Which edition
Pride and Prejudice
To read and keep for decades: Everyman's Library
17 editions graded
A reader's guide to classic books
Which copy of a classic to buy
Most classics come in dozens of editions, and the differences matter: a different translator is a different book, and a cheap reprint can fall apart in a year. Each guide here lays out the editions worth buying, says how they differ, and gives a plain verdict.
Which translation
The Iliad
Reading it for the first time: Emily Wilson
9 translations compared
Which edition
Wuthering Heights
To read and keep for decades: Penguin Clothbound Classics
18 editions graded
Which edition
The Great Gatsby
To read and keep for decades: Everyman's Library
16 editions graded
Which translation
The Odyssey
Reading it for the first time: Emily Wilson
8 translations compared
Two kinds of guide
Which translation
For books not written in English, the translator decides what you read. We compare each translation by form, how close it stays to the original, and its voice, then show the same opening passage in several of them.
Which edition
For books written in English, the words barely change from copy to copy. The book as an object does. We grade each edition on binding, paper, type and covers, and say which ones to leave on the shelf.
How we work
- We check every edition's ISBN, publisher and details before it appears with a buy link.
- We only describe a binding or paper stock after handling a copy or citing a source that did.
- Buy links go to Bookshop.org first, which supports independent bookshops. Once we join affiliate programmes, some purchases will earn us a small commission; it will never change a verdict.