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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.
Volume 1 – Spring
Volume 2 – Summer
| Volume 3 – Autumn
|
Volume 4 – Winter
Volume 5 – Spring
| Volume 6 – Summer
Volume 7 – Autumn
|
Volume 8 – Winter
| Volume 10 – Summer
|
Volume 12 – Winter
| Volume 14 – Summer
|
Volume 16 – Winter
| Volume 18 – Summer
|
Volume 20 – Winter
| Volume 22 – Summer
|
Volume 21 – Spring
| Volume 23 – Autumn
|
Volume 24 – Winter
| Volume 26 – Summer
|
Volume 28 – Winter
| Volume 30 – Summer
|
Volume 32 – Winter
| Volume 34 – Summer
Volume 35 – Autumn
|
Volume 36 – Winter
| Volume 38 – Summer
Volume 39 – Autumn
|
Volume 40 – Winter
| Volume 42 – Summer
Volume 43 – Autumn
|
Volume 44 – Winter
| Volume 46 – Summer
|
Volume 48 – Winter
| Volume 50 – Summer
|
Volume 52 – Winter
| Volume 54 – Summer
|
Volume 56 – Winter
| Volume 58 – Summer
|
Volume 60 – Winter
| Volume 62 – Summer
|
Volume 64 – Winter
| Volume 66 – Summer
|
Volume 68 – Winter
| Volume 70 – Summer
|
Volume 72 – Winter
| Volume 74 – Summer
|
Volume 76 – Winter
Volume 77 – Spring
| Volume 78 – Summer
|
Volume 80 – Winter
Volume 81 – Spring
| Volume 82 – Summer
|
Volume 84 – Winter
| Volume 86 – Summer
|
Volume 88 – Winter
| Volume 90 – Summer
|
Volume 92 – #1
Volume 93 – #2
| Volume 95 – #4
|
Volume 97 – #1
| Volume 100 – #4
Volume 101 – #5
|
Volume 102 – #1
Volume 103 – #2
| Volume 105 – #4
|
Volume 107 – #1
Volume 108 – #2
| Volume 110 – #4
|
Volume 112 – #1
| Volume 115 – #4
Volume 116 – #5
|
Volume 117 – #1
| Volume 120 – #4
|
Volume 122 – #1
Volume 123 – #2
| Volume 125 – #4
|
Volume 127 – #1
Volume 129 – M
| Volume 130 – #3
|
Volume 133 – #1
| Volume 136 – #3
|
Volume 139 – #1
| Volume 142 – #3
|
Volume 145 – #1
| Volume 148 – #3
|
Volume 151 – #1
| Volume 154 – #3
Volume 156 – #5
|
Volume 157 – #1
| Volume 160 – #3
|
Volume 163 – #1
| Volume 166 – #3
Volume 168 – #5
|
Volume 169 – #1
Volume 170 – #2
| Volume 172 – #3
|
Volume 175 – #1
| Volume 178 – #3
|
Volume 181 – #1
Volume 183 – M
| Volume 184 – #3
|
Volume 187 – #1
| Volume 190 – #3
|
Volume 193 – #1
| Volume 196 – #4
|
Volume 199 – #1
Volume 201 – #3
| Volume 202 – #4
|
Volume 205 – #1
| Volume 208 – #4
|
Volume 211 – #1
| Volume 214 – #4
|
Volume 217 – #1
| Volume 220 – #4
|
Volume 223 – #1
Volume 224 – #2
| Volume 226 – #4
|
Volume 229 – #1
| Volume 232 – #4
|
These 1997 volumes were also published as Reader's Digest Select Editions , and all succeeding volumes were published as Reader's Digest Select Editions.
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