See the covers of all the different editions

[vivico1]

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ploabhawes wrote:

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Wrighty wrote:
I've mentioned this before when we've discussed covers but the only thing that I've never liked is when the book becomes a movie and they reprint new covers using photos from the movie. I don't know why I don't like it but it turns me right off to the book and I don't even like to pick it up. I always like the book better than the movie so maybe that has something to do with it. I'm sure it's a marketing tactic to use those covers and probably more people will buy them than not.

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AUGH!!!! I absolutely hate that too. It's a major pet peeve of mine. For some reason, I feel like it taints my view of the story before I have even read it. The newest cover for Atonement comes to mind.

The one thing I really enjoy with some covers is when it completely fools you about what the book is really about. Kind of makes it fun!

Message Edited by ploabhawes on 01-14-2008 12:20 AM

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Sometimes, the book after the movie is actually a novelization of the movie, not a new edition of the old book. And some books were not books until the movie was made first. When I see a book with a cover having characters from the movie, I think of the novelization of movies and so I dont buy them for that reason, even tho they may be the exact book before it became a film, I dont trust that it is.

[paula_02912]

I love the cover for the American Hardcover...I think that it is much more representative of the upstairs downstairs concept...I also like the fact that the stairway itself provides a link between the two areas; subtly blurring the lines of upstairs and downstairs...

[carriele]

Thanks for posting the covers. It's really interesting to see the differences.
I liked the American hardcover the best. It was intriguing to me for some reason. The one I liked the least was the Australian hardcover. I don't care for photos of people in general on book covers. I'm not sure who the woman is supposed to represent, but to me it doesn't matter. When I read, I like to be able to create a character in my imagination. I don't want to see a picture of what someone else envisions a character to look like. That probably also explains why I must read a book before I see the movie of the same book.
Anyway, thanks again.

Carrie E.

[goingeast]

I have shown the Australian book cover to several people who remember Miriam Hopkins and they agree that the picture is a photo of her. I really like this book jacket the best because it shows someone looking back at the house, which is exactly what Grace does throughout the book. I also prefer the title Shifting Fog. It is a much more enigmatic title than House at Riverton.

[goingeast]

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bentley wrote:

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goingeast wrote:
Isn't that a photo of the actress Miriam Hopkins on the Australian cover? Why would they use a picture of someone not mainstream? Don't get me wrong, I think Miriam Hopkins was one of the best actresses ever, it's just that not too many people remember who she was. I really like the idea of a face of a girl on the cover of this story. She could be any of the three main characters in HAR. Miriam would have been a good choice too.

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That is a good question to ask the author? Yes, you are right...it could be a picture of any of the three characters. Very interesting. Thanks goingeast. Hopkins was an actress who did a lot of films in the 30s wasn't she? I looked her up and wasn't sure that it looked like the photos I saw but there was a resemblance.

Bentley

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Yes, I'm almost positive it's Miriam Hopkins. The American version with the stairs, I liked the least. It reminds me of the description of the set where Grace goes to visit with Ursula. As Ursula says, "something's missing" and it is the people, any people. It looks like a set.

[LisaKeim]

Hi all -

I think there's a little mistake here..
the first cover for the UK (garden gate) is their cover. They published in paperback (no hardcover). The dark cover was the first/preliminary one that they did not actually use in the end.

thanks

best

Lisa

[bentley]

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goingeast wrote:

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bentley wrote:

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goingeast wrote:
Isn't that a photo of the actress Miriam Hopkins on the Australian cover? Why would they use a picture of someone not mainstream? Don't get me wrong, I think Miriam Hopkins was one of the best actresses ever, it's just that not too many people remember who she was. I really like the idea of a face of a girl on the cover of this story. She could be any of the three main characters in HAR. Miriam would have been a good choice too.

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That is a good question to ask the author? Yes, you are right...it could be a picture of any of the three characters. Very interesting. Thanks goingeast. Hopkins was an actress who did a lot of films in the 30s wasn't she? I looked her up and wasn't sure that it looked like the photos I saw but there was a resemblance.

Bentley

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Yes, I'm almost positive it's Miriam Hopkins. The American version with the stairs, I liked the least. It reminds me of the description of the set where Grace goes to visit with Ursula. As Ursula says, "something's missing" and it is the people, any people. It looks like a set.

