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Sunday, February 12, 2006

A Temple of Texts

I like this image. I don't like the treatment of the title. Some might think that the boxy title complements the other shapes in the photograph; I think it takes away from the power of the image. But what do *you* think?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that the box should have been a vertical rectangle so that it did complement the book bindings in the background. Currently the more squarish shape detracts from the long, lean lines of those books in the photos. Not a great pairing...

Also, if they had used a vertical rectangle, then there would have been the connotation of a bookplate, no?

Anonymous said...

This one blows my mind! I think the title treatment is correct, but the box should be slightly lower, the way it would be if the image weren't there.

The way I read the design concept is that this is the way any number of traditional / classical clothbound hardcover books would look ... except with that recursive books-within-a-book, picture-inside-a-picture-type image happening.

Of course, this is based on what I imagine the book is about, etc. etc. (If it's anything like a Calvino trip I'm on board)

Anonymous said...

I agree with Ingrid on the shape of the box. Also it overlaps the yellow book a little and that ruins the very nice impression of depth that the image has. I think a subtler touch with the box would help and it's left/right edges should somehow align with the authors name at the bottom. Apart from that, it's a stunning cover!