franz + peter

franz kafka wrote some good stories. occasionally his books get to have good covers. have you seen the penguin classics cover for the metamorphosis? (i love penguin almost too much.)

isn't that so good? i am so in love with their covers designed by graphic novelists/artists.

well, the other day on pinterest i noticed some different kafka covers appearing here and there. when i went to the place from whence they came, i realized that it is the blog of book designer / art director peter mendelsund. he works for knopf and pantheon. basically he has what i'm coming to believe is my dream job. —anyway, he just finished designing a new set of kafka's works for schocken books.* and they are brilliant! have a look. what do you think?

i think they are pretty clever. something about an eye staring at you / other people in the room from the cover of a book seems very appropriate for kafka. as mendelsund says himself over at jacket mechanical,

I find eyes, taken in the singular, create intimacy, and in the plural instill paranoia. This seemed a good combo for Kafka- who is so very adept at the portrayal of the individual, as well as the portrayal of the persecution of the individual.

precisely.
now: everyone go off and have a marvelous weekend. it's here at last. cheers!

*just so i don't sound dumb, pantheon and schocken are both imprints of knopf.