Curse of Lono - New Taschen Edition

cancelled.

was hoping beyond hope that my order would have been magically filled.

Lono has arrived at my office!

So, I'm not sure if there's anyone else still standing in terms of having their orders cancelled. My copy came from Taschen themselves and was the full price. Ouch.

Saying that, the book is absolutely huge and a piece of art. No chance of it fitting on any bookshelf and it would cover most of my little coffee table. I'll have to post some pics later on when I get it home.

Anyway, if there's anyone who's got an order still open, you can expect it pretty soon.

Trader Woody

Way to go Woody!!! We were pulling for you. Considering you were the one who posted about this originally, it's only right that you were able to get a copy. Congrats!

On 2005-05-18 06:46, MachTiki wrote:
Way to go Woody!!! We were pulling for you. Considering you were the one who posted about this originally, it's only right that you were able to get a copy. Congrats!

Cheers MachTiki. It's been a long and convoluted battle to get hold of this, and for a while it looked like it wouldn't get published. I'm just hoping a few other TC'ers managed to get one. I also hold out hope that they will republish it in an affordable normal-sized version, as it's a great Tiki read.

Well, onto the photos. The first one shows the size of the damn thing - it's enormous and fits in a slipcase which in turn fits in a larger numbered box.

I've included the original Lono and one of HST's paperbacks for scale.

Here's the signed & numbered page.

What's cool is that they have included double-sided 'letters' printed on headed HST paper and stuck into the book, scattered throughout.

OK - I know you want to see the Tikis!

So, an expensive book, but I'm blown away by it. So much care and attention has been put into it. Taschen have a reputation for giving value for money, and even at £175 (about $300) this seems like a bargain.

Trader Woody

...and I guess your old copy, that crappy, insignifigant, lil' itty-bitty, nothing, the one that you don't need any more, the one that is just collecting dust, should probably be discarded. Or you can just post it to me. I'll give it a good home.
:)

Hoping I get mine, too. Does anyone know of a place to buy an old crummy reading copy?

On 2005-05-18 12:45, tikibars wrote:
...and I guess your old copy, that crappy, insignifigant, lil' itty-bitty, nothing, the one that you don't need any more, the one that is just collecting dust, should probably be discarded. Or you can just post it to me. I'll give it a good home.
:)

Nice try :wink:, but I went through more getting the insignificant copy than the new one. It seems another world now in the days of Amazon & Bookfinder, but in the old days if you wanted an out of print book you had to just keep asking at second-hand bookshops. For literally years I went around asking for Lono & also 'The Book of Tiki' which was mentioned in a BBC documetary. Unfortunately, 'The Book of Tiki' only existed in Sven's mind at the time! So, it's odd to find that many years later Taschen has published them both.

Original copies unfortunately are also collectors items, going for $80-90 and up, so reading copies may be few and far between. Saying that, there are rumours of a Lono movie (which would undoubtably have a book tie-in) and I understand there is a whole host of stuff from HST that may be published. A major work like Lono would seem to be near the front of the line.

And finally, the new edition has already hit eBay (Not my auction!)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2232&item=6961512938&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
Worth a look for some more photos, but woah, what a price hike.

Trader Woody

On 2005-05-18 17:44, aikiman44 wrote:
Hoping I get mine, too. Does anyone know of a place to buy an old crummy reading copy?

i was going to suggest borrowing a copy from the library ~ then i checked King County Library System to reserve a copy..only to find, all theirs are "missing". but worth a try...

would be nice if this was available as an "e book"...

Good reading and investment copies of the original softcover can be regularly found on eBay. 24 copies of the book sold last month. The few that have major damage or loose pages naturally sell for quite a bit less than the very good condition ones. Similarly, even though they are all technically first editions, the later printing numbers like 7 through 13 typically sell for less that the first or second printings. These days, with all the interest in Hunter S. Thompson and the Curse of Lono re-release in hardback, the copies on eBay range between a low of 31.00 plus postage from Australia to a high of 304 for one signed by Hunter Thompson, a real rarity. Many copies sell in the $50.00 to $75.00 neighborhood.

I'm still hoping to get two copies of the new larger version through E Campus, but they have been put off on the release date by Taschen three times, with it now scheduled for May 30th. Thanks again Woody for bringing it to our attention.

By the way, at one time I had nine copies of the Curse of Lono. I've been selling them off to help pay my rent, but I still have a spare one in good shape signed by the great gonzo artist Ralph Steadman in a psychedelic double signature in two colors of ink. Best offer over 100.00. The same goes for a spare 1st printing, 1st edition copy.

blessings all!

Jah Jim

I had the good fortune of seeing Ralph Steadman dressed up in his Hunter outfit a couple of weeks ago. He did a superb impression of Hunter for half an hour, followed by an interview about their relationship and how HST was doing in his final days.

Here are some photos:

And here's some good news for all from Taschen:

"The Curse of Lono
Hardcover, 280 x 374 mm (11 x 14.7 in.), 208 pages
USD 49.99 | GBP 29.99 | EUR 39.99 | JPY 6900.00
Publishing Date: September 2005

Lono unlimited: a scaled-down version of the Curse of Lono collector's edition"

Trader Woody

From Amazon

Price Condition Seller Information
$1,299.00
Like New Seller: blue_sky_books (Safe buying guarantee)

Comments: Signed/Limited #448 of 1000. Signed by H. S.Thompson and Ralph Steadman. Mint, still in shrink wraps. Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.

$1,599.99
New Seller: autumnleavesusedbooks
Comments: #668 of 1000. Still in shrinkwrap. Signed by Thompson and Steadman

$1,600.00
New Seller: mandarin59
Comments: TASCHEN Pub Number 823/1000 still SEALED.

This is the first time I have read this thread, and wow, what a amazing looking book, I look forward to the more affordable version soon.

From Amazon: Lono scaled down version:$32.99 with free shipping.

On 2005-08-13 14:07, aikiman44 wrote:
From Amazon: Lono scaled down version:$32.99 with free shipping.

MAHALO! I just pre-ordered it and also bought the Rum Diary.

The readers, non-limited edition of Taschen's Curse of Lono is out and it's big and beautiful. I don't recall the price but it's significantly cheaper than ebay copies. Now I can actually read it!

Here's another limited edition Hunter S Thompson book that's just appeared without much pomp and ceremony.

"Gonzo" - a collection of photographs from Hunter's collection. Includes a classic silver gelatine print. I understand there's 3000 of the buggers, so it might be wise to act fast seeing the size of his fanbase.
$300 is pretty expensive, but it seems to be a bit cheaper over on Amazon.

http://www.ammobooks.com/

Trader Woody