Wednesday, 26 October 2011

WTF GDR?

I just readAnna Funder's most excellent Stasiland, only 9 years after everybody else. But for the life of me I cannot make sense of the cover of the Australian (and first) edition. The book is about life under the all-encompassing surveillance of the East German secret police and their vast network of informers. The cover is a cold-looking woman wearing a glittery top. I don't know what it is meant to represent, and it's really bugging me. Does anyone have any ideas?

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11 comments:

  1. Unknown26 October 2011 at 17:58

    I have not read this book, though it sounds like something I'd enjoy. But I think the cover image represents the belief that a picture of a hot looking young woman will sell a book about life in East Germany.

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  2. JRSM26 October 2011 at 18:43

    Aha! A very cunning explanmation! I suspect you're right.

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  3. Robert27 October 2011 at 00:26

    I've never heard of this author and I also do not understand this cover. After all, I am from East-Germany. It's interesting what kind of image the Australian create about us »Ossis«, but even colorful...

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  4. Katherine Hepworth27 October 2011 at 03:46

    Perhaps she is supposed to be an East German prostitute-droid reporting to the East German police. Her stare is a little mechanical, her top is a little cheap communist quality, and her make-up is so, well...

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  5. Ben27 October 2011 at 03:57

    Sadly I suspect the explanation is probably something along the lines of;

    "Shit, forgot about that artwork deadline. Female author? Kind of a spy thing? Ok, bang, there ya go!"

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  6. Brian Busby27 October 2011 at 14:59

    Not knowing the book, my first impression had it as a novel set in a nightclub called 'Stasiland'. But what do I know? Going by the picture I can say with certainty that Stasiland's bouncer would have never let me in.

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  7. JRSM27 October 2011 at 16:12

    Robert: Aussies misinterpreting Ossis is sadly all too believable.

    I'm glad everyone's as puzzled as me. It's a great book, though.

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  8. Anonymous29 October 2011 at 00:28

    I think you'll find it's the author with a touch of lippy! Google image search Anna Funder...

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  9. eViL pOp TaRt29 October 2011 at 13:28

    The Stasi might use prostitutes or female agents for entrapment purposes, hence the cover.

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  10. JRSM29 October 2011 at 17:02

    Anon, it's not Funder, though--the facial features aren't quite right. Good guess, though.

    Pop Tart, that could be an explanation--still an odd image, though...

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  11. Ina Guddle6 November 2011 at 11:38

    I've just read this too. Brilliant book. The cover I had was much more fitting (black and white, young woman with a man lurking behind). Do not understand the purpose of the cover you had.

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