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.





7 comments:

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

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

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. 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.

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

      Delete