#2 Book Design {The Virgin Suicides}

The only good thing I've ever read by Jeffrey Eugenides is The Virgin Suicides. I was one of those people who saw the movie before I read the book and I regret it every time I think about how truly amazing the book is and how much could have been done with the story, actresses and Sofia Coppola's directing talent. Anyways, this post isn't meant to critique the movie nor the book, but just the book cover. 

 The version of the book cover I chose to examine tonight is the one I own. With a dreamy like photograph on the cover, reflective of Ryan Mcginley photography, the image speaks volumes about the five Lisbon sisters. All of the sisters desired to be free. Free in multiple ways. With the structure set by their conservative parents, alive the girls would never obtain any level of freedom. I think the photograph represents the girls depiction of freedom and what they hoped to feel once they met their fate. Even as a relatively simple composition I think it is extremely successful at capturing a non-literal representation of the story while also holding to the 70s "lovechild" vibe the story holds.         
The typography is perfect in my opinion. I think the slab-serif font really activates the white space that frames the photo. The slab-serif also gives the dreamy cover more of a serious feel as well, kind of leading to the tragedy in the book.  The color and size also play on the photo by tapping into the colors of the sky and grass and visual weight on the top and bottom. 

Above are other versions of book covers for The Virgin Suicides. I don't know if I can wholeheartedly say I love any of them. The middle one obviously have Kirsten Dunst beautiful face across it but the scrawly, girly accented type with a thick sans-serif stencil font face just doesn't make sense to me. I suppose that one was made to identify more with those who knew the movie first, but from a design stand point it tells me nothing about the book. The first one, in my opinion, was a flop. Yes, all 5 Lisbon sisters had blond hair, now allude to something else? I also think the red S is weird, it's kind of like the designer wanted to scream " They all kill themselves!" (Oh like you didn't know...) The last one is awkward, trying too hard to play with the hipster vibe and girly vibe. I'm thinking it could be attempting to get at when the first sister died in the front yard. But on the other hand she was wearing a very pretty, fancy dress when she died, so it's not really conveying that. And me being me tried to think about maybe it's  flirting with conservativeness they were forced into and the sock pulled down is pushing towards their wild side? Regardless, the cover is too much. I just can't, I can't.