tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post5810640440624580003..comments2024-03-11T02:59:30.839-05:00Comments on The Book Design Review: Has Anyone Seen Thomas Pynchon Lately?Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382230402711258215noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-78170424874133905622007-12-31T06:29:00.000-06:002007-12-31T06:29:00.000-06:00these edition of against the day has been on sale ...these edition of against the day has been on sale in the UK and the european export market since about september 2007.<BR/>unfortunately the quality of paper and type isn't really convincing either...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-80052074272400367012007-12-16T13:09:00.000-06:002007-12-16T13:09:00.000-06:00If I ever see one of these in person -- and I'm st...If I ever see one of these in person -- and I'm stil looking -- I'll be sure to take some photos and describe what's going on.Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11382230402711258215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-56150385869357953562007-12-13T10:02:00.000-06:002007-12-13T10:02:00.000-06:00Against the Day and V are nice. I love the complex...Against the Day and V are nice. I love the complexity of the illustrations. True, some of the titles are fugly though. Engages the viewer, however, to try to find hidden messages.<BR/><BR/>TRTFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15967572314615618635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-20955340677944768322007-12-12T14:02:00.000-06:002007-12-12T14:02:00.000-06:00Agreed about the hardcover for Against the Day; it...Agreed about the hardcover for Against the Day; it's grown on me.Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11382230402711258215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-30408114551480774162007-12-12T14:00:00.000-06:002007-12-12T14:00:00.000-06:00Just to clarify: The original hardcover edition o...Just to clarify: The original hardcover edition of Against the Day <BR/><BR/>http://www.amazon.com/Against-Day-Thomas-Pynchon/dp/159420120X<BR/><BR/>that I was referencing above is, in my opinion, head and shoulders better than the kind of meh paperback version you cite and also seem to dislike, Joseph. You really have to see the hardcover version in person to fully appreciate its subtlety.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Christian in NYCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-23848595615098430032007-12-12T13:46:00.000-06:002007-12-12T13:46:00.000-06:00These covers induce a deep sense of revulsion in m...These covers induce a deep sense of revulsion in me.<BR/><BR/>I think of the "real" covers of these -- the minimalist white for Against the Day, the beautiful archaic type for Mason & Dixon, the V2 rocket on the Penguin Classics version of Gravity's Rainbow -- and I cannot but think this series is deeply flawed and utterly misguided. Not to mention just butt-ugly. Ack.<BR/><BR/>Christian in NYCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-86988324429091243512007-12-12T13:36:00.000-06:002007-12-12T13:36:00.000-06:00I agree with the "too whimsical" assessment... not...I agree with the "too whimsical" assessment... not a big fan of the design in the first place, but the main problem is that the covers don't match the tone of the books very well at all... really odd.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-80283938916900668362007-12-12T13:28:00.000-06:002007-12-12T13:28:00.000-06:00i don't like the typeface, but i quite like that e...i don't like the typeface, but i quite like that exuberant mess bhind it. especially on 'v'.<BR/><BR/>gregAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-68138453873116996842007-12-12T11:28:00.000-06:002007-12-12T11:28:00.000-06:00God Awful.beauGesteGod Awful.<BR/><BR/>beauGesteAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-46336110678395282952007-12-12T11:04:00.000-06:002007-12-12T11:04:00.000-06:00Those are extremely hideous. And they're just too ...Those are extremely hideous. And they're just too whimsical for Pynchon, I think.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-4284154515347897632007-12-12T07:22:00.000-06:002007-12-12T07:22:00.000-06:00This is what happens when a designer decides to on...This is what happens when a designer decides to only create one cover for six books, and that's a horrible choice. It's as if Vintage is admitting that only Pynchon fanatics will bother to buy any of his books, since no one else will be able to tell them apart.Andrew Wheelerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07373318300627953040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-16396784685580213582007-12-12T01:16:00.000-06:002007-12-12T01:16:00.000-06:00The background is very "Where's Waldo" and the fon...The background is very "Where's Waldo" and the font is very Hooked-on-Phonics. Not a fan.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-79974940942853719572007-12-11T22:01:00.000-06:002007-12-11T22:01:00.000-06:00god that's awful. the designers were probably told...god that's awful. the designers were probably told to do something strong, something bold, but this is just awful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-72964911451420602502007-12-11T21:45:00.000-06:002007-12-11T21:45:00.000-06:00I love the cover of the paperback Against the Day ...I love the cover of the paperback Against the Day (the black one). I picked up that book because I liked its spine, and then I bought it because I liked the cover. The only thing that bugs me about it is that the image in the center of the cover is not very high quality. It's pixelated, like a low-quality jpeg.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08755232864185718093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-30696877154920035792007-12-11T21:37:00.000-06:002007-12-11T21:37:00.000-06:00I like them. And I don't think it's just my love ...I like them. And I don't think it's just my love of matching book sets, because I liked the first one before I scrolled down to see that there was more than just one cover. :)<BR/><BR/>Saying that they're ugly is like saying that the background is too cluttered. It's kind of, um, supposed to be. These designs accomplish what they set out to do. Whether you like what they set out to do or not is obviously subjective.<BR/><BR/>These aren't necessarily my favorite covers of each individual book (last year's <I>Gravity's Rainbow</I> cover was, as Joseph said, genius) but I think it's my favorite treatment of the set as a whole. It might be the first time I've seen a Thomas Pynchon set, though. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-48787883955975279412007-12-11T19:11:00.000-06:002007-12-11T19:11:00.000-06:00I don't disagree but I do want to see them up clos...I don't disagree but I do want to see them up close.Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11382230402711258215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466335.post-60247823205622507202007-12-11T18:48:00.000-06:002007-12-11T18:48:00.000-06:00ugly.ugly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com