Bookish Bits & Bobs: Judging A Book By Its Cover

It will have perhaps become apparent from this weblog that I do not like many things that others find acceptable (through ignorance, apathy, or other reasons), such as ghostwriting, or the notion of changing authors' works after they have died in order to modernise them.

Today, though, I will be contemplating another form of modernisation, and one that I'm not sure which school of thought I fall into regarding it: that of the modernisation of book covers. The saying goes that we should never judge a book by its cover (which metaphorically can also transfer to the advice that we shouldn't judge people before we get to know them), but the fact of the matter is that people do judge real books by their covers, and that this can make or break a book's sales.

I cannot pretend that I know very much about publishing or marketing, but one thing that is clear to the average Joe is this: books today are only very rarely sold with a monotone cover, bearing only the name of the author and its title (and possibly its publisher). There is a reason for this: many average book-buyers (or at least the ones that the industry is trying to attract) have short attention spans and are drawn in by bright colours and modern illustrations. They are unlikely to be attracted to a book that looks too traditional, boring or plain, and consider "the classics" in particular to be boring, irrelevant or too hard. Books that are published in such a format today seem to be titles that are already of elevated status, such as the titles in Penguin's Popular Classics, which are bright lime green with white lettering, and which bear the names of such luminaries as Wilkie Collins and F Scott Fitzgerald.

The idea that classic novels, such as those by Charles Dickens, transcend the trend of every modern book cover having to have an eye-catching picture or font (because they will sell anyway) is slightly fallacious, though: despite the above example of the Penguin Popular Classics, the publishing industry will always be trying to boost sales of classics (as well as of books in general), so it does not necessarily follow that classic authors should be immune to this treatment. Stella Gibbons (I'm thinking particularly of her novel Nightingale Wood, which has been updated by way of illustrations by Sophie Dahl) and Jane Austen have both had their books' covers updated in the past few years; in fact, the updated Jane Austen covers more resemble a Sophie Kinsella novel than a classic body of work that is by now nearly two hundred years old in its entirety.

This is, though, by no means the first time that publishers have tried to update or alter book covers in a desperate bid for more sales. It is quite common for the cover of a book to change between its hardback and paperback publications; the trick of republishing a book once it has been made into a film, only to have the cover bearing the stars of the movie in question, is by no means unheard of; and perhaps most famously, the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling was reissued with different covers for adults because there was a sufficient market for adults who wanted to read the series but who were too embarrassed to be seen with a children's book.

But perhaps the most important question is: does it work? Have publishers caught on to a successful tactic, or are their attempts to boost sales in this way in vain? A quick peruse of the WHSmith and Waterstone's bestseller charts this week shows that all of the books, without exception, have big bold letters, bright colours, and modern illustrations. Maybe the publishers are onto something here; maybe, tapping into human nature, we find that everyone does judge the book by its cover after all.

update January 2010

# of books read in January: 5
Cumulative total: 5

1. The Blessing (Nancy Mitford)
2. The Plato Papers (Peter Ackroyd)
3. The Hours (Michael Cunningham)
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows)
5. Love in a Cold Climate (Nancy Mitford)

Average number of books per month: 5
% by male authors: 40%
% by female authors: 60%

Love in a Cold Climate (Nancy Mitford)

--The blurb--
"Set in the privileged world of the county house party and the London season, this is a comedy of English upperclass manners between the wars."

--The review--
My two major literary discoveries of 2009 were Stella Gibbons and Wilkie Collins, and (as you may have been able to tell from my previous Nancy Mitford review this month) I can equally see the works of Nancy Mitford becoming a permanent fixture on my bookshelf. While Love in a Cold Climate took much longer to pick up speed than The Blessing (for without the expatriate element, which still holds some relevance today, it is in many ways just another tale of aristocratic exploits), it thankfully ends on the same scintillating note.

Despite the fact that Love in a Cold Climate is a loose sequel to The Pursuit of Love, and a similarly linked prequel to Don't Tell Alfred, the fact of having read neither of them is in no way a disadvantage, as it stands perfectly well on its own. It does take some time to get to know the characters and to appreciate the plot in amongst the faceless aristocrats, but once this has been achieved, the novel becomes instantly more enjoyable.

As we get to know Boy and Polly better, the novel assumes more of a soap-opera quality, in the sense that it keeps readers riveted, gagging for the next instalment, and wanting desperately to know the outcome. The novel is equally enlivened with the introduction of Cedric, who adds a hilarious touch, and who cannot help but make the reader visualise how this character would be played in a film (thankfully, the novel has been adapted twice for television in the past thirty years). The novel's ends are tied up ingeniously, showing us ever further how it is Mitford's mastery of character, rather than necessarily setting, that light up her novels and make them what they are.

