Library to look at different copies of some of the works that we have been studying throughout the semester, as well as some new ones that we have not talked about. When we first arrived, we listened to a brief lecture on the copies that we would be handling as well as the proper technique to handle some of the copies because they are so old. We then got into groups and got to walk around and look at the different copies and handle them. Most of the books were on wedge blocks to prevent the binding from bending too much. It was important to be careful while flipping the pages. I was very surprised at how old and brittle some of the pages were. They felt like they could fall apart.

There were a few things that really stood out to me about the copies that we got to examine at Wilson Library. The first piece of text that we examined was an old Sherlock Holmes comic book. The cover had vivid and bright colors that suggested an action-packed and exciting story to be revealed. It also depicted a crazed dog with wild eyes, as well as a calm and collected Sherlock Holmes in the background while smoking a pipe and holding a violin. As we opened up the comic and asked the woman who was helping us in Wilson, we learned some very interesting things about the comic book. Sherlock Holmes is depicted in an unusual way throughout the comic, as he is shown punching a criminal, and he is usually known for his deductive reasoning. Also, there is very little attention drawn to the name of the author, which focuses the attention of the readers on Holmes instead of Arthur Conan Doyle. Lastly, this comic is a combination of two Sherlock Holmes novels: A Study in Scarlet and The Hound of Baskervilles. The fact that the comic is a combination of two previous novels makes it an adaptation.

Another set of books that we found to be very interesting was a copy of Jane Eyre. The books were divided into the three volumes. Although the date on the side of the books said 1847, we concluded that these books were printed much later. Also, the binding on the outside of the books was custom made. It was green, and it was in perfect condition. The actual binding on the sides had ridges that were intentional. We discussed the possibility that it was actually owned by a wealthy family who had the cover and binding done in accordance with a common theme or color that is present in their family library. It was fascinating to see the way that the books had been configured. Visiting Wilson was a great experience, and it was very interesting to get a first-hand look at some of the texts that we have been looking at throughout the semester. I’m looking forward to going back to visit the collection sometime in the future.

Everyone has their own preferences. Whether it be preferred taste such as chocolate over vanilla, entertainment medium such as books over movies, or climate temperature such as hot over cold.  Our preferences and beliefs effect how we make decisions and what we feel about certain things. However, when analyzing the impact of factors such as personal preferences, time is often an important element that is overlooked. Time is the main factor that resonated with me when visiting Wilson Library. While reading Robinson Crusoe, Foe, and Frankenstein it didn’t take a long time for me to decide whether I liked the book. As a matter of fact, it was hard for me to believe that some of the novels were/are so popular. Investigating old versions, adaptations, and appropriations of some of the popular texts that we read at Wilson library opened my eyes to how time period can affect the way that people interpret, respond, or react to novels.

A prime example of this is comparing the version of Robinson Crusoe we read in class to the versions on display at Wilson Library. I found Robinson Crusoe particularly difficult to read as it seemed repetitive, boring, and unrealistic more often than naught. Although I knew it was written between the late 17^th to early 18^th century, I didn’t truly acknowledge this fact before reading at the Wilson Library. Components of the novel that seemed boring to me were probably a lot more exciting to read during the period when it was written. While there are many factors that can influence this, some of the main factors include the intersection of technology and exploration. Exploration was at its height when Robinson Crusoe was published which gave the novel a sense of credibility because as people in the real world were adventuring, so was Crusoe, making it more relatable. As previously mentioned in my last blog post, the allure of the island Crusoe was stranded on is one of the reasons why the book was so popular when it was originally published. This is because contextually it made sense as the world was at its height of exploration. Yet at the same time because of this exploration it is fascinating that Crusoe managed to become stranded on an island completely uninhabited. Crusoe wasn’t able to check his surroundings with the use of technology as he did not have the technology that we use today. So, the fact that he was stranded on an island with no way to contact people makes the story more relevant to the time period in which it was written. Thus, the novel had a certain allure during that time period that it can’t replicate today. Because the world is massively populated now, and we are spread out across the globe, the desertion seems unlikely, which is probably why I didn’t really enjoy reading Robinson Crusoe. What seems unlikely and boring to me was most likely believable and exciting in the past.

To me this is also evident in George Cruikshank’s version of Robinson Crusoe that we examined at Wilson Library. The small version of the novel and the fact that it was so worn suggests that it wasn’t of the highest quality, but well used. While this can mean many things, I interpreted it as this Robinson Crusoe novel was affordable which explains why it was so popular as books were expensive during the period. I also think the intricate drawings on Cruikshank’s copy as well as how worn it was showed that it was beloved by him. This further exemplifies how time period can affect someone’s preferences and the way they respond to certain factors.

