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My Antonia
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My Antonia Hardcover - 2012

by Willa Cather; Jessica Hische (Illustrator)

Penguin Drop Caps is a new series of 26 collectable hardcover editions with a gorgeous type cover for each letter of the alphabet, featuring lettering by Hische, a superstar in the world of type and illustration. C is for Cather, and "My Antonia" is considered one of the most significant American novels of the 20th century.


About this book

My Ántonia (first published 1918) is considered one of the greatest novels by American writer Willa Cather. My Ántonia, pronounced with the accent on the first syllable of "Ántonia," is the final book of the "prairie trilogy" of novels by Cather, a list that also includes O Pioneers! and The Song of the LarkMy Ántonia follows an orphaned boy, Jim, and a Bohemian immigrant child, Ántonia, upon their introduction to Nebraska as pioneers. The novel depicts the struggles and successes of the pair throughout their lifetime. The first edition of My Ántonia in 1918 opened with an introduction depicting a conversation on a train that was later cut from the novel in a revised 1926 edition by Houghton Mifflin

Summary

From A to Z, the Penguin Drop Caps series collects 26 unique hardcovers—featuring cover art by type superstar Jessica Hische

It all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and gift-worthy hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet by superstar type designer Jessica Hische, whose work has appeared everywhere from Tiffany & Co. to Wes Anderson's film Moonrise Kingdom to Penguin's own bestsellers Committed and Rules of Civility. A collaboration between Jessica Hische and Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley,  the series design encompasses foil-stamped paper-over-board cases in a rainbow-hued spectrum across all twenty-six book spines and a dacorative stain on all three paper edges. Penguin Drop Caps debuts with an “A” for Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, a “B” for Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, and a “C” for Willa Cather’s My Ántonia, and continues with more classics from Penguin.

C is for Cather. My Ántonia is considered one of the most significant American novels of the twentieth century. Set during the great migration west to settle the plains of the North American continent, the narrative follows Antonia Shimerda, a pioneer who comes to Nebraska as a child and grows with the country, inspiring a childhood friend, Jim Burden, to write her life story. The novel is important both for its literary aesthetic and as a portrayal of important aspects of American social ideals and history, particularly the centrality of migration to American culture. 

From the publisher

From A to Z, the Penguin Drop Caps series collects 26 unique hardcovers--featuring cover art by type superstar Jessica Hische It all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and gift-worthy hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet by superstar type designer Jessica Hische, whose work has appeared everywhere from Tiffany & Co. to Wes Anderson's film Moonrise Kingdom to Penguin's own bestsellers Committed and Rules of Civility. A collaboration between Jessica Hische and Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, the series design encompasses foil-stamped paper-over-board cases in a rainbow-hued spectrum across all twenty-six book spines and a dacorative stain on all three paper edges. Penguin Drop Caps debuts with an "A" for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, a "B" for Charlotte Bront's Jane Eyre, and a "C" for Willa Cather's My ntonia, and continues with more classics from Penguin. C is for Cather. My ntonia is considered one of the most significant American novels of the twentieth century. Set during the great migration west to settle the plains of the North American continent, the narrative follows Antonia Shimerda, a pioneer who comes to Nebraska as a child and grows with the country, inspiring a childhood friend, Jim Burden, to write her life story. The novel is important both for its literary aesthetic and as a portrayal of important aspects of American social ideals and history, particularly the centrality of migration to American culture.

First Edition Identification

First edition published by Houghton Mifflin in 1918. The first printing comprised 3500 copies, 2500 of the copies had illustrations by W.T. Benda printed on glossy paper, and 1000 uncoated paper. A second 'first edition' with a cut introduction was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1926. 

 

Details

  • Title My Antonia
  • Author Willa Cather; Jessica Hische (Illustrator)
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 304
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Penguin Books, NY:
  • Date 2012-12-12
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780143123156 / 0143123157
  • Weight 0.8 lbs (0.36 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.7 x 5.3 x 1.1 in (19.56 x 13.46 x 2.79 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Reading level 990
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: Plains
    • Cultural Region: Upper Midwest
    • Cultural Region: Western U.S.
    • Demographic Orientation: Rural
    • Geographic Orientation: Nebraska
    • Topical: Country/Cowboy
  • Library of Congress subjects Domestic fiction, Women pioneers
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

Winner of the 2012 Fifty Books/Fifty Covers show, organized by Design Observer in association with AIGA and Designers & Books

Praise for Penguin Drop Caps:

“Vibrant, minimalist new typographic covers…. Bonus points for the heartening gender balance of the initial selections.”
—Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

"The Penguin Drop Caps series is a great example of the power of design. Why buy these particular classics when there are less expensive, even free editions of Great Expectations? Because they’re beautiful objects. Paul Buckley and Jessica Hische’s fresh approach to the literary classics reduces the design down to typography and color. Each cover is foil-stamped with a cleverly illustrated letterform that reveals an element of the story. Jane Austen’s A (Pride and Prejudice) is formed by opulent peacock feathers and Charlotte Bronte’s B (Jane Eyre) is surrounded by flames. The complete set forms a rainbow spectrum prettier than anything else on your bookshelf."
—Rex Bonomelli, The New York Times

"Drool-inducing."
Flavorwire

"Classic reads in stunning covers—your book club will be dying."
Redbook

About the author

Willa Cather (1873-1947) was raised on a Nebraska ranch and became the managing editor for McClure's Magazine. In 1922 she won the Pulitzer Prize for the novel One of Ours.

Jessica Hische is a letterer, an illustrator, a typographer, and a web designer. She currently serves on the Type Directors Club board of directors, has been named a Forbes magazine "30 under 30" in art and design. She lives in San Francisco, California, and Brooklyn, New York.

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My Antonia (Penguin Drop Caps)
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My Antonia (Penguin Drop Caps)

by Cather, Willa

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My Antonia (Penguin Drop Caps)
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My Antonia (Penguin Drop Caps)

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My Antonia (Penguin Drop Caps)

by Cather, Willa; Hische, Jessica [Illustrator]

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by Cather, Willa

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My Antonia (Penguin Drop Caps)
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My Antonia (Penguin Drop Caps)

by Cather, Willa

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ISBN 10
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