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Yes, I felt the same way about the American one: it looked like a set. Although I think we are in the minority not caring for the American version. I actually liked the British hardcover one because it focused on the English garden. The Australian one was the one that I had in second place, I thought the title was more apropos though than The House of Riverton but then Moss could have been told that this would appeal more to the American public. Maybe it does. Thank you for your response..at least we now know who the model was..do you think it was Grace she was portraying or another one of the Hartford sisters?

[goingeast]

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bentley wrote:

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goingeast wrote:

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bentley wrote:

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goingeast wrote:
Isn't that a photo of the actress Miriam Hopkins on the Australian cover? Why would they use a picture of someone not mainstream? Don't get me wrong, I think Miriam Hopkins was one of the best actresses ever, it's just that not too many people remember who she was. I really like the idea of a face of a girl on the cover of this story. She could be any of the three main characters in HAR. Miriam would have been a good choice too.

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That is a good question to ask the author? Yes, you are right...it could be a picture of any of the three characters. Very interesting. Thanks goingeast. Hopkins was an actress who did a lot of films in the 30s wasn't she? I looked her up and wasn't sure that it looked like the photos I saw but there was a resemblance.

Bentley

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Yes, I'm almost positive it's Miriam Hopkins. The American version with the stairs, I liked the least. It reminds me of the description of the set where Grace goes to visit with Ursula. As Ursula says, "something's missing" and it is the people, any people. It looks like a set.

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Yes, I felt the same way about the American one: it looked like a set. Although I think we are in the minority not caring for the American version. I actually liked the British hardcover one because it focused on the English garden. The Australian one was the one that I had in second place, I thought the title was more apropos though than The House of Riverton but then Moss could have been told that this would appeal more to the American public. Maybe it does. Thank you for your response..at least we now know who the model was..do you think it was Grace she was portraying or another one of the Hartford sisters?

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It could even be Ursula.

[ConnieAnnKirk]

For those of you interested in covers for various editions--there are several more covers (Italian, French, Polish, etc.) on the "Gallery" page of Kate's website, here:

http://www.katemorton.com/default.asp?z=10

Enjoy!

~ConnieK

[vivico1]

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ConnieK wrote:
For those of you interested in covers for various editions--there are several more covers (Italian, French, Polish, etc.) on the "Gallery" page of Kate's website, here:

http://www.katemorton.com/default.asp?z=10

Enjoy!

~ConnieK

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Thanks so much for the other covers too. Ok, next to the American one, I adore the one for the Netherlands! That works so well with this story, it shows the house and something mysterious about the two girls. I like that it is two because something struck me looking at it. This was never really about a Game for three, the "only three can play". It was really all time time, if you think about it, only TWO can play. Hannah and Robbie were two and there would never be the three of them, Hannah, Robbie and Emmeline. And really, there would never be three sisters, it was always Hannah and Emmeline with Grace watching or Hannah and Grace with Emmeline in the dark. IN the end, there was no room for Grace with these two women who really were the two sisters who would up saving each other and then walking away.

I also like the Lithuanian one very much. Its the only one with people on it that I do like, because its those photos that were taken each year of the family and servants in front of the house. I found myself trying to picture who was who in it and I liked that. The other ones with photos, Yeah I am with everyone else, is that blonde the old movie star,the real one, or who is she suppose to be? Faces can be almost seen as some kind of biography about that real face on the front and the France one made me think of very old catalogue ads lol, or something, I dont know, but from that picture, I never would have picked up the book to even read the jacket.

I looked again and yeah I really really like that one for the Netherlands!

[nickco3]

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ploabhawes wrote:

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Wrighty wrote:
I've mentioned this before when we've discussed covers but the only thing that I've never liked is when the book becomes a movie and they reprint new covers using photos from the movie. I don't know why I don't like it but it turns me right off to the book and I don't even like to pick it up. I always like the book better than the movie so maybe that has something to do with it. I'm sure it's a marketing tactic to use those covers and probably more people will buy them than not.

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AUGH!!!! I absolutely hate that too. It's a major pet peeve of mine. For some reason, I feel like it taints my view of the story before I have even read it. The newest cover for Atonement comes to mind.

