Wednesday, May 24, 2017

I Have Oscar de Muriel Covered!


Sometimes I have a mind like a sieve, and this is one of them. A few weeks ago... hold on, I was just struck by a bolt of inspiration.... Hallelujah, I was able to jumpstart my memory!

Back when I posted my picks for new mysteries being released in April, Kate Lyons commented that Oscar de Muriel's A Fever of the Blood would make a good cover comparison post. When I checked, I knew precisely what she was talking about, and here we are.

As you'll see in a minute, the US and UK covers of de Muriel's book are very, very different. What am I doing? I'm going to shut up and let you start your comparison!







How's that for different? If you've been following my blog very long, you're going to know which cover I prefer just from your first look. I do not like covers where a woman has her back turned to prospective readers. This US cover suggests that at least part of the book takes place during a blizzard and that the time period is pre-1920s. Both are correct, but... yawn! I've seen so many similar covers that they all blend together into a mind-numbing blur.

On the other hand, the UK cover makes me smile and intrigues me all at the same time. This is most definitely not a mind-numbing blur of a cover. The artwork reminds me of the Dia de los Muertos art that I love so much. Its style also puts me right in the late nineteenth century and makes me think of fever dreams, of the macabre, of absinthe, and of madness. 

Yes, I really like the UK cover, and I'd choose it anyday over the US. But that's just me. What about all of you? Which cover do you prefer? US? UK? Like 'em both? Or does neither one float your boat? Inquiring minds would love to know!

Thanks, Kate, for pointing me in the direction of this week's Cover-Off!



7 comments:

  1. I, too, do not like covers which feature the back of women's heads or bodies. I mean, really? More creativity than that is needed.

    I like the British cover, too, although skulls are eerie to me. But I still prefer that cover than the other one.

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    1. The UK cover shows some creativity and is eye-catching. Any person looking at it may not like the color red or skulls, but it's an attention grabber.

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  2. I'm with you, Cathy. The UK cover is attention-getting, and I like the font used for the title.

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  3. I just looked at a website and saw a cover with part of a woman's arm showing and about 1/3 of her face. Gosh.

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    1. You'd almost come to believe that the publishing world doesn't like women, wouldn't you?

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  4. Yeah, really, and most crime fiction readers are women!

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