Artist profile Q&A: Pride and Prejudice illustrator Elizabeth Monahan

When I was looking for more covers to show you in my latest Top Five Pride and Prejudice covers, I stumbled across a self-published beautifully illustrated eBook version by artist Elizabeth Monahan. The gorgeous cover, below, has a slightly quirky style to it with Lizzy and Darcy obviously at odds. I was completely struck by it, and decided to contact her to ask more about where her ideas come from, and if we are to expect some more of her art sometime soon.

Monahan happily agreed to answer some questions for The Bennet Sisters, and also provided a few other illustrations for readers to see. They’re so lovely, I’m squeeing! This is something I’d love to give to a friend or relative at Christmas, and that has a rich, strong style to it but also manages to be lovely and whimsical. Certainly not an easy thing to do.

Best Pride and Prejudice book covers… continued

When I first started sharing some of my favourite Pride and Prejudice book covers, I thought I’d get to a list of 10, and leave it at that. However, after my Top Ten Pride and Prejudice Book Covers, I got to Top Ten Foreign Pride and Prejudice Book Covers and the Top Ten Borders covers (sadly the images are no longer available as, obviously, Borders has ceased to exist). And yet, I still come across a huge number of covers I love, and that I want to share with you – particularly as online portals continue to grow and our access to a number of editions, re-issues and brand swanking new copies grows with it.

Which ties into this constant conversation at my workplace, and with my friends – is print dead? Is there ever going to be a role for it again? I was discussing with my girlfriend my want for a Jane Austen-themed book shop in Australia, and how I wanted to start one. Perhaps in retirement (anything more typical?). I really believe that when it comes to books there’s still something romantic about the feel of the paper, the material of the cover (I have certain types ofpaper stock I can’t help but touch when I see them on a book) and, when secondhand, the discovery of someone else’s notations halfway through the story. In saying that, it’s the story that matters and no matter how pretty the binding, if the content is crap, we’ll never want it. For this reason, I’ve never been against eReaders (I have a Kindle… somewhere… and an iPad, which is now my constant companion for all things reading related), and I understand why they’re a practical consideration. But I do think the design of eBooks needs to be stepped up – just because you don’t see the ‘cover’ of the eBook as often, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be gorgeous! I’m happy to say that in the list below, some of the versions are eReader covers – it’s good to see nice design in the digital format picking up a bit more.

But enough of my rambling… on with the list!

Pulp! The Classics’ Pride and Prejudice

“Lock up your daughters… Darcy’s in town!” (Cover)

This Pride and Prejudice cover leaped out at me from the shelf at Art On King/Modern Times in Sydney’s Newtown a week ago and I just had to pick up the 352 page paperback for a closer look. With red edged pages and a bold “Look at me cover” it was damn enticing for just AU$19.95 and as I’d seen it online previously I was so excited to finally find it in a shop. ISBN-13: 978-1843440710

Pride and Prejudice in magazines – The Simple Things

I work in the magazine industry and, therefore, have a lot of love for anything with a glossy (and sometimes matte) cover that has something resembling photos and text inside. What I love more than magazines, however, is finding a Pride and Prejudice reference in them. This happened with the latest available copy of The Simple Things magazine, Issue 3 (at least the latest issue here in Australia. No really, I’ve searched and even emailed the available contact emails, and there is no sign of Issue 4 in Sydney).

And yes, this is my darling kitten (and one of my own simple things that makes life that much better, along with Merlot, Pride and Prejudice and, um, magazines).

As I opened Issue 3 after much hunting, I was well-rewarded with a Mr. Darcy reference on Page 19 in an interview with Cassandra Ellis.

The Pride and Prejudice Flipback book

“Join the reading revolution – A revolutionary new book format, giving book lovers a real reading experience with the portability of a mobile phone.” – Flipback launch brochure

With bible-thin pages from London-based Hodder & Stoughton, ISBN: 9781444730562, is this beautiful carry-around copy of Pride and Prejudice. But, positioning itself as the new-era rival to the Kindle and other eReaders, whether it is actually readable and has that “print experience” is up for debate.

Q&A with book cover designer, Leah Doguet

“I revel in the love-hate relationship that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy share” – Cover designer, Leah Doguet

For anyone that loves typography, design, words and books, these covers are absolutely perfect. All I can do now is dream that they get picked up and run with, because I would love these on my shelves as a series in hardback.

This beautiful Pride and Prejudice piece is the result of Leah Doguet, a 22-year-old who currently lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “I recently graduated from Tyler School of Art with a degree in Graphic & Interactive Design,” she told The Bennet Sisters, and it’s obvious, from the series of covers she has designed below, that she’s very talented.

Q&A with book cover designer, Laurén Magda

“Pride and Prejudice is definitely my favorite Austen novel… I just think it’s an amazing piece of literature that has so many facets and dimensions.” – Laurén Magda

Having been looking for new Pride and Prejudice covers to showcase on this blog, I stumbled upon a beautiful design from graphic designer, Laurén Magda, a 23 year old recent graduate (College of Creative Studies – Detroit, Michigan). I just couldn’t say no to asking her more about it, and she agreed to share some of her thoughts about the book, her life, her design and Pride and Prejudice with The Bennet Sisters.

Pride and Prejudice genre confusion

I was in Basement Books, at Central Station (Sydney), this weekend just gone and I came across a bizarre cover of Pride and Prejudice. In actuality, it was a 2-in-1 (with Emma) that presented the book as a thriller through the font emblazoned on the cover with ‘Jane Austen’. This A Wilco Book, ISBN: 9788182522367 ,  is so close to reads from Stephen King and the cover-formula for other thriller-style books that it took me by surprise. I only wish now that I’d bought the copy when I saw it!

Arguably, Pride and Prejudice means something different to everyone who reads it.

BOOK REVIEW: Jane bites back by Michael Thomas Ford

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is still alive today… as a vampire.” – Cover text on Jane Bites Back

I opened this book and thought I was going to hate everything about it. But despite not being a twihard, nor the biggest Pride and Prejudice and Zombies fan… this was surprisingly good. If you’re looking for something that will accurately portray a modern Jane Austen, or that is close sticking to vampire mythology, don’t look here. But, on the other hand, if you’re looking for a book with a half-decent plot, some literary name dropping (Byron, Bronte etc) and a heavy dose of romanticism, then this is for you.

The perfect handbag copy of Pride and Prejudice

I found it today in Newtown, Sydney. It’s ‘The Perfect Handbag Copy’ that I’ve been waiting forever to have. At least, I now see it that way even though I’d been fairly happy carting along a couple of different full-sized versions up until this point. It’s stylish, smaller than the width of my handspan, and the font is still easily readable.

From UK’s Octopus Publishing Group, bargain books branch Bounty Books, it’s really cute! Just £3.99 on the site (£7.99 on the cover) or, as I snapped it up for, (AU)$9.95 (in Modern Times, Newtown), it’s a paperback and was published on 1 November 2011 (according to their website). ISBN: 9780753722725.