The one thing I really enjoy with some covers is when it completely fools you about what the book is really about. Kind of makes it fun!

Message Edited by ploabhawes on 01-14-2008 12:20 AM

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I can't stand that either it makes me think of just the movie, and that I am reading a book about a movie, and not the other way around.

[nickco3]

I like the one from Italy ! ! Or the Australian one, but take the "women" off. Just my opinion

Message Edited by nickco3 on 01-14-2008 09:57 PM

[vivico1]

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nickco3 wrote:
I like the one from Italy ! ! Or the Australian one, but take the "women" off. Just my opinion

Message Edited by nickco3 on 01-14-2008 09:57 PM

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Yeah nickco, I saw that Italian one but it made me think that something in the lake, a murder or death in the lake. Like what was that Harrison Ford movie where he killed the woman who was in the water at the end of the dock? That would be perfect for that books cover. There are a lot of us who dont like the woman on the book and talked about faces on covers. Interesting no?

[GMorrison]

Thanks from me as well, for posting all those covers.

Personally, I'm in the minority that prefers the British covers. I enjoy the hardcover picture because it's a subtle reminder of the garden's importance to the plot, which strikes me as a nice touch because it doesn't come out blaring with the most immediately obvious element of the novel.

I'm partial to the paperback as well, because the blurred image of the woman can symbolize many aspects of the narrative, including the transient nature of the lives of the female leads, as well as Grace's own failing memories.

(I admit, I'm a sucker for inference and symbolism!)

[McConway]

There is a bit of a catch-22 with covers. One of the benefits of our advance copy cover is that we come to the story with no preconceived notions of what the people and places look like. Our imaginations are given free rein. But would I buy an unknown book with such a plain cover? Probably not.

I like both the American and Lithuanian covers because they peak my interest as to what is in the book.

[bentley]

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ConnieK wrote:
For those of you interested in covers for various editions--there are several more covers (Italian, French, Polish, etc.) on the "Gallery" page of Kate's website, here:

http://www.katemorton.com/default.asp?z=10

Enjoy!

~ConnieK

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Thanks for leading us to the other book jackets. Still love the British hardcover; but the Netherlands and the Italian one also caught my eye. I too would leave people off of the book jackets.

I know I also am in the minority but the American book jacket just does not do anything for me. I had to laugh at the Lithuanian one (I think that was the one where this group photo occurred) which was trying to make a connection I think to the yearly family/staff photos. Since the photo was to include everyone, I could not see where there were any children or young people in the photos at all..it looked like such a motley crew in that photo that I had to laugh. Sorry it was irrepressible.

[Carmenere_lady]

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KathyS wrote:
I still haven't read the whole novel, but the American cover has so much to say, not just a garden, or face to wonder about.

The picture of this lady, is probably my least favorite, mainly because I don't like pictures of someone on the cover...it says something that has really no relevance to the story line....just someone you wonder about..."who is this lady?"....




I'm with you Kathy. I really do not like to have preconcieved pictures of characters in my head. I like to mentally draw the characters as I read a book and then of course decide who will depict them in the movie version.

[Kathy]

I liked the American & British ones best. I didn't much care for the Australian one at all and didn't really care for the British paperback one. I like the ARC cover also, though it is really plain and I knew the actual release book would have something much more interesting. I like the idea of the wrap around bookcover and would like to see the back.

[bknapick]

HI Maria,

I am torn. I like the ARC cover because it is simple and elegant but I also like the British Hardcover one because it is so pretty and peaceful. Thank you for showing all the covers.

[KathyS]

Exactly, LyndaSue. The major drawback to this picture is that the story takes place over many years. And who's face stays the same, for all of those years? Unless Dorian Gray painted it, then who knows what could happen, right?

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Carmenere_lady wrote:

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KathyS wrote:
I still haven't read the whole novel, but the American cover has so much to say, not just a garden, or face to wonder about.

The picture of this lady, is probably my least favorite, mainly because I don't like pictures of someone on the cover...it says something that has really no relevance to the story line....just someone you wonder about..."who is this lady?"....




I'm with you Kathy. I really do not like to have preconcieved pictures of characters in my head. I like to mentally draw the characters as I read a book and then of course decide who will depict them in the movie version.

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