Having worked at a book store for three years, I’m ashamed to say that I have never read a classic until recently. Actually, I purposely avoided them. I was somehow predisposed to think that they were snooty and stuffy, and that they were written in Shakespearean language that I wouldn’t understand. So I stuck with what I knew and loved: contemporary fiction.
I partially blame that on the cover designs that often feature an oil/water colour painting of Victorian scenery or portrait. Even different publishers seem to take similar approaches.
Exciting, right?
It is a case of a series of book covers that are too consistent and “well” designed.
All of the above paperback Penguin Classics convey the same feeling. It is great for collectors and classics-readers, because they look neat on a bookshelf, and they are easily-distinguishable from other books. However, it does nothing for the apprehensive reader, who prefers to know that he will enjoy a book before he even reads it. AKA: me.
When an enormous “series” of books have such consistent cover designs, there is little distinction between each title. When I see a huge stack of classics on a table, and I can’t quickly rely on visual cues to decide on what I like, it is intimidating. And I generally back away slowly.
A while back, Penguin Classics published this series of hardcover designs by Coralie Bickford-Smith:
I was in love. I looked at what I had previously thought was old and uninteresting with new eyes. They are suddenly cool and elegant and, dare I say, exciting at the same time.
The treatment of the pattern is just as consistent as their paperback counterparts, but now each title has its distinguishing feature. It is the one with the chandelier, or the one with the waves, etc. And it’s intriguing. It makes you wonder, why the chandelier, or why the waves?
People say “don’t judge a book by its cover.” I don’t entirely disagree, but I think a well-designed book cover should be compelling, and it should give you a glimpse of what the book is about.
I’m currently reading The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. It is so beautifully written. Some passages I just want to read over and over again. The themes are universal. I’m beginning to understand why these classics are classics. An excerpt:
Romance lives by repetition, and repetition converts an appetite into an art. Besides, each time that one loves is the only time one has ever loved. Difference of object does not alter singleness of passion. It merely intensifies it. We can have in life but one great experience at best, and the secret of life is to reproduce that experience as often as possible.
I’m looking to broaden my classics horizons. Any recommendations?
