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Japanese books have stunning, striking and aesthetically pleasing designs. Here are some covers of translated editions of foreign language (e.g. English) books found in a local bookshop, as well as a bit of commentary – particularly on the 帯 (obi) "book sash" used for publicity:
The Power by @NaomiAllthenews: love the anime vibe, emphasising the sci-fi element. The obi& #39;s tagline reads: "An ultimate world of vengeance in which male-female power is reversed." It also lists all the lists/awards it& #39;s on/won, e.g. Baileys, Amazon, LA Times, NY Times, etc.
Exhalation by Ted Chiang: lots of words, though it retains the minimalist white/black look. Obi tagline: "Investigating the limits of the intellect – a story collection of the world& #39;s highest standards". Also blurbs from Tobi Hirotaka, @colsonwhitehead and of course @BarackObama.
Speaking of @colsonwhitehead here& #39;s The Underground Railroad, whose cover is identical to Eng edition. No tagline but yellow circle & #39;Recommended& #39; w/ blurbs by Enjō Tō, and Gotō Masafumi, lead vocalist of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION. Who wouldn& #39;t want a blurb from your fav rock band?
Sing, Unburied, Sing by @jesmimi: different depiction of the bird, in a haunting tree. National Book Award! Long tagline: "A family tale of hardship in American South, a road novel that resonates in the "entrails", an epic poem of magic realism about those who must not live..."
Bieguni (Eng: Flights) by Olga Tokarczuk: a detailed map, different from Polish and English editions. Of course, obi lists the Nobel Prize, Nike, Int& #39;l Booker. Tagline: "Towards myself/body/world – 116 journey episodes of search and discovery. An innovative work of "travel lit"."
Tenth of December by George Saunders: definitely most distinctive in comparison with Eng covers – very whimsical. Haven& #39;t read it to know if the various objects appear in the story collection. #1 Bestseller in America!!! (3 exclamation marks is a lot!) Blurb by Kishimoto Sachiko.
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid: same cover as an Eng edn. Interesting that it has & #39;Author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist& #39; in English, not Japanese. Tagline: "To the west in search of freedom, even further west. Beyond the & #39;door& #39; – is it hope or despair." Lauded by @michikokakutani!
A Gentleman in Moscow by @amortowles: classy and classic cover – more jovial than brooding man standing at balcony (Eng edn). Tagline: "Even as times changed, there was something he wanted to leave behind." 1.4 million copies sold in America, on 8 different annual best lists.
The Remains of the Day (Nobel Prize Edition) by Kazuo Ishiguro: similar aesthetic as Eng edn except focus is on Darlington Hall, not the butler – also SHINY GOLD. Notice Kazuo& #39;s name in katakana – no longer a Japanese. Commentary by Murakami Haruki: "In Praise of Kazuo Ishiguro".
Kırmızı saçlı kadın (Eng: The Red-Haired Woman) by Orhan Pamuk: yup, definitely a red-haired woman – wonder who it is? "Latest Release from Nobel Prize Winning Author." Tagline: "Let& #39;s forget it all. The memories, the sins."
