There are a TON of Sherlock Holmes books, as a recent trip to Borders revealed to me. The mystery section is a place that doesn't often interest me, because the covers there are so a) boring and b) tiny! There's not much surface to work with on a 3 x 5 postcard-sized paperback, especially when 55% of it (or more) is taken up by the stupid author's name!
What's that, Ms. Clark? Yes, you're right; I am just jealous that I can't bank on the sheer notability of my name. Yes, I am interested to find out about the song that kills people. (Wait, that was a Palahniuk novel. Ooh, I know what to review next time.)
But when mystery is not modern, I think the cover designers have much more room for fun. Let's look at just a few of Doyle's collections, in order of my aesthetic judgment.
Ok, now this is how B&N always does their classics, and granted, they're not exactly known for their publishing. But I'm not a big fan of this design set-up, because I like the title to feel like a part of the cover art, instead of *plunk* art goes here, *plunk* title goes here. But, the images here are quite nice. Note the foggy, mysterious London landscapes Holmes stares out into, first alone, then joined by everyone's favorite idiot, Watson. The growth of a hero always includes picking up a sidekick.
Now we're getting somewhere. This is the mack-daddy kind of anthology, though we still get to the old problem of the pipe and deerstalker cap. And what's with the dog? Ultimately, they won me over with the double volumes and the font. Yummy.
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle
Ann Arbor Media Group, LLC: 2007
Love it. Hardcover and boring brown, the way the books in Holmes’ private library might have appeared. Yet the cover art is just darling: like a block print, actually pressed into the cover (I felt it), with a simple image: brick street, dead body, and a mind at work. The perfect beginning for any detective, and any mystery story. So what's the best Sherlock Holmes cover like? Duh. Elementary.
What's that, Ms. Clark? Yes, you're right; I am just jealous that I can't bank on the sheer notability of my name. Yes, I am interested to find out about the song that kills people. (Wait, that was a Palahniuk novel. Ooh, I know what to review next time.)
But when mystery is not modern, I think the cover designers have much more room for fun. Let's look at just a few of Doyle's collections, in order of my aesthetic judgment.
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Scholastic Classics: 2004
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Scholastic Classics: 2004
Well, okay. What's with the heather gray/marbly writing action around the picture? What is the point of that? It's not like Holmes was known for his penmanship, right? And that Holmes looks downright dopey. It's kind of obvious to dress him up in the costume made famous by the TV show. NEXT!
The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume IThe Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume II
Arthur Conan Doyle
Barnes and Noble Classics: 2003
Barnes and Noble Classics: 2003
Ok, now this is how B&N always does their classics, and granted, they're not exactly known for their publishing. But I'm not a big fan of this design set-up, because I like the title to feel like a part of the cover art, instead of *plunk* art goes here, *plunk* title goes here. But, the images here are quite nice. Note the foggy, mysterious London landscapes Holmes stares out into, first alone, then joined by everyone's favorite idiot, Watson. The growth of a hero always includes picking up a sidekick.
The New Annotated Sherlock Homes: The Short Stories
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
W. W. Norton & Company: 2004
W. W. Norton & Company: 2004
Now we're getting somewhere. This is the mack-daddy kind of anthology, though we still get to the old problem of the pipe and deerstalker cap. And what's with the dog? Ultimately, they won me over with the double volumes and the font. Yummy.
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle
Ann Arbor Media Group, LLC: 2007
Love it. Hardcover and boring brown, the way the books in Holmes’ private library might have appeared. Yet the cover art is just darling: like a block print, actually pressed into the cover (I felt it), with a simple image: brick street, dead body, and a mind at work. The perfect beginning for any detective, and any mystery story. So what's the best Sherlock Holmes cover like? Duh. Elementary.
