It's possibly due to environmental image. But to my mind the cost to the environment of producing more and doubling delivery fuel burning is probably worse.
That said a thin paper cover could be recycled and would also work.

Amon Rudh wrote:

It's possibly due to environmental image. But to my mind the cost to the environment of producing more and doubling delivery fuel burning is probably worse.
That said a thin paper cover could be recycled and would also work.

Couldn't agree more! It's entirely off subject but my father was using single use plastic bags for years, he would fold them up neatly and keep them in the car for shopping, then the Bags for Life in it's first incarnation arrived and everyone went out and bought their bags for life, threw all their plastic ones into landfill and then forgot the bag for life as they left them all at home and bought new ones.

Point is that businesses need to look more carefully at how their packaging affects the environment. Sometimes it's not about replacing an existing system with a new one but educating the carrier, the end user, etc, to use things with more sensitivity.

A paper covering would be an ideal solution and I bet my bottom dollar that there are waste materials which would suit the purpose.

My copy of the book arrived and as with others, my jacket is damaged (front, back, corners, all battered). The jacket is very delicate and HarperCollins choosing to send these unwrapped is a really poor decision. To svae a buck, they have allowed dustjackets to be ruined so I am rather underwhelmed by that choice. An exchange will be sorted.

As for the book, I really like it. It is a very well made by modern standards and feels good in the hand (dustjacket aside). The size is of coarse smaller but the images hold up to to that reduction but I agree with Trotter that it is a close second to Centenary simply because of the smaller reproductions.

The changes from Centenery are minimal but there are a handful of changes which should be noted.

1. The endpapers are reproduced slightly smaller in size but not enough for the full image of Centenary to be retained. The right side of the image is missing in the new edition.

2. AS Trotter has already confirmed, a transcript of the notes is included (p. 8) which is a nice touch. The Father Christmas image that was used on page 8 of Cenenary is replaced by the new transcript.^{This is the FC drawing from p. 82[1]}

3. Again as Trotter has confirmed, there are some corrections to the text.

4. The text does not match page for page with the Centenary edition. This is simply for layout. The letter images, however, are indentically paginated across the two books.


The only thing this version misses (for me) is the fold-out stamps page from the Deluxe edition. If they had thought to include that in some form I would have liked it, but that is being nitpicky.

The Letters from Father Christmas editions guide has been updated with the 2023 hardcover, for those intersested.



Note to MODS: I have added a reference for 'Half Title Page' (HTP) and added a note to '"Me" and "My House"' to note the FC & RC of the 2023 dustjacket.