The US mass market edition of
Jo Nesbo's The Redbreast, translated by Don Bartlett, is (finally) published tomorrow. The cover is the bottom right. In the UK, over the years, since
The Redbreast was first published in 2006, the cover has migrated from "fairly relevant to the plot" to "generic crime fiction cover" and currently to "generic Scandinavian crime fiction" cover with the o-slash being replaced by an o along the way.
So what are your thoughts on the UK (top) and US (below) covers? Which would entice you to pick the book up if you were not familiar with this title?
If you have read it, how well do the covers match the story?
Read the Euro Crime reviews of
The Redbreast by
me and
Norman.
UK
US
I do much prefer the first 2 UK covers with the fairly relevant to the plot art work. Even though I hate the 'next Stieg Larsson' sticker (actually would be more relevant to say next Nenning Manke;; as like Wallander series it is a police procedural) sticker, I like the black, white and red of that one.
ReplyDeleteThe middle one is just far too busy. As for the US covers, why on earth did they put a bird on the cover. Far too literal on the book's title. Certainly doesn't indicate a crime thriller.
I actually quite like the allusion to the Oscar Wilde legend about the nightingale (not a robin though!), given the events in the book, but I agree that the US covers are not relevant and the designs not that great. I don't really like the UK covers either, they are all cliche crime fic or thriller covers of different kinds. I suppose if I had to choose I'd go for the snow one (without the sticker) but it does not really say anything about the contents of the book (and I can't now remember whether it was even set in winter!). The top two UK covers are too like a Len Deighton-style thriller which the book isn't, though there are at least some elements of the story there. The stairs one does not seem relevant (though a lift might be for a future novel in this mini-trilogy within a series!).
ReplyDeleteKaren - I have to say that none of the covers really does it for me. If I had to choose, perhaps the snow scene (but without the sticker!). But even that one doesn't really grab me.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that having not read the book, I much prefer the UK covers to the US ones.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, the 4th UK cover earily reminds me of the covers for Tom Rob Smith's trilogy.
Another vote for the snow cover without the sticker.
ReplyDeleteBut the one with the bird and the one with the stairs would also appeal to me.
I like the two white covers the most I think. Seems nicely Nordic to me.
ReplyDelete