Plastic Box

Another big book being attractively broken up into three volumes in a box: the paperback edition of Haruki Murakami's 1Q84. Click for bigger version.

Design by John Gall for Vintage US. A shame it's not in the service of a better writer and book, but it's still nice. Frankly, I wouldn't mind if all really big modern books were published like these. If nobody's going to edit the bastards, at least let's make them pretty.

Living Safely

Another changed cover here, but I'm not sure which will be the final version. Different online shops at different times have offered the following covers for Charles Yu's intriguing-sounding How to Live Safely in aScience Fictional Universe.

The first cover is by John Gall, but I don't know if he created the other one. I prefer the first--it's less obvious and more freaky--though I do like the other (the dog is what makes it work, I think).

UPDATE: A wise commenter has directed me to photos of people holding up signs with the second cover and the words 'Now with new jacket' printed on them, so I'm guessing that resolves that question!

90° Difference

I just stumbled across an interesting, if 2-year-old, interview with John Gall, art director at Vintage US (among other roles). In it, he discusses the 50th anniversary edition of Lolita which was published by Vintage US.



He reveals the original design, which both he and the publisher were eventually too nervous to run with. You can probably see why.



This reminds me of a Lolita cover with a different problem. The current Penguin Classics UK edition is fine on the front, but as Lucy Fishwife pointed out to me, on the spine the author is written 'Vladimir Nabkov'.



You'll have to believe me on that one: I didn't have a camera to hand when I came across it in the real world. It's a mite embarrassing, though.