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September 15, 2005

atmospheric cover art


The cover design for this novel brought me to a full stop walking through a bookstore. I love the use of color and the image of the half decapitated woman in mourning. Note the way the landscape of the civil war south is seen shimmering through her heavy Victorian widow's weeds. The delicate scroll work lifts the whole thing up off the page.

This book reminded me I haven't posted on this topic for a while, and so here you go: a very atmospheric, creepy, beautifully composed piece of book design.

This is a novel I will probably read at some point, but I will approach it gingerly.

It am reminded of The Beguiled, a 1971 movie directed by Don Siegal and starring a very young Clint Eastwood as a wounded Union soldier who is taken into an isolated school for girls in the deep south. Geraldine Page is the headmistress, a loyal confederate and a woman in serious need of quality time with a therapist. Psychosexual creepiness, and no Dirty Harry anywhere to be found.

September 15, 2005 10:43 AM

Comments

Oh, my God. That's one *gorgeous* book cover. Oh, yes, I could stare at it all day. Nice one. Thank you for the heads up.

Posted by: Màili at September 16, 2005 07:51 AM

I saw that one recently and made a mental note to get to it later like you. It is enigmatic. The Beguiled.....God what a movie.....one of my favorites. Another weird 70's one about the deep south....nothing to do with the Civil War....Called "Lolly Madonna xoxo"....a woman gets lost at a bus stop and becomes involved in a feud between two families falling in love with one (a very young Jeff Bridges) the actress was a woman named Season Hubley....wonder what ever happened to her?

Posted by: Cynthia at September 16, 2005 11:23 AM

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