Wilson library holds thousands of books with many different copies and adaptations of books creating a collection hold multiple rare and unique books. Upon our visit to Wilson Library multiple different adaptations of Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes and Robinson Crusoe were on display. These adaptations came in the form of comic books of Sherlock Holmes’ adventures, travel sized versions of Robinson Crusoe and large, decorative versions of Frankenstein. Out of the different versions and adaptations shown off my favorite was the large, decorative version of Frankenstein portrayed with delicate pictures, fancy formatting, rarity of print, and a very interesting story.

The story of Victor Frankenstein and his monster is one of science and mystery portraying how a single man creates life from the pieces of human remains. Written by Mary Shelly in 1818, the story of Frankenstein’s monster focuses on Victor as he works through creating the monster then the fallout of what he has created. While talking to Frankenstein the monster says: “Listen to me, Frankenstein. You accuse me of murder; and yet you would, with a satisfied conscience, destroy your own creature” (Shelly 69). This perfectly shows the conflict Victor faces about what he did in creating the creature who becomes his monster. The reader sees the creature go from Frankenstein’s process of the creation to an innocent being to a monster tormenting Victor for revenge. The terror and science of the story makes it one of the first science fiction novels to be created helping to make it immensely popular at the time of its creation unlike other books of the time.

While the novel creates an interesting, science fiction story, the way the book is presented gives it even more splendor. One of the 1818 editions held in Wilson Library is one printed only 350 times with special print and pictures designed to give the story of Frankenstein’s monster a creative and artistic feel. Pictures of different scenes are scattered throughout the book each created by hand in black and white using hand craved templates. The print was created using the print press method, originally used before the creation of digital printers, giving a more unique feel to work alongside the word design which forms in a downward triangle. The delicate features and rarity of this adaptation of Frankenstein partner with the story to create a unique experience meant to give the reader a much different feel than the original story of Frankenstein.

The available resources at Wilson Library, as well as other facilities on campus, were first introduced to me as a first year in my English 105 class with Professor Grant. Being able to have the opportunity to get a glimpse at the achieves that relate directly with our course simply exemplifies the extents of what is available to us as students at UNC-CH. Before coming to college, I would not have been as appreciative about taking a visit to Wilson Library, but now I can see the value in being aware of my resources. Since I have done research in Wilson Library before, my prediction of what our visit would be like was similar to my other experiences there. The setup of the room with all the related books from our course sectioned together was well organized and in itself showed the extents of the available works. Even though the works had this familiarity with our course, all the pieces had their differences when compared to the particular edition of the book we read.

During our time there, I was able to look at all the materials from the Frankenstein section. The version of Frankenstein we read in class compared to the various representations of Frankenstein from the archives allowed me to make interesting connections that related to our conversations in class. One of the main and first impressions I would have of the archival book would be the way in which the book presents itself. In my opinion, our version of Frankenstein and one of the pieces, The Devil’s Brood, had the largest impact on the reader because of the depictions on the outside covers before even reading either book. Even though The Devil’s Brood’scover has multiple images of various fictional characters such as Dracula, Universal monster, and Frankenstein, it connects all the “evil” characters for the reader. Whereas Frankenstein: or the Modern Prometheus front cover was simple by just having a black background with the word Frankenstein written in a stacked format. This version does not give the reader any insight to what “Frankenstein” might look like which gives the reader free rein to create their own depiction themselves.

The 1953 paperback of Frankenstein had the most lasting impression on me. Its physical characteristics were what made this book unique as well as the audience that this book attracts. The front cover did not have anything on it at all and it was pocket sized. This alone said a lot about the book because it gave no insight to the reader as to what this book was going to be about. The book’s size did though relate to the audience it was reaching out to in my opinion because it was intended to be a children’s book or a easily, portable traveler’s edition. The hand drawn images of Frankenstein inside the front cover of the book did give the reader an image of what this character looked like. These sketches were only in black and white. Even though I cannot confirm that the audience was to be children, I do know that by just looking at the images I would not have associated this book to be advertised to children. Therefore, I would associate its size to be in a form that is easy to handle like for those who travel. After the visit to Wilson Library, I do feel as if I am able to better understand and pay attention to detail when analyzing the characteristics of novels.