An interesting essay about book jackets and book covers. A bit of history thrown in, but not so much that you get bogged down or bored. What surprised me to learn is that authors don't have a say in the artwork or design of the book jackets and book covers for their books. What dismayed me to learn is that she doesn't like any of the dust jackets and covers that have been put on her books. How sad for an author to be unhappy to look at their own books. ( )

2018 Winter, audiobook:

I will always, always, always have an affinity for Jhumpa Lahiri's writing, and feel a deep intimacy with her words, her spirit, her messages after spending all my Master's Thesis on her. I couldn't help but get into this work. I loved the whole meta expressive notion of talking about how books and covers ("their clothing") all interact and intersect. I got lost in this so fast and I'm slightly sad it's over so soon, too. ( )

Perfect book while you wait on friends who are always late. Also the content really made me think about the covers of books. ( )

Surprisingly facile, with an argument that is neither developed nor consistent, and which relies on an almost wilful ignorance of the history of the book, past and present. (To give one brief example: Lahiri claims that Americans’ championing of individualism blocks any attempt of homogeneity in the covers of books produced in the U.S. Yet more romance novels are sold in the U.S. every year than any other genre, and the most cursory glance at the covers of the myriad Harlequin series would neatly disprove Lahiri’s point.) ( )

Zeer korte uiteenzetting over het thema: de kaften van boeken, en wat ze betekenen voor het boek, de schrijver, de verkoper en de lezer. Dit is de weergave van een lezing die Lahiri heeft gegeven. Vandaar de zeer beperkte omvang, en het gebrek aan diepgang. Ze snijdt echter wel een paar interessante thema's aan, vond ik, als boekenliefhebber. Thema's die mij ook aan het denken zetten. ( )