Winter: A Folio Anthology

Folio Seasons

by Sue Bradbury (Editor), Susan Cooper (Introduction), Petra Börner (Illustrator)

Winter is the season traditionally beloved of voracious readers, where each shorter day seems to suggest an evening spent curled up by the fire with a good book. It is celebrated here in a special collection that features extracts from novels, memoirs and diaries, as well as poetry and letters.

We are treated to Charlotte Brontë’s beautiful evocation of nature in Jane Eyre, and witness the northern lights with Captain Scott: ‘fold on fold the arches and curtains of vibrating luminosity rose and spread across the sky’. Elsewhere we visit with Charles Dickens – surely the patron saint of Christmas – and learn of the difficulties inherent in capturing images of snowflakes with photographer Wilson Bentley. These and many other fragments and gems extol the delights of the coldest season.

Accompanying the selections are illustrations by the Swedish artist Petra Börner, who has exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery. Her charming images – of winter woods, wildlife and festive baubles – are presented in four double-page spreads, while motifs from her illustrations appear throughout the text. In her introduction, award-winning author Susan Cooper contemplates the particular contradictions of this season of promises: the bleakness of the landscape as nature retreats, the bright festivities at the heart of winter, and the coming rebirth of spring. Winter: A Folio Anthology is a collection that summons a ‘quintessential seasonal magic’.

Genres: Poetry, Anthologies, Classics, Christmas, Fiction

96 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2016

Reviews

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The ground was hard, the air was still, my road was lonely; I walked fast till I got warm, and then I walked slowly to enjoy and analyse the species of pleasure brooding for me in the hour and situation. It was three o’clock; the church bell tolled as I passed under the belfry: the charm of the hour lay in its approaching dimness, in the low-gliding and pale-beaming sun. I was a mile from Thornfield, in a lane noted for wild roses in summer, for nuts and blackberries in autumn, and even now possessing a few coral treasures in hips and haws, but whose best winter delight lay in its utter solitude and leafless repose.”

-Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

I love the Folio Society; they make some truly beautiful books. They are expensive, but they’re so worth it. Irrespective of the literary quality, the books are just so aesthetically pleasing. I limit myself to buying three a year otherwise I’d run out of money quite fast.

This one is all about winter. There’s extracts from poetry and prose in here, from some truly remarkable pieces of literature. Many of which are very widely known, and if you are an avid reader the chance are you’ve read each bit before. But this book is a celebration, a celebration of all things winter. It's a lovely little book to read, full of quaint illustrations too. It’s not something I would buy for myself, though I think it is the perfect book to receive as a gift for christmas like I did last year.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

The trees are leafless and the flowers have died, taking all colour with them. The days grow short, the nights cold, the skies a gloomy grey - but then, one dark winter's day, the first snowflakes flicker down, and they fall and fall until the world is transformed, gleaming, silent, magical.

I love all four seasons (with the exception of summer, lately, as it has become far too hot and humid for where I'm from). However, winter indeed always held a special magic what with the Advent, Christmas days and the all too rare time when it snows here. Seeing the Black Forest covered in snow and frost and hearing the snow crunch underneath your boots is one of the most beautiful things on this planet in my opinion and it makes me understand where all the fairytales come from.

This little volume has the same understanding for the magic of this season but it shows the darker side of it as well (the cold, lack of daylight etc). It has therefore collected a number of wonderful contributions to both sides of winter.
Writers like Charles Dickens, Robert Frost, James Joyce, Hans-Christian Andersen, Charlotte Brontë, Thomas Hardy, Kenneth Grahame and many others wrote poems, essays, letters or paragraphs in some of their novels that made their way into this collection that also features some nice little illustrations as well as full-page ones as atmospheric decoration.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of extracts from novels, poems, letters etc., all with a connecting theme of winter. Due to its nature probably best read by dipping into now and again.Lots of literary descriptions of winter landscapes and Christmases past. The most memorable to me were the letter from Nancy Mitford to Evelyn waugh on Christmas cards and the German soldier's recounting of the WWI Christmas day football match.

[Edward Buckton]

Does that hope of words on the printed page still survive in today's happy acquisitive small stocking-openers, I wonder, or do they dream only of electronic devices with small screens?

Quoth the reader: "Okay, boomer."

