Sunday, 31 January 2021

Cover to cover


As usual, I've got my head in a book. I'm re-reading Raymond Chandler - I finished The Big Sleep yesterday and am now nearly half way thru The Long Goodbye. Classic Chandler; classic Marlowe. Not for nothing is there a quote on the dust jacket - c/o the Literary Review - proclaiming the author "One of the finest prose writers of the twentieth century." It was first published in 1953 and to the best of my knowledge has never been out of print since. 



Pictured (above and below) are some of its previous incarnations. If and when shops ever open again I'm going to hunt them down; a few days away scouring antiquarian bookshops - I honestly can't think of anything better right now.





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7 comments:

  1. Swiss Adam1 February 2021 at 17:11

    The shifting trends and patterns in paperback book covers is really interesting. Some of those above are superb.

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    1. John Medd1 February 2021 at 19:33

      They are, aren't they? I have no idea whether Chandler, or subsequently the Chandler estate had/has any say over artwork.

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  2. Alyson3 February 2021 at 21:06

    As SA said, interesting to see how fashions change in the world of book cover illustration. Is that a Vettriano cover on the right?

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    1. John Medd4 February 2021 at 12:52

      This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. John Medd4 February 2021 at 12:53

      If you mean the bottom bottom right, that's Hopper - The Nighthawks. If you mean the bottom right in the montage I'm afraid I don't know.

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    3. Alyson4 February 2021 at 20:38

      Yes I meant the Nighthawks one. It’s probably really famous isn’t it but just made me think of Vettriano. Nice cover.

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    4. John Medd4 February 2021 at 20:48

      My favourite painting!

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