Book Covers - Varieties of Disturbance

We got a really nice submission from Craig at Craig Mod the other day.

In fact, I’m going to just quote his email and leave it at that:

There’s something quiet and beautiful and restrained about this cover. The type is well executed. And this simple image of a fly evokes the essence of her work: small, mundane moments of disturbance.
Even the subtle glow given to the background color evokes skin.
Altogether intriguing, clean and oddly unsettling.

— , 2007-07-13 06:36:00 -0400

wow, indeed.
so simple. so subtle. so very perfect.
surely this is the UK version.

This is a great follow up to that fwis post debating whether or not all great designs hold up in reproduction.

This design is meant to be seen in person. The concept (enhanced with the use of spot gloss over the type) is equal parts visual and tactile. Secondary reproduction does not do this design justice.

Actually, I think it stands up just fine, gloss or no. Perfect. Kudos for the publisher for keying into subtlety as a refreshing marketing device.

Surely, the best way to handle an ungodly title like “Varieties of Disturbance” is to turn the contrast down to practically nil. I can only imagine trying to find a stock image to match it.

It may be the UK version as well, but it is certainly the US version. Just brought it home last week.

It’s beautiful, but I wish the word “stories” hadn’t been added. I took me a second to realize it wasn’t part of the title. It comes off as even more unnecessary than “a novel”.

I was thinking the same thing about treatment of “stories”. The forced justification with open letter spacing is the only wrong note on an otherwise nice cover.

I disagree with the two comments above. Except in rare instances (i.e., http://covers.fwis.com/rant), book covers really need to convey to the viewer whether the book is fiction or nonfiction. Maybe not so much for browsers in bookstores where fiction and non-fiction are separated, but there are certainly times when you see a book cover, perhaps online, and you want to know immediately if you are looking at, say, a book on psychology or a novel or a collection of stories—without having to spend time digging around for the answer.

There seems to be a lot of discussion here (and elsewhere) about the word “A Novel”, etc, being used on covers. The bottom line: There are practical, beautiful traditions in book design that give pleasure to all parties involved in the process. When these definitive words appear across the cover of an authors new title, it must be such a feeling of satisfaction. From a designers standpoint it is a (at times) great challenge to apply this wording to a cover and know that it has found it’s perfect spot. Where it is well integrated into the design but not disruptive. And from a publishers standpoint it is great to have these words clearly defining their various authors under the unified wording/category.

On this cover, I can see how the words are sort of floating and too close for comfort to the title. Perhaps the designer did this on purpose—to further capitalize on the title and agitate people like us…

Ian, I am willing to get axed by Chris for launching an ad hoc attack on your ass, but I really feel that you are guilty of being too close to the subject (design). Like the drug user who, although undeniable passionate about his reality tunnel, has lapsed from the proper, real-world perspective, you seem to have lost your way (to wit: “I can see how the words are sort of floating and too close for comfort to the title.” or, “My eyes are crossed; I need a vacation.”) Really, this cover is a god-send. It deserves praise on many levels. We need to promote this aesthetic in the world of book design.

(And with that, I hereby sacrifice my voice/isp in the name of this cover. Adios, fuckers!)

No one has mentioned what an amazing writer Lydia Davis is, and what an incredible collection of stories this is. Not the point, I suppose.

I think the word “stories” is absolutely necessary. Further, the leading between the author name and title and the title and “stories” is equal, so I have no trouble distinguishing it as its own element. The fact that it’s tracked out about as much as the author name doesn’t hurt either—the title becomes like the patty in a nice juicy designburger (buns are less dense than a beef patty, hence the less dense (tracked out) type in the author name and “stories” line. Eat a burger at a beach barbecue or, even more appropriately, a company picnic, and a fly will probably land on your burger, I’d say about 95% of the time, if you’re not careful. Very subtle, but great subtext to this design.)

This book is worth purchasing for the cover alone, so please do so. And then read it. Trust me. You’ve never even met me.

Burt. This cover has received nothing but praise. It’s a great cover. Your utter blabbing above does not seem an attack but rather a praise for the fact that I love my job and the responsibility that comes with the work and the opportunities. I am sorry that you fail to see that and feel the need to denigrate others. Best to you with that.

Hmm… It’s fine. But I fail to see a magnificent, restrained beauty that you all keep harping about. It’s centered, block text with a fly slapped in the mix. Great…?

...what bugs me is the read of the subtitle.
“STORIES” that reads to me as ” Variety Of Disturbance Stories”. I’m not certain that the size/placement of the word STORIES was well thought out for such a restrained typographical design.

It would have been fun to just have the fly on the cover and no title except on the spine..Or if this was a jacket and it was 1996 we could have used onion skin for the cover with the fly printed on it and run the title underneath it….just my ¢2.

the use of a fly in this way has become predictable, another case of the art world trickling down.