We're an Open Book
I love epigraphs! You know, those little quotes, poems or phrases at the beginning of books? I bet you’ve flipped past them without a second look sometimes. Epigraphs are cool because they are like clues to what is about to happen in the book. Sometimes they tie the book to a greater piece of work or set up for some important themes in the novel.
Here is a list of my 5 favorite epigraphs, in no particular order. What are yours?
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“Keeping up the appearance of having all your marbles is hard work, but important”
Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants
Synopsis : As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie.
When the film for Water for Elephants came out I heard the buzz, but didn’t pay much attention to it. Like any bookworm living on the Internet I was pretty shocked to hear the novel started as a NaNoWriMo.
When the Borders started going out of business I took advantage of the discounted prices and grabbed the novel for 30% off.
The main character is Polish-American Jacob Jankowsi.Water for Elephants switches between Jankowski at age 23 and much later in life at the age of 93. The two perspectives create an interesting dynamic in the novel. There are times you forget the two narratives are connected until a quick allusion the past is made.
There is nothing sexy or glamorous about this circus life. We find out what goes on behind the big top and it isn’t always pretty. Gruen picked a perfect time period for this novel.
There is a lot going on in this novel.It touches on prohibition,The Great Depression, animal cruelty, poverty, greed and the prejudices of class, ethnicity and mental illness.
There were no real stand outs as far as the characters. Jankowski isn’t a fully developed character to me. He just always seems to be conflicted and tortured as a person. The elephant, Rosie doesn’t show up until well in the book, but she is important to the development of Jankowski.
I really enjoyed this books. I read it in 4 days and was swept away in the storyline. Gruen is my favorite type of writer. At the end of the book she discusses all of the research and obsession that went into the novel. She writes without a script, throws herself into material and that kind of authenticity is amazing to me.
Water for Elephants is an interesting book that will keep you captivated until the very ending.
Ah, film tie-ins. Those wonderful (read: sarcasm ) things movie companies come up with to make even more money than they already have. Film tie-ins often come in the form of video games and collectible toys, but now we are seeing more movie tie-in book covers. You bought Breaking Dawn two years ago , right ? Well, You don’t own the one with Rpatz face on it !That’ll be $10.
I kind of have a love/hate relationship with tie-in covers. Mostly though, I hate them. They don’t serve much of a purpose except to make you buy the book again. Let’s take a look at the good, bad and ugly of tie in covers.
Better than the original
I like this cover. In fact, when I bought the book, I chose it over the original. The design of the tie-in seems to have become somewhat of an icon for Lauren Weisberger. All of her book covers are now released with a similar heel design, she even uses the heel motif on her website.
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| Original American Cover |
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| Movie Tie-in Cover |
The Good
Some tie-ins know how to blend the best of both worlds. They will just take elements of the original and work it together with the film tie-in. Both of these tie-ins used similar coloring and positioning as the original.
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| Original Cover |
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| Movie Tie-in cover |
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| Original Cover |
Don’t Look Now
This may just be a coincidence,but I was in the bookstore and I noticed when it comes to romantic themed novel tie-ins,they pretty much follow the same position;look deep into each others eyes and don’t look into the 4th wall. Usually this is done when it is a ‘celebrity romance’ they are trying to push. I think the reason they use this position is to draw our attention to the couple but, it was funny to me all the tie-ins follow this. Also, notice none of the original covers even have faces on them.
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| Movie Tie-in Cover |
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| Original Cover |
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| Original Cover |
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| Movie Tie-in cover |
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| Original Cover |
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| Movie Tie-in Cover |
Look Who is in This Book . . . Not, Really.
Some tie-ins just shamelessly put the actor front and center. A little shelf candy for your home library. I don’t know what Charlie St. Cloud is about but, ooh Zefron !
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| Original Cover |
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| Movie Tie-in |
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| Movie Tie-in |
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| Original Cover |
This is not my childhood
I find it really bizarre when suddenly the books of your childhood get the film tie-in cover. The Narnia covers of my childhood were the 1994 HarperCollins by Leo and Diane Dillon. You know, the purple and white ones. I mean okay, I admit . . . I do own the Prince Caspian with Ben Barnes on the cover.
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| Original Book Cover |
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| Movie Tie-in |
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| 1994 HarperCollins Cover |
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| Movie Tie-in |
Harry Potter
And then there are series like Harry Potter and it’s film tie- in covers. Oh wait . . . Harry Potter don’t play that. There are no film tie-in covers for Harry Potter because they don’t need them. I mean, okay I will admit as far as merchandising tie-ins Harry Potter does seem have everything else. Still, I’d rather eat a bag of Beritie Botts Every Flavor Jellybean than buy a book I already have because Daniel Radcliffe is on the cover.
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Written By Kat