I was completely flabbergasted. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, the colors are almost hypnotic ! When I visited the author's, Katherine Govier, website I learned that this is the US edition of The Ghost Brush, which cover you can see above.
While japanese art in a cover is always a pleasure, I do prefer the first one. The colors alone made me want to buy the book. Which one do you prefer ?
The red and black does look so oriental to me so that is my favourite too!
ReplyDeleteI agree - why do we in the US get the drab cover? Haha! BTW, did you order it? iread all the James Clavell's last year (Shogun, etc.) except Noble House - so, I am on a bit of a Far East kick...
ReplyDeleteI love the swirl of hair on the U.S. edition. It implies conflict and trouble ahead. It get my vote!
ReplyDeleteI have The Ghost Brush on my ereader. I met the author and am really looking forward to reading it! I like both covers for different reasons. The second cover is more Japanese, which I like, it portrays what the story is about. The other cover is very catchy with the red and wild hair.
ReplyDeleteKatherine Govier's The Ghost Brush is a poignant novel about the life of the Japanese painter Oei, daughter of the famous painter Hokusai. This historical novel, which was meticulously researched, will be of high interest to anyone interested in Japanese art and history. Set in the nineteenth century as Japan awkwardly transitions toward modernism, Oei's story unfolds with an enchanting cast of characters, including the surly but admirable Hokusai. At one level this novel is a meditation on the impermanence of life, the futility of trying to fight off old age and the eventual outcome, death. But Oei's voice transcends all of this, leaving the reader with many unforgettable moments. Oei's life is an epic struggle to find her place in the male dominated culture of traditional Japan and to resolve her conflicted relationship with her self-absorbed father. This book is pure poetry. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
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