Crossed destinies: when the Quays met Calvino
The Castle of Crossed Destinies (1986).
The Brothers Quay are known mainly for their incredible animated films but in the 1980s they were also working as book illustrators and stage designers. Today’s secondhand find was one of their paperback designs for Italo Calvino, part of a series they produced for Picador when the books were reprinted after his death. This is the first time I’ve seen this edition of The Castle of Crossed Destinies, it seems to be more common in an earlier version showing some of the Tarot cards that appear inside the book and which inspire its tales.
Information about this aspect of the Quays’ work is virtually non-existent so I’ve yet to discover how many covers they did in this series. Or, indeed, whether their later Abacus cover (below) was a reprint of the early designs or a new one altogether. Picador had a great run of covers in the 1980s, some of which can be better than the books they decorate. But more often than not they hit on a great design and a great book, as with these pairings. A shame, then, that the publisher managed to credit the designs to the “Brothers Quai”.
left: Our Ancestors (1986); right: Cosmicomics (1987).
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The book covers archive
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Perfume: the art of scent
• The Brothers Quay on DVD
• William Burroughs book covers
• Tressants: the Calvino Hotel
6 Comments, Comment or Ping
#1 posted by Rik Rawling
Good find, John. Rarer than rocking-horse dung as far as my own trawlings are concerned.
Feb 28th, 2007
#2 posted by nomad24
Just noticed that the Tarot cover was designed by a David Quay, any relation?
Feb 28th, 2007
#3 posted by John
Hi Rik. Yeah, either they didn’t print many or the people who bought them kept hold of them.
Nomad24: the pair are Stephen and Timothy so that must be coincidence. They also always work together and are credited as “the Brothers” rather than individually.
Feb 28th, 2007
#4 posted by Wiley
It makes sense to keep hold of decent books with decent covers. Actually I saw Burroughs name under the ‘previously’ heading and suddenly remembered this. Do you know if that DVD of three or so early Burroughs films has been released yet? I believe Cherry Red were to be the ones producing it.
Feb 28th, 2007
#5 posted by Wiley
Nevermind, apparently they came out already.
Feb 28th, 2007
#6 posted by John
I’d avoid any Cherry Red DVDs, if I were you. Their CD reissues are fine but their DVDs leave a lot to be desired; terrible artwork, bad menus and poorly-sourced material.
You can see the Burroughs films for free here: http://www.ubu.com/film/burroughs.html
Mar 1st, 2007
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