Reader's Digest Condensed Books was a series of hardcover anthology collections, published by the American general interest monthly family magazine Reader's Digest and distributed by direct mail. Most volumes contained five (although a considerable minority consisted of three, four, or six) current best-selling novels and nonfiction books which were abridged (or "condensed") specifically for Reader's Digest.[1][2] The series was published from 1950 until 1997, when it was renamed Reader's Digest Select Editions.[3] Frequently featured authors in the original series include Dick Francis (17 titles), Henry Denker (16 titles), Victoria Holt (15 titles) and Mary Higgins Clark (13 titles).
The series was popular; a 1987 New York Times article estimated annual sales of 10 million copies.[4] Despite this popularity, old copies are notoriously difficult to sell,[5][6] and scholarly attention has been sparse.[7][8]
For much of their publication schedule, the volumes were issued four times each year. Each year the company produced a Volume 1 (winter), Volume 2 (spring), Volume 3 (summer), and Volume 4 (autumn). In later years they added a Volumes 5, and then a Volume 6, going to a bi-monthly schedule by the early 1990s. The series was produced for 47 years (1950–1997), until being renamed Reader's Digest Select Editions. (Note: UK editions seem to have been somewhat different from US editions. Pre-1992 Canadian editions also contain different titles.)
Occasional books such as The Leopard (Summer 1960), The Days Were Too Short (Autumn 1960), and Papillon (Autumn 1970) were not published in English originally but were abridgments of translations. In some cases, advanced copies of the hardcover edition were printed in paperback form. In a few cases, new editions of older works (Up from Slavery, published originally in 1901 (Autumn 1960), A Roving Commission: My Early Life, published originally in 1930 (Autumn 1951) or Goodbye Mr. Chips, published originally in 1934 (Summer 1961)) were also among the condensed selections.
1950s
1950
Volume 1 – Spring
Volume 2 – Summer
|
Volume 3 – Autumn
|
1951
Volume 4 – Winter
Volume 5 – Spring
|
Volume 6 – Summer
Volume 7 – Autumn
|
1952
Volume 8 – Winter
|
Volume 10 – Summer
|
1953
Volume 12 – Winter
|
Volume 14 – Summer
|
1954
Volume 16 – Winter
|
Volume 18 – Summer
|
1955
Volume 20 – Winter
|
Volume 22 – Summer
|
Volume 21 – Spring
|
Volume 23 – Autumn
|
1956
Volume 24 – Winter
|
Volume 26 – Summer
|
1957
Volume 28 – Winter
|
Volume 30 – Summer
|
1958
Volume 32 – Winter
|
Volume 34 – Summer
Volume 35 – Autumn
|
1959
Volume 36 – Winter
|
Volume 38 – Summer
Volume 39 – Autumn
|
1960s
1960
Volume 40 – Winter
|
Volume 42 – Summer
Volume 43 – Autumn
|
1961
Volume 44 – Winter
|
Volume 46 – Summer
|
1962
Volume 48 – Winter
|
Volume 50 – Summer
|
1963
Volume 52 – Winter
|
Volume 54 – Summer
|
1964
Volume 56 – Winter
|
Volume 58 – Summer
|
1965
Volume 60 – Winter
|
Volume 62 – Summer
|
1966
Volume 64 – Winter
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Volume 66 – Summer
|
1967
Volume 68 – Winter
|
Volume 70 – Summer
|
1968
Volume 72 – Winter
|
Volume 74 – Summer
|
1969
Volume 76 – Winter
Volume 77 – Spring
|
Volume 78 – Summer
|
1970s
1970
Volume 80 – Winter
Volume 81 – Spring
|
Volume 82 – Summer
|
1971
Volume 84 – Winter
|
Volume 86 – Summer
|
1972
Volume 88 – Winter
|
Volume 90 – Summer
|
1973
Volume 92 – #1
Volume 93 – #2
|
Volume 95 – #4
|
1974
Volume 97 – #1
|
Volume 100 – #4
Volume 101 – #5
|
1975
Volume 102 – #1
Volume 103 – #2
|
Volume 105 – #4
|
1976
Volume 107 – #1
Volume 108 – #2
|
Volume 110 – #4
|
1977
Volume 112 – #1
|
Volume 115 – #4
Volume 116 – #5
|
1978
Volume 117 – #1
|
Volume 120 – #4
|
1979
Volume 122 – #1
Volume 123 – #2
|
Volume 125 – #4
|
1980s
1980
Volume 127 – #1
Volume 129 – M
|
Volume 130 – #3
|
1981
Volume 133 – #1
|
Volume 136 – #3
|
1982
Volume 139 – #1
|
Volume 142 – #3
|
1983
Volume 145 – #1
|
Volume 148 – #3
|
1984
Volume 151 – #1
|
Volume 154 – #3
Volume 156 – #5
|
1985
Volume 157 – #1
|
Volume 160 – #3
|
1986
Volume 163 – #1
|
Volume 166 – #3
Volume 168 – #5
|
1987
Volume 169 – #1
Volume 170 – #2
|
Volume 172 – #3
|
1988
Volume 175 – #1
|
Volume 178 – #3
|
1989
Volume 181 – #1
Volume 183 – M
|
Volume 184 – #3
|
1990s
1990
Volume 187 – #1
|
Volume 190 – #3
|
1991
Volume 193 – #1
|
Volume 196 – #4
|
1992
Volume 199 – #1
Volume 201 – #3
|
Volume 202 – #4
|
1993
Volume 205 – #1
|
Volume 208 – #4
|
1994
Volume 211 – #1
|
Volume 214 – #4
|
1995
Volume 217 – #1
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Volume 220 – #4
|
1996
Volume 223 – #1
Volume 224 – #2
|
Volume 226 – #4
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1997
Volume 229 – #1
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Volume 232 – #4
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These 1997 volumes were also published as Reader's Digest Select Editions, and all succeeding volumes were published as Reader's Digest Select Editions.
References
- ↑ Springer.com: "The continuous publication of the Reader's Digest Condensed Books directmail subscription series since 1950 is a cultural phenomenon."
- ↑ Publishers Weekly: "Reader's Digest Condensed Book Series to Get Wider Distribution", March 2015
- ↑ Marchand, Philip. "Remembering the Reader's Digest Condensed Library". National Post. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ↑ The New York Times: "New Editor at Digest's Condensed Books", August 2, 1987
- ↑ "Reader's Digest Condensed Books: 'as difficult to dispose of as bins of radioactive waste'"
- ↑ Clayton Library: "We DON'T ACCEPT Reader's Digest Condensed Books–they do not sell".
- ↑ Norrick-Rühl, Corinna (2021-10-11), "Contracts, Clauses, Controversy: John Hersey, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. and Reader's Digest Condensed Books", Symbolism, De Gruyter, pp. 35–54, doi:10.1515/9783110756456-003, ISBN 978-3-11-075645-6, S2CID 244578378, retrieved 2022-10-14
- ↑ Volkersz, Evert (1995-06-01). "McBook: The Reader's Digest condensed books franchise". Publishing Research Quarterly. 11 (2): 52–61. doi:10.1007/BF02680426. ISSN 1936-4792. S2CID 143654866.