NRSV XL with Apocrypha

Since the New English Translation of the Septuagint is meant to be read alongside the NRSV translation, I decided that was excuse enough for me to go out and purchase another edition of this fine translation.

The recent HarperCollins editions were where I looked first. The Standard and Go Anywhere editions are frankly huge disappointments. (I saw both in a bookstore; it unfortunately didn't carry the NRSV XL.)

• The Standard has terrible bleed-through problems, making it unusable for anything longer than a quick check of a verse or two. It's a shame, really, since it is in single column format (though the poetic sections are in double columns to save space, which leads to chopped up poetic lines).
• If anything, the Go Anywhere is even worse, since it still has bleed-through problems and is printed in dual columns. As Bertrand rightly points out, the format screams single column, but the dunces at HarperCollins are blinded by bible-making tradition. In addition, though it is supposed to be portable, it is actually quite unwieldy to handle.
  

I don't have a picture of the Go Anywhere, but this is the NASB Compact Reference, which is similarly ridiculous in insisting on double columns, resulting in columns averaging a paltry 6 words per line.

Based on a few reviews I gathered from the web from the usual suspects (Iyov and Bertrand, plus the reviews on Amazon and CBD, I chose the NRSV XL because it appeared from these reviews that this edition avoided the worst of the problems associated with the other two.

Since these other bloggers have reviewed this edition already, I'll simply post some pictures along with some brief comments underneath.

For the sake of comparison, I've lined it up with the ESV Personal Size Reference on the left and the TNIV Reference on the right. The NRSV XL with Apocrypha measures 8 1/8" wide x 8 1/4" high x 1 1/2" thick. The form factor takes some getting used to, but I actually like it. The only real problem I have with it is that you can't just flip the page over without a second thought (you have to be careful) like you can with most other bibles, since the pages tend to want to curl back over on itself.

Here are the same three bibles stacked with a view of the bindings. The large font and the addition of the Apocrypha make this a rather thick bible, even with the very thin paper, which unfortunately allows for a little too much bleed-through for my taste.

Despite my afinity for single columns, this particular edition would look silly in such a format. I'd say each column averages a respectable (though sub-optimal) 9 words per line. The font is nice and clear at 13 pt and the spacing of the lines does not feel cramped.

Here's a look at the poetic sections. Unfortunately due to the large font size, the lines are often chopped up. Still, though I don't need a large font (I can comfortably make out the ESV Deluxe Compact type), it's a nice change of pace.

The binding is craft sewn, whatever that is. I presume that it isn't as good as smyth sewn, but it does allow this bible to lie completely flat in the middle and I expect that the binding will last a whole lot longer than a glued one.

Towards the ends of the bible, one side will hang in mid-air. This is a shot of the book of Jude. When held in one open hand (i.e., without a thumb or pinky holding it open), you can have it open at Genesis 1 or Revelation 22 and it won't close on you.

A few random notes and then some final comments:

• One great thing about the NRSV is that you can purchase editions that include the full Apocrypha, as this one does. The editions with the Apocrypha are tan, the Catholic edition is green and the Protestant edition is brown.
  
• The binding is a faux leatherette type material that is rather stiff but looks like it will last a few years of regular use. As noted above, it does nevertheless allow the bible to lay relatively flat due to the wide pages.
  
• Thankfully, as with most NRSV bibles, this is a black letter edition.
• It has one ribbon marker that isn't overly thick (at just over 1/4"), but isn't as thin as in some other bibles.

As alluded to above, there are two main problems with this edition:

• I find the bleed-through a trifle distracting, though it isn't anywhere near as bad as in the Standard edition. This is much more of a problem in the poetic sections where there is a lot of blank space around the text; the narrative sections aren't much of a problem at all as far as I'm concerned (the bleed-through isn't any more distracting than in most bibles in the narrative sections; I believe this is due to the large print which is quite effective in drawing attention away from what can still be clearly seen on the other side of the page).
• You have to be rather careful when flipping the pages because of the extra width; the pages tend to want to curl over rather than naturally lie flat when flipped.
  

Some suggestions for improvement:

• Thicker paper. The bleed-through is borderline unacceptable for me in the poetic sections.
  
• A slightly smaller font so that you can get the optimal 12 words per line, which would also lead to fewer chopped lines in the poetic sections. Since this would also save space, it could be used for thicker paper.
  
• The concordance (about 50 pages) needs to go. Why do bible makers insist on including one? It's a waste of space/thickness in the bible. Use it for thicker paper instead.
• An extra ribbon marker would be nice. And thicker paper too, please.
  

I'm quite a fan of the NRSV translation on the whole, though it's not as literal as I'd like. I think it's a shame that it appears to be well on its way to being relegated to a small niche (academics and the ever dwindling mainline denominations).

At one time I used to use the NRSV almost exclusively (for serious work, I'd often lean on the NASB), but I don't any longer. In those days, I was happy with a hardcover pew edition (without even the Apocrypha included), but I've gotten much pickier over the years, as my eyes have been opened to what is available in bible editions.

The one huge drawback of the translation, and the single biggest reason I don't use it much anymore except (more recently) when reading the LXX in English (thanks to NETS) and in ecumenical contexts (which for me, nowadays, is typically limited to academic conferences, like SBL), is it's been very poorly served by its various publishers.

To be more specific, I can't find an affordable edition (say, under $40 or so at Amazon) that I'm ecstatic about like I can for other translations such as the ESV (Personal Size Reference and Deluxe Compact), JPS (Diglot), TNIV (Reference), and now, the NASB (Classic Companion).

This edition goes some way to addressing this, since it's quite nice, but it isn't good enough for me to switch away from the editions I mentioned above for day-to-day use, especially since I like most of those translations (i.e., TNIV excepted) as much as I do the NRSV. I'm still glad I bought the NRSV XL, however, since the large print is a novelty to me (it's the only large print version I own), and it contains the Apocrypha.