Album cover designs get discussed a lot more than book covers. (Which is totally fair. They are way more interesting in general.)
Still, you might be surprised by how much book covers vary depending on edition and translation.
Take this cover for the novel Umami, by Mexican author Laia Jufresa. The original edition is in Spanish and features a quirky and colorful array of mushrooms. Mushrooms… umami… got it?
Next, look at the French edition. Here’s where things get interesting. French editions of books are often much simpler than American ones. In France, “livres de poche” literally means pocket books – they are meant to be stylish, simple, and easy to carry around. The bulk of the composition is filled with white space.
If we compare the French edition to the American one below, the contrast stands out. The American print is completely filled with color. It’s all out and evokes multiple motifs and themes from the book – Mexican culture, azote, mushrooms, windows, death… In contrast with the French and Mexican keep the typography fairly traditional, the American edition is much more playful.
What kind of book cover do you prefer? Feel free to judge.
