Seriously. I got my copies of the German Version today and it’s awesome.
First off, it’s huge. The American version is about the same dimensions, except in thickness, where the German version is about half an inch thicker. This takes it from feeling compact to total doorstop weightiness. It may also have thicker board in the hardcover, I’m not sure. But in any case it feels very substantial. I would imagine it’s hard to throw in your purse and read on the train, but it still feels very very cool.
here it is with a penny, for scale.
I think I’ve talked about how much I love the cover before, but I didn’t realize that the text was slightly raised, which is fun when you’re touching or caressing it (what, you don’t caress your books?).
And the interior design is amazing. Little gear flowers everywhere which I love. If someone could make one of these tiny gear flowers as a small, tasteful brooch, I would be ever so appreciative and wear it on my jacket constantly.
Click on it to zoom in. For some reason I can’t get it to post at a size between this and “bigger than most computer monitors.”
But I’ve seen all that before. The cover, the interior design. True, I thought it was paperback til a few days ago, and the heft of it surprised me, but generally, I knew what it looked like. EXCEPT I DIDN’T. Because those Germans have outdone themselves. How, you ask? Well, out of curiosity, I lifted up the dust jacket to see what was underneath. This is what I found:
That’s right. The machinery behind Violet on the cover, but without Violet. I like to think it’s the inside of Pallas. I was surprised and delighted by this. Seriously. How cool is that? Look at all the machinery!
So, yeah, German version is pretty cool. The other countries in the midst of translating and publishing have a lot to live up to. And I’m excited to see those, too.
Anyway, what do you guys think? Love it? How do you think it compares to the American Version?
Ooooo. That’s gorgeous.
Isn’t it? But it leaves me with a question for you and other authors – how do you display your copies of your books (or how are you planning to, in the new place)? I really feel like now that I have two versions, a display is in order. Would a large shelf be ostentatious? Framed dustjackets?
Anyone else? How do folks display the books they’ve written?
Woah, that’s so beautiful! Love the machinery under the dust jacket. Though, the American version was quite nice, as well.
They are both lovely, it’s true, but there’s something very exciting about seeing a foreign interpretation of my work (artistically – I can’t read the actual translation). I’m very excited to see the other countries, too.
Whoa. That’s awesome, although the girl reminds me a bit too much of Deryn Sharp on the covers of the Leviathan books (more steampunk).
What does the title translate to? It seems to be The Something of Violet Adams rather than All Men of Genius.
“The Invention of Violet Adams” – an excellent title as it has the same double-meaning as it does in English. Sadly, in English, there’s that bestselling book they made into a movie called the invention of Hugo Cabret, so it wouldn’t have worked so well.
“All Men of Genius” is cooler anyway, because it’s part of a quote!