Penguin Classics books have long been a staple of American life, bringing world literature to the reader. I have several of their paperbacks on my own shelves, in fact. But now they are producing a line of linen-covered volumes that are so visually perfect that I wish I could give them some kind of award for design.
13 titles are currently available, 12 of which cover British literature and one of Homer's Odyssey. Each cover is decorated with a repeating pattern of a single image that represents a certain aspect of the novel; in the case of Stevenson's Treasure Island, for example, the illustration is of red parrots. My personal favorite, though, is Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
Why is that, you may ask? Because it is stamped with pink flamingos, of course! The whimsical picture captures one of the most indelible scenes of the story--Alice playing croquet using a flamingo as a mallet. Kudos to whichever executive at Penguin commissioned Coralie Bickford-Smith to work on these books; she has created a collection that most readers would be proud to own and that can not only be read but also displayed as artwork in nearly any home.
Buy through Penguin Classics for $20.00.
-Cate-
13 titles are currently available, 12 of which cover British literature and one of Homer's Odyssey. Each cover is decorated with a repeating pattern of a single image that represents a certain aspect of the novel; in the case of Stevenson's Treasure Island, for example, the illustration is of red parrots. My personal favorite, though, is Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
Why is that, you may ask? Because it is stamped with pink flamingos, of course! The whimsical picture captures one of the most indelible scenes of the story--Alice playing croquet using a flamingo as a mallet. Kudos to whichever executive at Penguin commissioned Coralie Bickford-Smith to work on these books; she has created a collection that most readers would be proud to own and that can not only be read but also displayed as artwork in nearly any home.
Buy through Penguin Classics for $20.00.
-Cate-
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I want the whole set. That means I want a new set of bookshelves, too. Thanks a lot, Cate. Thanks.
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