Monday 18 July 2011

Caustic Cover Critic Considers Canongate Canons

Another repackaging-of-classics exercise is the imminent set of 12 (though I can only find 11) 'Canons' from Scottish publisher Canongate. They look rather nice: I like the use of white space, and the way that the cover image in every case is almost but not quite obliterated, leaving just enough visible to make it clear what you're looking at. It's especially effective given the nature of the books chosen--there's nothing much in common there other than the publisher, but this group identity works for all of them, I think.












The Spark Collected Sories was actually also announced as a forthcoming Penguin Modern Classic this year, but has quietly vanished from the Penguin line-up. I wonder what conversation took place when somebody suddenly realised that they didn't actually have the rights...

By the way, I need to say that I miss the old Canongate Classics: a huge variety of great Scottish literary works that have mostly gone out of print now that Canongate seem focused on international fiction. I guess they were a money-loser, but it's always a shame when neglected-then-resurrected books that deserve to be read end up becoming neglected again (see also most of what used to be available as Virago Modern Classics).

6 comments:

Tulkinghorn said...

I'd like to go to the release party with Muriel Spark and Charles Mingus...

JRSM said...

That would be fantastic! With grumpy Alasdair Gray lurking in the corner...

Matt Keeley said...

I love the Dodge cover, and the fact that it has a Pynchon introduction makes the book sound very interesting indeed.

I guess it's not a new introduction, as the US version has the same one, but I don't think I'd ever have heard of the book were it not for your fine blog. Thanks.

I must say, however, that the Lanark cover isn't half so good as the previous Gray-illustrated one. Though perhaps the lack of nudity makes the new version easier to read on public transportation.

JRSM said...

Thanks for the kind words! I'm going to get the Dodge, too--I've only read his 'Fup', a book too short and odd to base an opinion of him as a writer on--but the Pynchon introduction intrigued me too.

It does seem a shame to lose Gray's own illustrations--they seem such a part of all his work.

Anna Frame said...

Hi JRSM,

I'm so pleased you like the series look - we're all really happy with them. For info, the twelfth title is Nan Shepherd's 'The Living Mountain', with a brand new introduction by the wonderful Robert Macfarlane. Details here: http://amzn.to/nRoLM6.

I know you're a little far away from the UK for this, but I thought it was also worth mentioning for anyone who's going to be in Edinburgh for the Festival that we're opening a pop-up bookshop over the final week with events, inspired by the Canons, in which authors talk about books they love but feel have been underrated. In fact, grumpy Alasdair Gray himself will even be doing one of the events!

Thanks again for all your support - it really is appreciated.

Anna (Canongate Publicist)

JRSM said...

Thanks for the info, and for stopping by, Anna. They're a lovely set of books.