Other works by Nancy Mitford
Highland Fling (1931)
Christmas Pudding (1932)
Wigs on the Green (1935)
Pigeon Pie (1940)
The Pursuit of Love (1945)
The Blessing (1951)
Madame de Pompadour (1954)
Voltaire in Love (1957)
Don't Tell Alfred (1960)
The Water Beetle (1962)
The Sun King (1966)
Frederick the Great (1970)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows)

--The blurb--
"' I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.' January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends - and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island - boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways."

--The review--
This novel should catch many readers purely on the strength of its out-of-kilter title. Immediately it serves as a hook: people want to know the history behind it, and this starts them reading; as readers become more entwined in the characters and plot, this keeps them going. It's a tried-and-tested strategy, and it works well for Shaffer and Barrows. A further unusual twist is added by the fact that the novel is epistolary (a genre that can be tricky to sustain realistically, but which is handled well by the authors).

The fact of there being two authors is something that I've always struggled with; if you're not strong enough to write on your own, then why piggyback on the talents of others? However, this is well explained in the book's appendices: Barrows was enlisted to finish the novel off on behalf of her mother when Shaffer became unexpectedly ill (but even then, what was the rush to finish exactly)? Nevertheless, though, credit should be given where it's due: Barrows fits seamlessly into Shaffer's writing style, to the extent that it is impossible to tell where one author's writing ends and the other's begins. If you must collaborate on authorship, this is certainly the way to do it. The writing is well-paced and consistent, and we get to know the characters well (they are also introduced one by one so that their presence is not overwhelming). The whole novel feels extremely organic, with the relationships developing naturally.

Juliet, the protagonist, is likeable and headstrong while remaining traditional, creative and imperfect. She is human and enthusiastic; we want her to succeed and to extricate herself from her unwanted suitor for once and for all. As a result, we are pleased that her ending is happy. There is romance, but it is not an overriding theme, with the friendships in the novel taking greater priority. Ultimately, it also reassures readers of the value of long-distance relationships (friendships, in this case), with warmth exuding from the novel's pages.

The novel is also historically valuable - in documenting the occupation of the Channel Islands, it deals with a much-maligned area of Second World War history, and further serves to make the book a unique debut. The only annoying aspect of this novel was really extremely so. While I can appreciate that the writers are American, it is worth regulating your English appropriately if you are pretending to be English (Juliet is a Londoner). This makes the various anachronisms and Americanisms with which the novel is peppered irritating in the extreme. "I kid you not", "teens", "dammit", "wrote the butler" (instead of "wrote TO the butler"), "to be raised" (for "to be brought up"), and "come meet" (instead of "come and/to meet") are just a few examples, and are the only major sign of sloppiness or laziness in the novel. But, nevertheless, this does not impede enjoyment totally. With the pursuit of happiness at its centre, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is a heartwarming read that readers can fondly come back to over and over again.

The Hours (Michael Cunningham)

--The blurb--
"Exiled in Richmond in the 1920s, Virginia Woolf struggles to tame her rebellious mind and make a start on her new novel. In 1990s New York, Clarissa Vaughan goes shopping for flowers for a party for her AIDS-suffering poet-friend. This novel meditates on artistic behaviour, love and madness."

--The review--
Reputation can be a superficial and perilous thing, but having never been a huge fan of Woolf's work, I picked this up on the basis of reputation alone. Something that won the Pulitzer and was made into an award-winning film must have something going for it, I thought, and surely people don't go on about Virginia Woolf for nothing?

However, as one begins to read, it quickly becomes clear that it is Michael Cunningham, rather than Virginia Woolf or Mrs Dalloway (the novel on which The Hours is based) that is the real star of the show. Even though it is occasionally difficult to see the links that Cunningham makes at times (which makes me think, for once, that this is one of those rare occasions where extrinsic knowledge when reading a novel may be of value), with the final chapter, where all three main characters meet, perhaps being the most bewildering of these, all three women's stories are compelling and realistic. Each are hypnotic in their own very human ways, and these qualities are further drawn out by the qualities of the peripheral characters, especially Richard.

Cunningham's prose is utterly poetic, serving as a real cornerstone for the standard of fine fiction. This, however, should not put it out of readers' reach: the novel contains plenty of the standard themes of shock, love, friendship and frustration, as well as examining madness in a way that is simultaneously critical and faithful, without being overly romantic. Consequently, even if you finish the novel without wanting to know anything more about Virginia Woolf, you will be wanting to know more of the works of Michael Cunningham.

