Paperback
A Paperback (English paperback with bindings made of cardboard, paper or the like. , Otherwise also soft cover ) is a small-format book with usual soft cover. It is, if not an original paperback edition is present (eg, title of RUB, dtv or island - Classics), usually some time after the high-order fixed (English " hardcover " ) or soft ( "brochure " ) published bound volumes, is for determines a large readership and due to its most simple adhesive bond comparatively cheap. As a synonym for " paperback" is also the borrowed word " paperback " is used.
History
Even in ancient times, there were small-format books - this had different reasons. From the time of Christian persecution small-sized papyrus writings have survived, they could be easily transported and hidden due to its size. As the smallest applies the so-called Cologne Mani Codex from the 5th century. It is only 3.5 × 4.5 cm in size.
In the Middle Ages knew small-sized bag books that contained the Catechism or business and legislation eg.
At the emerging educated middle class, and especially to women, the almanacs of the 18th century, including the so-called Muse almanacs oriented. Generally referred to in this period Paperback than literary genre a special form of the almanac, the different texts ( both short stories, poetry, etc., and non- literary texts ) gathered. It claimed a broad readership, partly specific target groups. For example, arose " pocket books for woman Room ". Well-known paperback authors were Goethe, Schiller and Wieland.
Middle of the 19th century came book series on the market that could be offered cheap by modern production methods. They were usually sold as whole rows. From this period, for example, the Reclam paperbacks and the Tauchnitz editions.
Primarily, however, one called in the 19th century, published annually, in small format books than paperback books; they previously contained a calendar, genealogical news and all sorts of many useful messages, but gradually more and more recordings of fiction, particularly novelistic, Content. They contained as a characteristic feature almost always an addition to copper engravings (from Chodowiecke first applied ).
Mention may in particular the Viewegsche " Paperback " (Berlin 1798-1803 ), in a 1798 Goethe's Hermann and Dorothea appeared; the " Handbook of love and friendship " of Wilmans (Frankfurt 1801-1841 ); "Urania " (Leipzig 1810-1838, new series 1839-1848 ) and the " woman pocket book" (Nuremberg 1815-1831 ).
Later they also began to publish annual pocket books for the sciences; here include Friedrich von Raumer " Historical paperback" (1830 founded since 1881 edited by Maurenbrecher ) and Prutz ' " Litterarhistorisches paperback" ( 1843-1848 ). Also there were paperbacks for botanists, hunters, for the stage beings etc. This type of literature is now known as annuals.
Today is meant by the paperback book with smaller dimensions so that it can be placed in the pocket. Features are the cardboard cover without dust jacket, the small font with the narrow set of mirrors, wood-containing, coarse paper, high pressure pad and adhesive-bound processing, which allow a reasonable selling price. In recent years - in the course of competition among publishers - improved font and page layout, and also increases the quality of paper. More and more original editions appear the same as a paperback.
At the beginning of the 20th century brought the Ullstein British model his paperbacks out, and during the Second World War Gottfried Bermann Fischer tried in the U.S. to exert influence on the formation of German prisoners of war with the series New World.
The modern Paperback
The popular shortly after its appearance in 1912 the book series of the island's library can not yet be considered Paperback precursor because of its solid book cover well. This is true but surely, edited from Leipzig Bernhard Tauchnitz Verlag English-language series " Tauchnitz editions ' to - low-priced books for pupils, students and travelers from English-speaking countries. Incidentally joined Christian Wegner, who had essentially been responsible for the Island Library in Insel Verlag, 1930 for a short time as managing director for Bernhard Tauchnitz Verlag, to enable a surprisingly rapid separation from this publisher along with John Holroyd - Reece the company "The Albatross Verlag GmbH Hamburg to set up " and to register in the Commercial Register Leipzig in November. Notably Wegner initiated from 1932 as director of the Albatross Verlag from Paris; the delivery concerned in Hamburg Kurt Enoch. When Oscar Brandstetter in Leipzig this first for a global rollout modern paperback pocket books for the general mass market in its original language were printed. The concept was an inexpensive book before, the quality of content should not suffer and that was instantly recognizable with colored cardboard envelopes for the respective rows. With " Albatross Modern Continental Library" quickly succeeded to attract prominent authors such as Aldous Huxley, James Joyce, DH Lawrence, Sinclair Lewis, Thornton Wilder, and Virginia Woolf, publish their works in large editions and thus to be extremely successful.
1935 Allen Lane created the series of the British Penguin Books, who took the idea of the modern pocket book of Albatross simple: The paperback was finally born and attractive for other publishers. In the U.S., the publisher Simon & Schuster announced in 1939, the first pocket books out.
In Germany the first paperbacks in the 1940s appeared. The Random House had indeed licensed by the occupying powers for the printing of books, but good paper was scarce. A first solution was the publisher by printed 1946-1949 in rotation on cheap newsprint and quite unwieldy newspaper format in long runs - " Rowohlts rotation novels " (RO -RO- RO) were born. The first four titles were printed in every 100,000 copies and sold for the price of 50 Pfennig; they were an instant success. The first four titles that reflect the effort, the Germans almost bring "other" cultural object after the Nazi period were
- Gripsholm Castle ( Kurt Tucholsky )
- Typhoon (Joseph Conrad)
- The great comrade (The Great Meaulnes ) (Alain -Fournier )
Starting in 1950, inspired by modes of production in the U.S., Rowohlt produced in the Federal Republic, the first "real" pocket books ( rororo ), which also had the first time the small, 11 to 18 cm large dimensions. In addition to the "classic" paperback features now got even the so-called Lumbecken, a named after Emil Lumbeck perfect binding method that reducing the cost of production again. In this case, the recording sheet is not stapled and then individually stuck to the cover, but the sheets are not stapled together, the book block is ground roughly and then back in the entire glued into the cover. Until 1961, was achieved as a band 451, the paperbacks were the back covered with a strip of linen. The collection of the so-called dust jacket was a private collection area.
Another feature of the first rororo paperbacks was the advertising in the middle of the books that should once again lower the selling price.
Contributed significantly to this success, the book covers of the artist couple Karl Gröning Jr. and Gisela Pferdmenges that adorned around 350 rororo ribbon to about 1959. Edgar Friederichsen, the production manager, had brought the two together with Rowohlt.
After 1950, other publishers also gave out pocket books, the most popular being the Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, Bastion - Luebbe, the S. Fischer Verlag, Goldmann Verlag, Suhrkamp and dtv.