Subject
VN Cover Art (fwd)
Date
Body
From: Ryan Asmussen <rra@bu.edu>
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A sort of subtly interesting topic, this, of Nabokov's book jackets -- one
which doesn't, I think, immediately leap to mind as bearing particular
academic fruit (if only for myself), but after some thinking makes one
realize how influential these covers are, actually, upon us, the reading
public, and more to the point, how much effect they have upon the potential
readers of an author's works. How do people react to seeing VN's writings
on a bookshelf when they are bathed in that stark Vintage gray and black,
with the slightly out-of-focus, highly idealized-looking photgraphs, and
the personalized fonts, etc.? How does the average reader react, or the
more literate one (to deal, simply, in objective generality for a bit)? In
the bluntly matter-of fact world of sales, and the resultant realm of
audience and possible audience, how do these jackets translate as an
adequate and appropriate representation? To put it still more crassly, as
the PR man might ask, "What do they think of when they think of NABakoff?"
I wonder what the consensus is in regard to these Vintage re-prints? For
my own self, on the one hand, the name itself carries with it a certain
amount of popular prestige (perhaps misguided), and therefore instant
respectability. One knows, usually, that one is dealing with, at very
least, a largely "accepted" work of "literature" (I use quotes here only in
the sense of qualification; to "cover my bases", as it were), and that's a
seemingly good thing to speak of in relation to VN -- he deserves his
respectability, yes, he is a man of literature, in the fullest and best
sense. On the other hand, the very idea of associating VN with anything
other than himself, his family or his own creative world strikes, I would
think, those of us who most revere him as the writer he is as decidedly
wrong. As we know, VN was not a public leader of causes, a representative
for groups, nor was he a spokesman for products. Not to say, of course,
that the Vintage series makes any statements to this effect, not at all,
but it would be nice, I think, to see his works under an imprint, a series
of identifiable signs and symbols, that one would be able to instantly
recognize as Nabokovian and therefore, impressively distinct and original
(I wonder also if VN would have had anything to say about sharing an
imprint with Sartre, Faulkner and Mann?)
(As I re-read my comments, it strikes me that I tread dangerously close to
the idea of creating a VN brand-name, or logo. I should say that these
remarks stem only from psychological reactions -- what I see when I see
those "types" of books -- not capitalist ones. I'm not for "selling" VN in
any alternative way, but only interested in what other members of the list
have to say on this subject of Vintage. Perhaps it wouldn't be so great to
have a copyrighted VN "logo"..?)
------------------------------------------------
Ryan Asmussen
Administrative Assistant, Faculty Services
Boston University School of Law
765 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
email: rra@acs.bu.edu
------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------
A sort of subtly interesting topic, this, of Nabokov's book jackets -- one
which doesn't, I think, immediately leap to mind as bearing particular
academic fruit (if only for myself), but after some thinking makes one
realize how influential these covers are, actually, upon us, the reading
public, and more to the point, how much effect they have upon the potential
readers of an author's works. How do people react to seeing VN's writings
on a bookshelf when they are bathed in that stark Vintage gray and black,
with the slightly out-of-focus, highly idealized-looking photgraphs, and
the personalized fonts, etc.? How does the average reader react, or the
more literate one (to deal, simply, in objective generality for a bit)? In
the bluntly matter-of fact world of sales, and the resultant realm of
audience and possible audience, how do these jackets translate as an
adequate and appropriate representation? To put it still more crassly, as
the PR man might ask, "What do they think of when they think of NABakoff?"
I wonder what the consensus is in regard to these Vintage re-prints? For
my own self, on the one hand, the name itself carries with it a certain
amount of popular prestige (perhaps misguided), and therefore instant
respectability. One knows, usually, that one is dealing with, at very
least, a largely "accepted" work of "literature" (I use quotes here only in
the sense of qualification; to "cover my bases", as it were), and that's a
seemingly good thing to speak of in relation to VN -- he deserves his
respectability, yes, he is a man of literature, in the fullest and best
sense. On the other hand, the very idea of associating VN with anything
other than himself, his family or his own creative world strikes, I would
think, those of us who most revere him as the writer he is as decidedly
wrong. As we know, VN was not a public leader of causes, a representative
for groups, nor was he a spokesman for products. Not to say, of course,
that the Vintage series makes any statements to this effect, not at all,
but it would be nice, I think, to see his works under an imprint, a series
of identifiable signs and symbols, that one would be able to instantly
recognize as Nabokovian and therefore, impressively distinct and original
(I wonder also if VN would have had anything to say about sharing an
imprint with Sartre, Faulkner and Mann?)
(As I re-read my comments, it strikes me that I tread dangerously close to
the idea of creating a VN brand-name, or logo. I should say that these
remarks stem only from psychological reactions -- what I see when I see
those "types" of books -- not capitalist ones. I'm not for "selling" VN in
any alternative way, but only interested in what other members of the list
have to say on this subject of Vintage. Perhaps it wouldn't be so great to
have a copyrighted VN "logo"..?)
------------------------------------------------
Ryan Asmussen
Administrative Assistant, Faculty Services
Boston University School of Law
765 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
email: rra@acs.bu.edu
------------------------------------------------