tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post1710801323253236103..comments2024-03-11T02:59:30.839-05:00Comments on The Book Design Review: The (Several) Brief Wondrous Li(ves) of Oscar WaoJosephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382230402711258215noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-74694183344317467472009-03-22T11:29:00.000-05:002009-03-22T11:29:00.000-05:00Whoops -- I'm Andrea (whatandreareads.livejournal....Whoops -- I'm Andrea (whatandreareads.livejournal.com). That's my comment above. I dislike anonymous posts, but I forgot to preview my commentAndreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18224342660184081787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-85787023797532419872009-03-22T11:27:00.000-05:002009-03-22T11:27:00.000-05:00It may sound strange, but I often use your blog he...It may sound strange, but I often use your blog here as an idea farm for what new books are out that I might want to read -- books on all sorts of topics come up here, and I have a wide range of interests and a curious nature. You've referenced several that I read and later enjoyed. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, I first passed up <I>Oscar Wao</I>, partly because the blurbs/reviews sounded uninteresting and partly because the cover kind of turned me off. I reacted negatively to the blood spatter and I didn't "get" the wings. After it won the Pulitzer, I picked it up at the library, began reading, and was immediately drawn in. I later bought it, after I'd finished it, because I haven't loved a book this much in years.<BR/><BR/>Whether or not the US cover is a good piece of graphic art, it certainly didn't sell me the book. I'm not sure if I like it even now, but I have no idea what else should have been on the cover! The second image feels more right. As you say, the title looms over the boy, and that captures something of the story that the first cover, for me, does not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-82091984752502234062009-03-13T20:03:00.000-05:002009-03-13T20:03:00.000-05:00the first and second covers -- definitely preferre...the first and second covers -- definitely preferred!america blascohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06273843852305812945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-30370230294682497962009-03-08T19:51:00.000-05:002009-03-08T19:51:00.000-05:00i usually hate rounded typefaces too, but that fir...i usually hate rounded typefaces too, but that first cover is pretty damn sweet.T-Bonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14555671866228741771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-31070727750186287332009-03-06T18:15:00.000-06:002009-03-06T18:15:00.000-06:00I like these covers fine, but I wish they'd just u...I like these covers fine, but I wish they'd just used the great Los Brothers Hernandez illustration that ran with the <A HREF="http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2000/12/25/2000_12_25_098_TNY_LIBRY_000022398" REL="nofollow">original novella-length version of the story</A> that ran in the New Yorker ten years ago. (Unfortunately, I can't find the picture online.)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13548481529444514311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-23562704503824398312009-03-06T06:42:00.000-06:002009-03-06T06:42:00.000-06:00The third cover turned me off so completely. I lik...The third cover turned me off so completely. I like the first two much more, although the rounded font on the US cover drove me crazy when I first saw it two years ago and still drives me crazy now.Tropolisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01337186706079633097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-59961847650127590272009-03-06T01:43:00.000-06:002009-03-06T01:43:00.000-06:00Also one of my favorite recent books and I gotta s...Also one of my favorite recent books and I gotta say it was the design that grabbed me enough to read it (yes I often judge books by their cover first, isn't that the point of this blog?). I probably wouldn't have been as interested if I'd seen either of the other two.Adrianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05328607603405883186noreply@blogger.com