I was hoping that would have been evident, Gartog, but I suppose it doesn’t hurt to mention it.
I am reminded of the “adult” covers for the Harry Potter books, created so that commuters could safely read them without appearing to be reading a “children’s book”. Every adult I’ve seen reading them has had the brightly-colored children’s version anyway. (Although maybe the publishers are just doing it to sell multiple copies to collectors.)
Anyhoo, speaking of Pratchett’s kernels of wisdom: whenever I look at the Israel-Palestine peace talks (or, indeed, US foreign policy with any other country), I always think of the bit at the end of Small Gods in which Brutha and Om discussing bargaining. History amply supports the idea that if one does not bargain from a position of strength, one often eventually has to bargain from a position of weakness; it’s a pity governments are so shortsighted.
Frankly, I have little faith that anyone in marketing knows what they’re on about. An interview with the fellow who thought the US “Night Watch” cover would help Terry would be fascinating, if only for the depths of its delusions. I’ve worked in game publishing, and I’m acquainted with the book industry as a reviewer. I’ve talked with cover artists about the decision-making process and the thought that goes into what makes a good cover, and I have a better chance of coming up with a Unified Field Theory than determining the target audience of these wretched covers.
I strongly suspect that Pratchett’s writings make him a difficult category to pigeonhole. His novels are set in a fantasy world, but they touch on issues in our own. You can’t order up a standard fantasy cover, because fantasy readers know Terry (know of him, anyway), and you don’t want to drive away readers who ordinarily wouldn’t touch a broadsword-wielding hero with a battle axe, yet who would love Pratchett’s works.
Hence, ambiguous covers that convey to non-Pratchett readers the idea that something unusual is here, without coming out and screaming IT’S FANTASY.
At least “Monstrous Regiment” is a better executed cover than “Night Watch,” but I’d still rather have the UK covers. Kidby could make a small packet shipping the jackets to us. I’d pay for that.
Right. I’m just saying, don’t blame Harper-Collins for going with what works. Blame the book-buying public.
Although, ultimately, who gives a shit what’s on the cover? Kidby’s a fine illustrator, but so what? There’re a dozen artists of equal or greater calibre making a living cranking out art for Pokemon cards. I don’t care what’s on the cover. It could be color stills from autopsies. So long as it says “Terry Pratchett” I’ll be proud to have it on my bookshelf.
HarperCollins isn’t necessarily going with what works, they’re going with what they think works. Marketing isn’t always correct, or even on the same planet as the users of a particular product being marketed at them. As US readers have never even had the chance to buy Kidby covered Pratchett without having to resort to ordering books from Canada or the UK (with the exception of The Last Hero, which as I stated before did very well in BOTH printings, denting HarperCollin’s theory, imo), it’s not necessarily a fact the Kidby covers wouldn’t sell books here. (not that ANYTHING would stop me from buying Pratchett, I just won’t buy US hardbacks…I wait for the paperback, or buy the UK Hardback when I can afford it from Canada or the UK.)
Personally, had I never read Terry Pratchett before, I wouldn’t have looked twice at the US Monstrous Regiment, it’s a ridiculous and garish cover. The UK version however would have intrigued me enough to pick it up, as it’s a satire of a real painting. Since Terry Pratchett’s books are satires based on real world situations, I’d say the UK cover is far more expressive of what the book is about, unlike the US ones, imo.
Everyone’s already covered the fine points of The Joys of Pratchett already, so I’ll just say that I got my UK copies of Night Watch and Wee Free Men two days ago. And, despite a nasty bit of heartburn and a weekend full o’ chores, I’ve already finished the first and am digging happily through the second. And I’m seriously considering getting Monstrous Regiment in hardback just so I don’t have to wait another year before it comes out in paperback…
Yeah, Terry Pratchett is like crack, but in a good way.
