I purchased the ESV Study Bible, Large Print, TruTone, Mahogany with Trellis Design.

First of all, this review is of the FORMAT of this Bible, not a review of the inerrant, Holy Word of God.

The cover appears sturdy but flexible enough to stay open anywhere. Pages are very thin. The trellis design is quite lovely. I would have preferred the Celtic Cross in olive binding, but it was not offered in the large print version.

Like many other reviewers, I found that the study notes sections are NOT large print. I can read the Bible text portion without difficulty, but not the notes...which is what I bought this for in the first place! I bought one of those flexible magnifier sheets to help me read the study note sections.

My suggestion to Crossway is this: How about a TRUE LARGE PRINT version of ONLY the study notes, maps (in full color), book introductions, all the study material without the Bible text. That way I could study with my regular large print Bible next to me.

My other issue is that the maps are only 2 color in the large print version instead of full color like in the standard text version.

Very disappointed in this edition---The illustrations are two-tone sepia and not clear. The printing is inconsistent in tone, varying from dark to light. The sub-titles are hard to distinguish from the subject matter, as they are not printed in bold type,. The size, overall, is reduced and results in smaller print. I would not recommend the purchase of this bible. It appears that the producers cut too many corners in this edition. Stay with the original!!

First off, this bible is everything I expected it to be. It's amazing! The quality of the leather, the study notes, the print. It's all great!

Next, I would like to state some clarification on some other reviews that I have read through.

--- "The pages are thin." Well... Yes. The pages ARE thin. They're bible pages. A majority of the bibles I've ever come into contact with have been made of this thin "bible paper" as you might put it. Also, keep in mind that this is a STUDY BIBLE. It's 2.5 inches thick already. If someone is going to complain about the paper thinness and want thicker paper, then once they get what they want they're going to complain about how the bible is "too big and thick to carry around" because thicker paper means an even thicker bible.

--- "The bible is huge." Well... Yes. It's 2.5 inches thick. It's an intense study bible. Not something you stick in your pocket. I don't really have a problem carrying it around. I finally found a nice leather cover that fits it as well. It's so nice!

--- "The maps aren't in color." Correct.. They're two toned. And they're easy to see. It's not like that makes them unreadable. If you're more worried about the map quality than the actual bible study quality... then maybe you should recheck what really important. Or just keep looking. The study notes and quality of the bible far outweigh the benefit of color maps in the notes. Also, there ARE colored maps in the back of the book on thicker paper. Just a btw side note.

--- "It has not red lettering." Correct. It does not have red lettering. Again, kind of like the maps... unless that's super duper uber essential to you... The quality of the bible far outweighs the lack of red lettering. Personally I think it makes you pay attention more. But that's just me.

Over all, I give this a 5 star rating. Personally, I don't think petty little things such as map color and lettering should have an effect on the star rating. You're rating the bibles quality.. not your preferences. If you're rating this bible off of your preferences then go find a bible that have your preferences.

NOTE: I rate this a five-star value for the study content and the e-book version. Two-stars for quality is due to page translucence. Two-stars on expectations...some of that may be 'on me' as being a bit ignorant of what is available out there. I'm not certain what hardcover I would recommend as study bibles go, but I can't recommend this one. Single column, non-study, large print: Very likely. See more below.

I'm very new to the Word and I bought this in February after engaging halfway thru BSF session this last winter. I was using my wife's 1978 NIV and decided I would like a Study bible of my own. The positive of going through B&N was that I could put my hands on it; the negative turned out that I was unaware of the myriad alternatives available here.

I had spent time researching which version to buy and I believe the ESV is a good choice. The study content of this particular bible is very good, so in that regard I rate it highly. However, I echo comments by others that the paper is far too thin, as I can see through to the ink on the other side of the page. I didn't realize just how distracting it would be while standing there in the store. It IS: very distracting.

Also, my wife's version is single column, verse format (I think that's what they refer to it as) and it's a wonder to sit and read. The two column format of this book is okay, but I find I prefer the older bible (it might be the thin paper....) Also, the study notes are two points smaller and take me right back to the reason I wanted a large print version to begin with. They are tough to read. As for others' comments on the (green/sepia, I say puce) colored images, they're fine. They get the point across more than adequately.

The singular element that makes this bible a value to ME (esp. after letting my wife talk me into buying from B&N -- OUCH!) is that it comes with an e-book version available for download. When loaded on your iPad or Nook or computer with whatever reader you may own, all the problems go away. The notes are all hyper-linked to references in the text; additional notes and links will carry one to a far greater understanding of a passage than might otherwise be gleaned. GREAT for some one who never opened a bible before. Also, at one pound, the iPad is a quarter the weight of this big book. :-)

Oh, as a newbie, I DID make a mistake in buying a hardcover bible, esp. one this thick. Leather (faux) for lay flat would have been a much better choice. My wife's NIV is hard cover and due to it's size is okay. This tome is simply too large for hard cover reading.

Love this version and all the study notes but having said that, I'm really disappointed in the quality of the paper used. The pages are super thin, tried several different highlighters and unfortunately they all show through the backside. Can actually see my finger through the paper. Yikes! Too afraid to underline with a pen as I don't want to tear the pages. The price was great but hindsight had I known this, I probably would have invested a little more for better quality. My copy has a fold/crease in each page up to Genesis 9, but it printed with the fold so I can still read the page. Bummer! A piece of useful info...the lg print version is 2.5 in thick so if you use a bible cover you will want to go for an XXL size. Most L sizes are only 2 in thick. CBD does carry a few. Hope that helps.