Book by its Cover

I am the guiltiest of judging a book by its cover and have been for a very long time. In my 20s I bought and read two compelling titles based solely upon their cover designs, without knowing anything about the books or their authors, and was glad I did. They were “The English Patient” by Michael Ondjaatje (which made me an awestruck fan of Ondjaatje’s phrasing from there on out) and “Bright Lights Big City” by Jay McInerney. (One, if not both have been made into movies…never as good at the written version, no?).

So I committed the crime again when I purchased this beauty of a book. I bought it not knowing what it was, just loved the parasol’d female drawing embossed into the cover’s faded-emerald linen. It wasn’t until I got back to the studio and began leafing through it that I saw it is a German “Gone with the Wind” from 1957. You’d think I had found the golden ticket to Wonka’s Factory I was so thrilled. So, here I share in photos.

(I can linger on the inscripted end page for hours: “Fur Valerie….1958” is inked in.)