Compare and Contrast

The other night, I was talking to my roommate about book covers.  I had a copy of Gone With The Wind and we were discussing the difference between the very romantic and picturesque illustrated one I owned and the traditional hardbound cover we would normally visualize.

This conversation reminded me of an a day a few months ago when I was walking through the bookstore and my eye landed on some very colorfully illustrated novels.  Thinking they must have been the new young age bestseller, I was struck when my glance caught the titles of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Picture of Dorian Gray.  I was dumbfounded – startled.  These were novels of which I had grown accustomed to seeing accompanied with them a standard period piece of artwork for the cover.    

What was this saying?  To have classic pieces of literature paired with more modern artwork? These drawings were animated - and even a bit gothic (something I never would have imagined except for maybe Jane Eyre or Dracula).  But this led me to investigate the artist, Ruben Toledo. 

Ruben Toledo actually is a designer and an artist who has touched upon many areas including fashion, illustration, mannequin-making, and film.  He, and his wife Isabel Toledo, are creative duo who work on their separate passions (hers is fashion) but feed off the inspiration from one another and all around them.  After reading a little bit about their creative process it was interesting to see a little glimpse as to where these illustrations for these classic novels came from.  Ruben Toledo finds inspiration everywhere, especially “weird” things (which probably explains the surreal characteristics of the cover art). 

What actually is trying to be said?  I can’t say for sure.  But these are classic novels.  And what deems them “classic” is the idea that these stories are timeless, enjoyed by generation after generation.  However, just because they are timeless, doesn’t mean that how they are conveyed to reading audiences have to be stuck in a time capsule.  If anything, maybe these novels deserve this vamped up outfit, they sure deserve it if they’ve been able to stand the test of time.  And if it catches some new reader’s eye, that's just even better.  It’s just like adding a new outfit to a wardrobe.  For the times when the timeless black dress is desired, hardcover and standard bound versions will always be available, and for those times when its just fun to spice it up a bit, I think Ruben Toledo found the ticket.


Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition by Ruben Toledo

BOOK CLUB: THE CLASSICS