Destination KSA - Your Guide to Saudi

Destination KSA - Your Guide to Saudi
Art

When Books and Art Meet

When Books and Art Meet

Any booklover will agree that a beautiful cover on a book makes it even more enjoyable. Some booklovers even seek out books that are decades old and loved by many, because books like these have a special quality.


Publishers like Penguin have come up with editions of books that are so beautiful that it’ll make you want to read more!

1. Penguin Modern Classics

Photo Credit: fontsinuse.com
Photo Credit: fontsinuse.com

The PMC’s are elegant and feature brilliant photography on the cover. The author name is written in white lettering and the title of the book in silver. Most PMC’s have black and white covers but many also have beautiful color photographs as the cover. Authors in this series include Truman Capote, Jack Kerouac, Khalil Gibran, Carson McCullers, Shirley Jackson and Virginia Woolf.

2. Penguin Clothbound

Photo Credit: blog.booktopia.com.au
Photo Credit: blog.booktopia.com.au

The Penguin Clothbound Classics are beautiful to hold and look at! These were designed by the amazing Coralie Bickford Smith. Never before have our favourite classics been so beautifully dressed! If you’re a Jane Austen lover, a Charles Dickens fan or a lover of classics in general you’ll love these clothbound classics!

3. Penguin English Library

When Books and Art Meet

Also designed by Coralie Bickford Smith, these classics have amazing designs on the cover that are colorful and aesthetically pleasing! Sherlock Holmes fans should look out for Doyle’s book series in this edition!

4. Fitzgerald Anniversary Edition

bokOn the 70 Anniversary of the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald’s death, Penguin Classics launched this beautiful hardcover set of his six novels, including The Great Gatsby. These books come with their own bookmark, designed by Coralie Bickford Smith, Penguin’s senior cover designer. If you love the novels of the modern age, you’ll definitely love Fitzgerald!

5. Vintage Classics Austen Series

Photo Credit: jessieansons.com
Photo Credit: jessieansons.com

The Vintage Classics Austen Series is designed by the writer and illustrator Leanne Shapton. The designs have vivid colors and beautiful floral patterns.

This edition was published by Random House Books.

6. Vintage Classics Bronte Sisters

Photo Credit: adayinbookland.blogspot.com
Photo Credit: adayinbookland.blogspot.com

This series was designed by artist Sarah Gillespie. The collection consists of three books by the Bronte sisters; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. These classics are a must read and this beautiful edition adds to the reading experience!

7. Alice in Wonderland Illustrated by Camille Rose Garcia

Photo Credit: susan-mitchell.com
Photo Credit: susan-mitchell.com

This edition of Alice in Wonderland is a must have for all lovers of the classic that gets weirder every time you read it! It’s illustrated by the artist Camille Rose Garcia whose work for this book was inspired by the original illustrations by John Tenneil. The jacket and book was designed by Agnieszka Stachowicz.

8. Haruki Murakami Collection

Photo Credit: tasseled.wordpress.com
Photo Credit: tasseled.wordpress.com

The contemporary Japanese author is loved for his magic realism and writing style. His collection of books published by Vintage and designed by John Gall is a must have for any Murakami lover!

9. Penguin Threads

Photo Credit: aesthetecurator.com
Photo Credit: aesthetecurator.com

This series of six classics was commissioned by Penguin’s Art Director Paul Buckley. The covers are textured and handstitched using needle and thread. The books include Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Emma by Jane Austen.

The covers for The Secret Garden, Black Beauty and Emma were designed by Jillian Tamaki, and the covers for Wind in the Willows, Little Women and The Wizard of Oz and Other Wonderful Books of Oz were designed by L. Frank Baum.

10. Penguin Classics Couture Deluxe Editions

maxresdefaultThis is a series of six iconic novels ‘dressed in fierce design’ by fashion illustrator Ruben Toleo. The books include The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Dracula by Bram Stoker, Emma by Jane Austen and The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The series was published by Penguin in 2009 and 2010.

11. Picador 40th Anniversary Edition

Photo Credit: itsabookthingblog.blogspot.com
Photo Credit: itsabookthingblog.blogspot.com

On their 40th Anniversary Picador published a beautiful collection of twelve books in black and white designs. The books include The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, Room by Emma Donoghue, and The Line of Beauty by Allan Hollinghurst. The edition was designed by Picador.

12. The Puffin Chalk Series

Photo Credit: adoseofthedelightful.com
Photo Credit: adoseofthedelightful.com

The Puffin Chalk series contains books that have black background cover design with chalk illustrations by Dana Tanamachi. The books include The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

13. Penguin Little Black Classics

Photo Credit: intpolicydigest.org
Photo Credit: intpolicydigest.org

The LBC’s are dream books for any bookworm who can’t find the time to read a novel! These classics feature short stories, poems and essays that are perfect substitute for full length novels. The edition was designed by Jim Stoddard, one of Penguin’ art directors. This set of 80 Little Black Classics marked Penguin’s 80th anniversary!

14. Penguin Ink

Photo Credit: theculturetrip.com
Photo Credit: theculturetrip.com

20 books designed and illustrated by renowned tattoo artists under Paul Buckley’s creative direction. Some of the artists include Russ Abbott, Bret Krak, Lyn Akure, Valeri Vargas and Chris O’Donnell. The books include White Teeth by Zadie Smith, Money by Martin Amis, The Accidental by Ali Smith, The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter and Big Sur by Jack Kerouac.

Pick up any of these editions for an inspiring reading session! Who says we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover?!


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