Monday 21 June 2010

Restraint

Having read about a "controversial" new YA novel, which rewrites Anne Frank's story to include "explicit and intimate details" of sex and lust, I was hoping that the cover might be in hideous taste, but it's sadly restrained.



For something less restrained you have to go to the Japanese, where this Manga version of her life features the wholly unnecessary inclusion of Astro Boy and his sister.



Speaking of the unexpected, I seem to have somehow signed up to a thing called Bookblips, which is some sort of social media/blog aggregating/news thing about books, which every week sends me a list of popular net articles about books. I do wonder at the software responsible for choosing images to go with the stories, though, as this is not necessarily the memorial José Saramago would have expected.



See this post for Tom Gauld's brilliant Saramago covers.

While I'm on the topic of e-foolishness, it would be great if a certain Nigerian spammer stopped trying to leave comments on old posts. A word of advice to them: if you're looking for someone to scam, choosing a less alarming fake name than 'Elizabeth Bathory' would be a wise move.

13 comments:

Brian Busby said...

I note that Manga illustrator Yoko Miyawaki has also illustrated the story of Helen Keller, the cover of which features Astro Boy in a green three-piece suit. A nice effort, but he still doesn't really blend in. His sister wears her usual pink dress.

Mayowa said...

@JRSM,

This is going to be difficult...

It's a tad disheartening when a Nigerian can't read a post on a blog he follows (avidly) without seeing some sort of disparaging remarks about his countrymen.

Did you see your spammer's passport? How do you know he's Nigerian. Do you automatically categorize all criminals by their nationality? Are you simple minded enough to believe that all spammers are Nigerian or that all Nigerians are spammers?

Perhaps this was an off-hand comment. Perhaps I am being overly sensitive (very likely). It doesn't really matter either way.

On behalf of the 140 million unique, thriving, hardworking Nigerians on the planet...PISS OFF.

JRSM said...

Brian: The alarmingly nosed Doctor Elephant features in them both, I see!

Mayowa: No offence was intended, as I had checked the spammer's ISP, and it was Nigerian. I understand your frustration, but please don't go off half-cocked in future.

ijsbrand said...

I've seen a different cover used for the Anne Frank-parasite.

Mayowa said...

@JRSM,

No harm done (despite my half cocked response).

Being a spammer has nothing to do with nationality (ISP or not) and I wish more folks would separate the two.

As to the post itself (thank you for that btw), this book continues to get ridiculous amounts of attention (the UK Guardian's take).

JRSM said...

ijsbrand: That cover is also restrained! How disappointing.

Mayowa: Thank you for that--and you're right, the nationality of the spammer wasn't actually relevant for what I had to say. Again, sorry for the irritation! And you're right about the amount of media attention the book is getting--and none of it, at least of what I've read, has mentioned Philip Roth's sexualising of an adult Anne Frank in the first Zuckerman book.

Mayowa said...

@JRSM,

Thank you.

This probably some more of that wondrous media consistency eh? I haven't read the Ghost Writer but it certainly pleased the critics, Pulitzer and all.

Matthew Adams said...

>>>where this Manga version of her life features the wholly unnecessary inclusion of Astro Boy and his sister.<<<

hmmm, a life without Astro Boy and his sister, would, in my view, be unnecessary.

JRSM said...

Matthew: As long as Anne Frank's story doesn't suddenly feature people firing bullets out of their buttocks.

Ian Koviak said...

astro boy makes any cover look good.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1BUdRXY8Q8Y/TCPxtVN4KzI/AAAAAAAAKUI/NLFh_uW8DA0/s400/af+-+annexed+astro.jpg

JRSM said...

Fantastic! Can I add that to the post?

Brian Busby said...

Ian's cover is not only fantastic, but oddly touching.

Truly, an "incredible story".

Ian Koviak said...

Many folks don't realize what really kept anne going all that time was that every now and then Astro flew by and said, "everything will be ok soon Anne, just hang in there".

Yes add away if you like...