Comments on: Cormac McCarthy book covers http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/03/15/cormac-mccarthy-book-covers/ • • • Being a journal by artist and designer John Coulthart, cataloguing interests, obsessions and passing enthusiasms. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:04:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: John http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/03/15/cormac-mccarthy-book-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-14921 John Wed, 02 May 2007 02:50:44 +0000 http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/?p=1618#comment-14921 Hi Eric. Were those from Chip Kidd? If so they were used in slightly-altered form for the Picador editions here, although I've seen The Crossing with another cover besides the skulls one. As I said, I like them, just feel that the Vintage editions get closer to the heart of his work. And I should perhaps have included the US first edition of The Road here, it's stark minimal approach is a lot better than the disappointing UK edition. Hi Eric. Were those from Chip Kidd? If so they were used in slightly-altered form for the Picador editions here, although I’ve seen The Crossing with another cover besides the skulls one. As I said, I like them, just feel that the Vintage editions get closer to the heart of his work. And I should perhaps have included the US first edition of The Road here, it’s stark minimal approach is a lot better than the disappointing UK edition.

]]> By: Eric Skillman http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/03/15/cormac-mccarthy-book-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-14879 Eric Skillman Tue, 01 May 2007 18:36:35 +0000 http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/?p=1618#comment-14879 I've always quite liked Chip Kidd's Cormac McCarthy covers, actually; have you seen those? http://www.booksamillion.com/bam/covers/0/67/974/439/0679744398.jpg http://www.booksamillion.com/bam/covers/0/67/974/719/0679747192.jpg http://www.booksamillion.com/bam/covers/0/67/976/084/0679760849.jpg I’ve always quite liked Chip Kidd’s Cormac McCarthy covers, actually; have you seen those?

http://www.booksamillion.com/bam/covers/0/67/974/439/0679744398.jpg
http://www.booksamillion.com/bam/covers/0/67/974/719/0679747192.jpg
http://www.booksamillion.com/bam/covers/0/67/976/084/0679760849.jpg

]]> By: John http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/03/15/cormac-mccarthy-book-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-10988 John Thu, 15 Mar 2007 11:42:12 +0000 http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/?p=1618#comment-10988 Yes, the current Picador editions have a nice consistency. Most of them are Simon Marsden photos, I think, and few people will get the surreptitious and appropriate link between him and his more Gothic pictures. In fact that picture of Monument Valley is also in his Poe book. The Road is still waiting to be read here while I work my way slowly through the thousand pages of the Border Trilogy. Looking forward to it though. Yes, the current Picador editions have a nice consistency. Most of them are Simon Marsden photos, I think, and few people will get the surreptitious and appropriate link between him and his more Gothic pictures. In fact that picture of Monument Valley is also in his Poe book.

The Road is still waiting to be read here while I work my way slowly through the thousand pages of the Border Trilogy. Looking forward to it though.

]]> By: Rik Rawling http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/03/15/cormac-mccarthy-book-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-10976 Rik Rawling Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:46:49 +0000 http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/?p=1618#comment-10976 John I concurr that McCarthy, along with so many other writers of significance, have been poorly served in terms of how their books have been presented over the years. However, even the worst of some of the past 'mistakes' are usually more interesting than the bland, innocuous and tediously 'safe' designs of the 21st C - with stock images and fonts more suited to corporate brochures. I do like the 1990's Picador covers (more so than the 80's editions)but the Vintage reprints are worth tracking down just for the covers alone. I particularly like Mitchell's design for 'Suttree' (his best book, for me) - the solid, almost graffito scrawl of the title over an image that manages to encapsulate the pervading mood of the novel. Bland cover aside though, 'The Road' is one of the best books I've read this decade. John

I concurr that McCarthy, along with so many other writers of significance, have been poorly served in terms of how their books have been presented over the years. However, even the worst of some of the past ‘mistakes’ are usually more interesting than the bland, innocuous and tediously ’safe’ designs of the 21st C – with stock images and fonts more suited to corporate brochures.

I do like the 1990’s Picador covers (more so than the 80’s editions)but the Vintage reprints are worth tracking down just for the covers alone. I particularly like Mitchell’s design for ‘Suttree’ (his best book, for me) – the solid, almost graffito scrawl of the title over an image that manages to encapsulate the pervading mood of the novel.

Bland cover aside though, ‘The Road’ is one of the best books I’ve read this decade.

]]>