The only thing that beats a great book cover is a great book. These are the books that you bring on the subway in order to be seen reading them on the subway. Here are nine of our favorites, all of which also double as arguments against e-Readers:
1. The Penguin Book of Gaslight Crime (cover by Jaya Miceli)
2. The Great Perhaps by Joe Meno (cover by Jamie Keenan)
3. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy (cover by David Pearson)
4. Small Crimes in an Age of Abundance: Stories by Matthew Kneale (cover by David Drummond)
5. The Short Novels of John Steinbeck (cover by Jen Wang)
6. Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem (UK edition, cover by Miriam Rosenbloom)
7. We Are the Friction (cover by Lizzy Stewart and Jez Burrows)
8. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald (UK edition, cover by Coralie Bickford-Smith)
9. Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov (cover by Michael Bierut)
As far as I know, Twilight by Stephanie Meyers, has always been a black jacket, a hand holding an apple. Not especially ingenious at the time of publishing, but wow, what a cover now! You just can’t tell what would appeal to the masses.
Great covers? Jesus. Who selected these? A first year student in Graphic Arts school? No art–no imagination–why would anyone take a second look at these books?
Did you twist your van dyke beard, dip your monocle in your martini and then eat it after typing this?
You’re kidding, right? Except for possibly the Penguin one, I think these are awful. I would not be tempted to buy based on any of them.
I agree. Number 1 and 2 aren’t bad, 6 is a little overdone….but the rest are barely readable and are terrible. As a graphic design student heading into her senior year, the first thing that comes to mind is K.I.S.S.
They’re original, eye-catching but of course won’t be to everyone’s taste. But at least they’ve been designed and created with thought to the book’s content, theme, tone etc.
Keep It Simple Stupid doesn’t mean a cover needs to be boring or just have some stock photo slapped on it. Glad to see others here have spoken up for the importance of a great cover design.
I’ve seen many of these and I have read a couple of them. Cover design is often clever, attractive and; because I’m in the book selling game I know; it is also what 99percent of people judge a book by before they purchase it. Plain covers do not sell well unless the author is extremely well known. Having said that the French publish almost all their literary novels with a plain white cover.
My top 3 choices: #1. Penguin Book of Gaslight Crime #2. The Short Novels of John Steinbeck & #3. ***Memory by Vladimir Nabokov. E-readers panels can’t show the rich texture & character of a well-designed book cover.
These are great, thank you!
i have seen almost all of these. i think i read too many book and graphic design blogs.
really cool i love it
I find it ironic that you’re making a case against e-readers when promoting an ebook at the very bottom of your page (Mary Balogh’s original ebook exclusive, Now a Bride).
Also, I’m pretty sure the Nook has a color edition out. To me, these aren’t arguments against e-readers.