Most electronic editions of the classics are poorly formatted and full of errors that would put a print publisher to shame. Books in the public domain are scanned from print editions, and the scanned images vary in quality from page to page. Then optical character recognition (OCR) software is used to convert the scanned image of each printed page into text that can be recognized by a computer. In this process, many errors are introduced. Only extensive and careful editing can produce electronic editions of the classics that are worthy of enduring, excellent literature. Anyone who has sampled the various available editions at any price knows that careful editing is a rarity.
This deplorable disregard for quality in electronic publishing is even worse when it comes to translated works. Markedly inferior translations are commonly used, and the translators are often not even identified. What a shame to spend many hours reading Anna Karenina in a poor translation full of typos!
We publish attractively formatted and painstakingly proofread editions of literary classics for e-readers. In preparing translated works, we select the best English translation in the public domain as our starting point. We then produce an edition free from tiresome and distracting errors with an active table of contents for all parts and chapters and added features such as an author biography. Where illustrations from early print editions are available, we are pleased to include them as well, and we take as much care with these images as we do with the text.
Each of our selections from the classical canon is carefully crafted by humans who love great literature to produce an electronic edition of the highest quality. We aim to be the luxury line of e-publishing at a modest price.
Available Now
Please note: In addition to the primary e-reading device(s) associated with each retailer, each offers free apps for multiple devices.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, translated from the original Russian by Louise and Aylmer Maude, unabridged: Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes & Noble (NOOK) | Apple (iPad/iPhone/iPod touch)
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, translated from the original French by Isabel Florence Hapgood, unabridged, with illustrations from early print editions: Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes & Noble (NOOK) | Apple (iPad/iPhone/iPod touch)
Future Works
A note to our readers: We are a small, family company, and it has become necessary for us to devote our attention to other priorities. We are not currently working on new editions, but we hope to resume publication in the future. In the meantime, we may be reached by email at carefullycraftedclassics@gmail.com.
We sincerely thank you for your patronage, for being a discerning reader who appreciates fine craftsmanship, and for reading the classics!