This book is distinguished by a handsome and understated cover, simple but handsome and careful chapter openings, an excellent text spread, and simple attention to typographic detail. The type is adequately leaded, the ligatures are used where required, the small caps are true small caps and properly spaced. There is nothing extravagant or fancy in this book, and nothing fancy or extravagant is required. There is nothing here that doesn't need to be here, and nothing that needs to be here is missing.

This is the reissue of a much-loved Canadian novel, and it is a model of its kind. As a rule, paperback reprints of successful novels are cheaper, smaller, and uglier than the first editions. In this case, the type is better, the margins more ample, and the attention to detail is greater in this reprint than it was in the original edition. The type is well-leaded, well set, well justified; the small caps are real and well spaced, chapter openings are simple but very effective. The cover is pleasant, and the result is just what it should be: a nice book, comfortable to read.

The Jade Peony, like Disappearing Moon Café, is a reissue of a much-loved Canadian novel. It shares with Disappearing Moon Café the generous margins and the generally good typography. We placed it lower in our hierarchy because the chapter openings are less successful than those in Disappearing Moon Café. The cover is not unpleasant; at least, it is an improvement over the original first edition. It is, again, a pleasure to see a publisher who will improve a book when reissuing it, instead of making it uglier and cheaper.

This could have been a prizewinning book, except for the lack of attention to detail. The margins and the text spreads are needlessly stingy and irrational; the binding is unsatisfactory. It is a square binding, with the spine board too large for the book block, making it difficult to open, and impossible to keep open. The justification is poorer than in the books to which we gave first and second prize. The paper is superior, but the type is not up to the standard set by the paper on which it is printed.