First Look: Deluxe Compact ESV (Sienna / Crossroads Design)
Thanks to the intrepid Scott Kay, we can take our first look at the Deluxe Compact ESV from Crossway in its TruTone Sienna (Crossroads) incarnation. This is the successor to the original Compact Thinline, with a new layout, slightly enlarged proportions and a sewn binding. If you ask me, it's a big improvement. Let's take a look: Above: Each of the four editions currently available has a novelty cover, but the Sienna (Crossroads Design) option is the subtlest. I like the simulated grain and the variation in the brown color. And I can live with the design.
Above: The spine is branded with the trifecta "ESV, ESV crest, English Standard Version" some of you think is overkill. I don't mind, and the gilt-free execution here tones it down a bit.
Above: One ribbon, gilt edges, just like the Compact Thinline.
Above: Yoga. The cover is flexible, which is what I appreciate about the polyurethane approach. It isn't goatskin, but you can pick up one of these at Amazon for about $15.
Above: The page spread. Scott reports that it opens flat with a little effort. The binding is sewn, and that might improve with use. Smaller Bibles typically don't have the liquid aspect of the larger ones, even with flexible covers, so this is to be expected.
Above: Compared to the Compact Thinline (on top). You can see the difference, but it isn't major. The same briefcase pocket that currently holds my Compact Thinline should easily accommodate the Deluxe Thinline.
Above: This is what it's all about. The Deluxe Compact (on top) is still a small print edition, but it looks like a much easier read than the original Compact Thinline (underneath). If, like me, you love the form factor of the original, getting the improved reading experience with only a small sacrifice in size is very welcome.
Above: A page spread showing prose and poetry. I'd love to see a single column setting in this form factor, but until that happens, I expect to be very happy with this new compact edition.
Thanks, Scott, for snapping these photos! I don't know about the rest of you, but with the improved layout and the sewn binding, I really think this one's a candidate for rebinding.