The OF Blog: Which of these looks better?

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Which of these looks better?


Here are four covers by three authors written in two separate languages. Each of the three I consider to be master writers and the stories and/or writing so far in three of them (I have yet to read Amarkord, which only arrived today) are of a very high quality. I would recommend any of these works by José Saramago, Zoran Živković and Milorad Pavić to most anyone who visit this blog. But for those of you who like to engage in the idle game of judging a book by its cover, rank the visual appeal of these books if you don't mind:

First photo: Saramago, O Evangelho Segundo Jesus Cristo; Saramago, Cadernos de Lanzarote 4 (both in Portuguese)

Second photo: Živković, Amarkord; Pavić, Drugo Telo (both in Serbian)


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of the first 2, I would choose "The Gospel according to Jesus Christ," for its cover and title (and because it's one of my favorite Saramago novels).

As for the next 2--it's a toss-up. Both covers intrigue me. I've enjoyed Zivkovic, but I've not read "Amarkord"
And I've not read Pavic. Really like the cover, though. I'll probably seek this out in english.

Mary C

Danae said...

I'd choose The Gospel, too, mostly because I dislike the other, and of the second pair, I dislike both. Ick.

Larry Nolen said...

Mary,

The English translation for Drago Telo, Second Body, is only available online here at his website. Well worth the read. As for the Saramago, I liked it, but Blindness is probably my favorite out of his novels.

Rohini,

I still think you should try reading the authors at least - both the UK and US covers for Živković are very well done and Pavić also has had some good English-language covers. Unless you've read each author's work and disliked them, of course :P

Jason Erik Lundberg said...

Of the three, Zivkovic is my favorite writer, but judging by covers, I have to go with the Pavić. Drugo Telo is the most evocative for me of these four books.

Larry Nolen said...

Good choice, as the story told in Drugo Telo is outstanding.

 
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