Admittedly, this frosty introduction may have positioned me unfairly against Bradbury and Cooper's attitudes. But it's as if the works collected in Winter: A Folio Anthology were chosen because they focus on the getting-over of Winter, rather than celebrating the beauty inherent to the season.

After Autumn: A Folio Anthology helped me cultivate a whole new perspective on that transitional season, it was frustrating to read a book so impatient to get ahead to the grassier, greener bits of the year. It's bad news when a poetry anthology seems to have less appreciation for its subject than I do.

[Breña · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diese Anthologie hat mich durch den Februar begleitet. Die Gestaltung mit viel Liebe zum Detail und den Illustrationen von Petra Börner mag ich sehr. Allein deswegen werde ich das schmale Buch immer wieder zur Hand nehmen und freue ich mich schon auf die anderen Bände des Schubers.
Und mal wieder habe ich festgestellt, dass eine Zusammenstellung von sehr kurzen Textpassagen und Gedichten nicht meinen Lesevorlieben entspricht. Die Auswahl ist vielfältig und umfasst eine große Zeitspanne, trotzdem gibt es erstaunlich häufig ein kriegerisches Setting. Ebenso ist Weihnachten natürlich ein zentrales Thema - das mich leider gar nicht anspricht. Gut, dass manche Texte verschneite Landschaften heraufbeschworen haben.

[Betty-Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect accompaniment to a cold winter’s day, while sitting by the fire and watching the snow falling.

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Folio Society books and seasonal reading. So I thought this would be the perfect marriage.

Beautifully printed: Binding, paper, font, lay out - all a treasure. Wonderful illustrations by Petra Borner.

However, a book is mainly about the content - which I know is subjective. There were some lovely extracts and poems, but far more that felt a trudge to get through (it has taken me several months for a slight book). Boredom I can forgive as we all have different tastes, but there were some entries I felt jarred and couldn't fathom why they were included other than a loose link with the season . Did I want to read about the "sufferings and anguish" witnessed by Fortesque? Or of a psychopathic child who didn't care about the death of his "Poor mamma". Or the "beautiful child...bride" who goes off to play "hide"? No. I just wanted to read a wonderfully crafted anthology with beautiful poetry and prose. Two stars as it had some of that flavour.

[Neyly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have little to say other than that I lean more toward the poetry than the prose, other than those excerpts from books with which I'm already familiar. Similar to Spring: A Folio Anthology, war prose and poetry comprise more than a few of the selections. I'd say "who knew" but now I do: war is well-represented in poetry, much as love is. (I should have known as I'm currently wending my way through The Iliad which contains little other than battle.)

Recommend: Not really (yet not sorry I read it.)

[Kieran McLoughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably picked the wrong time to read this hahaha! However, if it's intention was to get you to feel that snug 'in front of a roaring fire' warmth feeling then it succeeded. It's short, easy one sitting read. I simply gave it three stars because as you'll find with the vast majority of anthologies you're going to find something you like and something you don't. It's for that reason I think 3 stars is a fair rating for a typically beautiful folio society book.

[Julian White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of poems and other writings on Winter - the second such anthology from Folio - with some striking (cut paper) illustrations by Petra Börner.

[Catherine Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful and brief anthology of prose and poetry about winter. Captures the beauty and starkness of the season. Makes a great Christmas gift.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect companion to snuggle down with on a cold winter’s day, highlighting the beauty of this season but also giving many a reminder that spring is just around the corner ...

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of poetry, prose and literary extracts fit for the season. Make sure to read with a hot beverage and a comfy chair.

[Ehryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderfully seasonal read, though it centered a lot on Christmas. I still enjoyed it.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book filled with poems, excerpts, and memoirs celebrating winter.

[Mark Seemann · Rating 2 out of 5]

After my success with Autumn: A Folio Anthology, I was happy that this Winter anthology was included with one of my Folio purchases. It didn't quite live up to expectations, though.

The selection in this anthology leans more towards the prose side, whereas I'd been looking forward to expand my mind with some poetry; it's still there, but not in the same abundance as in Autumn, and the poems that are included are simpler. They didn't offer the same dimension of brain-teaser material as I'd come to expect. Most of them also failed to resonate with me to the same degree, although there were a couple that I really liked.

[Bradford · Rating 3 out of 5]

My wife and I took turns reading this aloud and it was enjoyable in installments.

[Pontus Presents · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5.