This has to be one of the dreariest covers I've ever seen. I guess that's supposed to be a waterfall behind her, which is nice (although not "silent"), but we are looking at her through a dirty, mossy pane of glass. Grubby. I have nothing against poetry, although I'm more a fan of poets like Shakespeare and Frost than the stuff in this book (Amazon will let you read a few pages). I don't even mind "dark" poetry - I'm quite fond of Poe, actually.
However, with this cover, this book just screams "dull and depressing" to me. The hat she's wearing is very unattractive, for one thing, and I'm pretty sure her shirt is made out of sack-cloth. More depressing, though, is her strained expression. I can't tell what she's trying to convey. It's not exactly a mysterious expression, just ... weird. Like she's horribly constipated or something. Doesn't make me eager to read this.
5 comments:
I have to admit, even before I got to the "constipated" part of your blog, I thought maybe she was straining to take a big poop in the woods there and really needed more fiber. Maybe she needs a visit from British dieting guru Gillian McKeith? (If you've ever watched You Are What You Eat you'll understand.)
Poetry for the autumn of your life.
"Herbst des Lebens" is actually a German figure of speech, so it doesn't quite work...but you get the idea of the feeling this cover gives me, right?
Anyways, I might pick up this book in fifty years, to read to my 35 cats. Then I will call my grandchildren and complain about how nobody ever visits me and how I'm going to die soon and then they'll be sorry.
Such is the impression this cover makes. Awesomesauce.
here is a sample not from the book that I made up:
Silence Fell
Silence fell from its apex in the sky
Squatting for a noisy dump was my reply
I've sought life's answers both low and high
Then I wiped my ass with a butterfly
(sorry)
This cover plays to the 'poets must be suicidally depressed' stereotype.
Covers like this are one of many reasons why I avoid poetry.
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