'Fifty Fables of La Fontaine' published by the Folio Society

Monday 14th October 2013


Quentin Blake has selected and illustrated 50 of La Fontaine's adult 'fables' for this new collectors' edition.
Printed on Modigliani paper and bound in Indian goatskin blocked in gold foil, the edition is limited to only 1,000 copies. The 50 stories, written by 17th century man of letters Jean de la Fontaine, appear here in English using the translation by Norman R Shapiro. Introduced by writer Sarah Bakewell, who sets it in its literary and historical context, the book contains over 50 beautiful colour illustrations which bring the tales to life.
Well-known stories such as 'The Hare and the Tortoise' sit alongside 'The Cat Metamorphosed into a Woman' and 'The Hare and the Frogs'.  Quentin described his work on it as a 'labour of love'.
Links:
Financial Times 'How to Spend it' suggests splashing out on a copy:
http://howtospendit.ft.com/personal-luxuries/37373-illustrating-the-point