Okay first off I swear that the font they used for these covers is the exact same font as the Twilight books. Yep, its totally the same font. :P
Secondly what is with the super cheesy taglines for each book? They're just oozing with teen angst.
"Love Never Dies!"
"Love Beyond Measure!"
"The Original Forbidden Love!"
I am now fearing these books like I never did before. O.O
And lastly SINCE WHEN DO EDWARD AND BELLA HAVE A FAVORITE BOOK?!?! I didn't even know they could read.... Okay I kid, I kid! But honestly, I now have slightly less of an interest in reading Wuthering Heights just because of the Twilight reference. Not gonna lie.
Like I said not every classic got a Twilight overhaul. In fact the worst is yet to come. While at Barnes and Noble I also saw this "modernized" cover of Emma by Jane Austen.
*gag* I have no words...... Okay I take that back I do. This cover is just really, really horrifying. I mean could they have possibly chosen a worse color scheme? Bright yellow, hot pink AND puke green? I literally started laughing in Barnes and Noble because this cover was so ridiculous. I just couldn't believe it was real.... XD
I will say that if any of the above cover designs do get a Twilight fan girl or just a teen girl in general to pick up and read a classic when she normally wouldn't have then I'm all for it! Well all for everything but that Emma cover. I just can't endorse something that horrendous.... >.<
To save your retinas from the horror that was the Emma cover I give you a picture of beautiful leather-bound and foil engraved classics:
Now that's more like it!!! :D
Maybe I'm just old fashioned and strange but I find that classics are always at their most beautiful when they're made to look, well, classic! What about you guys? Do you like these new "modernized" covers for classics? Or are you more of a "classy" classics cover purist like me?
Julia :)
I feel the same way. I was absolutely disgusted and novody else could understand.
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that they want to make classics more applicable and desirable to young adults, but seriously?
Why defile these beautiful books?
Thanks for posting.
Those new covers look really terrible, and poor Emma, I don't think she was ever "designed" to wear that cheeky expression on a sickening colour scheme... I'm totally with you about the classic covers for classics, but not the dirty-white plain ones you see sometimes. The leather-bound editions from B&N are a perfect example of lovely covers for classics, I wish they had them all! But still, they are so thick... classic lovers must have very big bookshelves I guess!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the B&N leatherbound editions. I usually don't read classics, but when I made up my mind to read Jane Eyre earlier this year, I went out and got the leatherbound edition... I wouldn't settle for less.
ReplyDeleteI've just noticed that they actually put "Before Bella and Edward" and "Bella and Edward's favourite book" on the front cover. What the...? I cannot stop laughing. I think it's great that they're trying to get younger people to read by using Twilight as a promotional tool, but this is just silly.
ReplyDelete*Sigh* Whatever gets people to read, I guess.
On another note, I am in love with the leatherbound editions. I wonder if you can get them on Amazon UK...
Those Twilight-ish covers make me so sad! As if making them hideous wasn't enough, they had to slap a label on there about how Bella and Edward love this book? It makes me embarrassed to be a young adult.
ReplyDeleteUgh. I know that these books have had tons of different covers throughout the years, but some of those have been truly great covers with nice illustrations, not some crap dramatic flower picture to emulate a fad book. *Shudder*
OMG this is the funniest post EVER. Those covers are ridic. I can't believe it...and the one for Emma...seriously?!?!?!! Ugh.
ReplyDeletexo,
Lah @ LazyGirl Reads
I am with you. Bella and Edward couldn't read at all! The cover of Emma is the height of cheesy!!Thanks for a very funny but informative post!
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything in this post. I love this. Have you seen the new version of Hamlet ? It is similar to Emma.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you pick up the books they start off with a third person type prologue so, it makes it look like it isn't a play written in Shakespearean.
I hate these too. I just hope that the horrid decision of some horrid graphic designer doesn't deter readers from these classics by paralleling them to the likes of... such horrible, forgettable stories. That would be one of the sadest days. I don't think our generation could live down putting "Wuthering Heights" and "Romeo and Juliet" into existence.
ReplyDeleteHaha! I meant extinction. I was so angry, my diction lacked!
ReplyDeleteSo funny. I noticed this when I was in a bookstore in Cape Town. Every book in the YA section had a black cover with read print. But "Bella and Edward's Favorite Book" wins the prize. It's true, they read this one book.
ReplyDeleteI know this post is from a couple weeks back but I just ran across your blog and laughed so hard because I was just saying this to someone the other day!I HATE that they released these wonderful books with ridiculous covers to appeal to Twilight readers! Gross! I also love those B&N classics with the leather covers! I have the Grimm fairy tales one and I think they're beautiful! I emailed a link to my friend I was complaining to so she could see that maybe I am nuts but others feel the same way!
ReplyDelete