Other works by Michael Cunningham
Golden States (1984)
A Home at the End of the World (1990)
Flesh and Blood (1995)
Specimen Days (2005)
Olympia (2010)

The Plato Papers (Peter Ackroyd)

--The blurb--
"Plato, the orator, summons the citizens of London on ritual occasions to impart the ancient history of their city. He dwells particulary on the unhappy era of Mouldwarp (AD 1500-2300), which existed before the dimming of the stars and the burning of the machines. But then he is put on trial."

--The review--
The capacity for exploitation of the "dystopia novel" genre seems almost limitless, with there being no shortage of authors to step up to the plate and tackle the subject in imaginative ways. Peter Ackroyd, in 1999, was one of these writers, and the result was The Plato Papers. While it is set in the distant future, the use of the name Plato is a clever tactic to draw in classics enthusiasts as well as science fiction and dystopia fans (not forgetting standard Ackroyd fans), and this is something that continues to work well as the titular character continues to try and make sense of our time (a.k.a. The Age of Mouldwarp) through archaeological artefacts and historical papers. This insight into the vicissitudes of archaeology, juxtaposed with what our world may become and how different it may be from current times, gives great insight into how difficult it might be to analyse traces of what our generations leave behind (and what, indeed, we might leave behind) with any accuracy.

While the premises of the novella are initially tricky to become familiar with, once this familiarity has been achieved readers are able to rattle through its riveting prose with relative speed. Its wryly humorous perception of our current world helps to bind the book together, and its retrospective vantage point is realistically maintained. Even more than ten years after being written, its topics remain relevant, and yet the trials of great thinkers such as Socrates and Seneca are also recalled, but without pretension.

It is instead with great skill that Ackroyd summons the attention of readers, calling up the notion of the uncomfortableness of the past meeting the present and future. His work epitomises the maxim of fools rushing in where angels fear to tread, reminding us that we are all only human and that we cannot ever be so sure of the time in which we live. Without being didactic, it conveys greatly human teachings, and is a concise and spellbinding introduction to Ackroyd's novels. Well-written, amusing, appealing, and slightly philosophical, it tells the perennial tale of the ones who are 'right' being cast out, and reminds us of our own smallness.

Other works by Peter Ackroyd
The Great Fire of London (1982)
The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde (1983)
Hawksmoor (1985)
Chatterton (1987)
First Light (1989)
English Music (1992)
The House of Doctor Dee (1993)
Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem (1994)
Milton in America (1996)
The Clerkenwell Tales (2003)
The Lambs of London (2004)
The Fall of Troy (2006)
The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein (2008)
The Canterbury Tales - A Retelling (2009)

The Blessing (Nancy Mitford)

--The blurb--
"After the war, English rose Grace joins her dashing aristocratic husband, Charles-Edouard, in France. She is out of her depth among the elegant French women and when she discovers her husband's tendency to lust after pretty girls, it seems that all is over - until her son Sigismond steps in..."

--The review--
It is surprising to discover that Nancy Mitford was born in 1904, just as the reign of Queen Victoria had come to a close, died in 1973, and wrote The Blessing in 1951. The surprise arises from the sheer modernity of the humour and situations with which we are presented in the forms of Grace, Charles-Edouard, Sigi, Nanny, and all their friends and family. Even having a nanny is not as dated as you might imagine, with several upper-class Parisian children still having 'nounous' today to collect them from school and look after them until their parents reappear.

As well as the characters being luminously described, with sharp dialogue and well-drawn features, the plot is taut and the mischief of Sigi enlivens the novel. The modernity and relevance of the novel is striking, although perhaps not all parts of this may be picked up on for those unfamiliar with Paris and its surrounding area: the pictures of expatriate social life could just as easily have been written today, with the mentions of British brands such as Tiptree adding to this in a positive way rather than detracting from the passages' effectiveness.

Mitford is perfectly able to keep readers on their toes as regards the storyline: in one way we know Sigi should get his comeuppance, but in another way we almost don't really want him to. The eventual reconciliation between Charles-Edouard and Grace is realistic, and the humour throughout is subtle and well-sustained (though again, some of it may pass non-expatriates by). The novella is light, but tremendously well-written and witty; it is a welcome introduction to one of the underrated classic authors of our age, and almost guaranteed to hook any reader who takes the bait.

Other works by Nancy Mitford
Highland Fling (1931)
Christmas Pudding (1932)
Wigs on the Green (1935)
Pigeon Pie (1940)
The Pursuit of Love (1945)
Love in a Cold Climate (1949)
Madame de Pompadour (1954)
Voltaire in Love (1957)
Don't Tell Alfred (1960)
The Water Beetle (1962)
The Sun King (1966)
Frederick the Great (1970)