HarperCollins has redesigned the cover of Wuthering Heights in favor of a new Twilight-inspired design. Wuthering Heights is a favorite book of vampey main characters Bella and Edward. So, a classic has been given the fresh young face of a badly written romance novel. Could it get any worse? you ask. Oh, but it can. If the Harper US version isn't bad enough, check out the Harper UK version with that pseudo-Art Nouveau/Curlicues typeface and cover shot that is inconsistent with the photography on the Twilight series. Oh, and let's not forget to mention that tag line: "Love never dies." Read more here at Media Bistro and here at Guardian.
Is this new cover design a smart move on part of HarperCollins in order to draw more teenagers to a classic, or it is another case of compromising great material in favor of extra sales? You know what I think. What do you think?
Left to right: Twilight cover; HarperUK Wuthering Heights cover; HarperUS Wuthering Heights cover
2 comments:
Good lord. I was going to type something, but I'm so horrified after looking at the UK cover that my fingers won't move.
I think kids who fall for this will feel that they've been duped. These days, they're all pretty savvy to cheap marketing gimmicks - or, at the very least, they're quick learners. Once the word's out that this is NOT a new sequel in the Twilight series, I think the publisher may be having a fire sale sooner rather than later.
Fool me once, same on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Surprised they can get away with this. Seems like the Twilight folks could sue. This is pretty gratuitous plagiarism on Harper Collins' part!
Do I think this cheapens Bronte? That she's rolling over in her grave. Yes, I do. And I think teenagers will think it's a cheap shot, too. Try to judge this book by it's cover and you won't find inside what's on the outside.
I think young readers will figure this out. And poor Emily will eventually stop spinning in her grave.
Let's hope the publisher will stop spinning, too!!!
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