Friday Faceoff – In the distance between black and white lies the colour of the soul… #Brainfluffbookblog #FridayFaceoffwhitecovers

This meme was started by Books by Proxy, whose fabulous idea was to compare UK and US book covers and decide which is we prefer. This meme is being nurtured by Lynn’s Book Blog and this week we are featuring WHITE covers. I’ve selected Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow by Peter Høeg.

The Harvill Press 1996

This offering was produced by The Harvill Press in 1996. I really like this cover. The snowscape isn’t pure – it’s scruffy with grass poking through it and the protagonist is facing away from us. I love the red coat flapping open – that one pop of colour works really well – as does the title font, in particular. This is my favourite.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012

Published in April 2012, by the publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux, this 20th Anniversary edition is far more beautiful. The snow heaped up on those branches is lovely and complex, initially catching my eye. But good luck working out who wrote it and what it’s called in thumbnail. In fact, the author and title font are so ridiculously small and understated, you need to pay attention when the book cover is a whole lot bigger, too. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s a dealbreaker. Surely a book cover should be featuring the title and author without having to resort to a magnifying glass.

Portuguese edition, 2010

This Portuguese edition, published by Edições ASA in October 2010, is another beautiful offering. I really love the punchy red SMILLA jumping out at us as the protagonist walks towards us. But there is a glaring problem here – Smilla is part Greenlander and a lot of her depression stems from the fact that she doesn’t fit in. Her features are not that of a typical Caucasian female. We are told repeatedly she is stocky and short, not willowy and tall… Nope. Not good enough.

Carl Hanser, 1994

This German edition, published in February 1994 by Carl Hanser, is another beautiful offering. There are other versions of this frosted design in a bright turquoise and deep blue – but this is the colour that does full justice to the stunning fractal patterns. I also like the treatment of the title and author fonts – that red really pops. This is so very nearly my favourite…

Norstedts, 1994

This Swedish edition, published by Norstedts in 1994, is too boringly generic. As well as being an intriguing whodunit, the book explores what it means to belong, culture and alienation. A few footprints in some fluffy snow doesn’t give a sense of the complexity of the story – unlike those fractal patterns above. And once again, the publisher has decided the title is a secret, by making it almost as small and unobtrusive as one of those fluffy snowflakes. Which is your favourite?