Jane Austen Cover to Cover: 200 Years of Classic Book Covers

Jane Austen Cover to Cover: 200 Years of Classic Book Covers by Margaret C. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jane Austen’s six novels are true classics, still immensely popular some 200 years after their first publication. But although the celebrated stories never change, the covers are always different. Jane Austen Cover to Cover compiles two centuries of design, from elegant Victorian hardcovers and the famed 1894 “Peacock” edition to 1950s pulp, movie tie-in editions, graphic novels, foreign-language translations, and many, many others. Filled with beautiful artwork and insightful commentary, this fascinating and visually intriguing collection is a must for Janeites, design geeks, and book lovers of every stripe.


When I was offered a copy of this beautiful book to review, I was only too happy to.

I have a dreadful literacy secret, that is that I have never read a Jane Austen; I know, I know how is this possible and where have I been? I felt that this book was a brilliant one to introduce me to Austen.

This book is simply stunning, it shows 200 years of Auten's covers with large photographs and very informative text. You don't have to be an Austen fan to appreciate this book, don't get me wrong, fans are going to love this and I would recommend this to any fan to enhance their collection. However this is perfect for anyone interested in history: publications and artwork.

I am not an Auten fan (due to the fact I have never read anything by her) but I am an art fan, having a degree in art makes me interested in seeing any art form. For me this is what captured my interest about the book. I just loved viewing all the different covers, there are some I am sure even if you are die hard fan you would not have known some of these editions existed.

I love that there is a timeline included and a complete description of the publisher, date of publication and other information you may find interesting. Personally I had no idea there were so many different variations of covers; from film tie ins, YA editions and in the modern world, ecopies!

This is going to be a book that takes pride of place on my coffee table and is a brilliant ice breaker. As I mentioned earlier in my review, I have never read any Austen books, this has certainly inspired me to begin reading her. The only question I have now is which edition do I choose? I will be returning to my book very shortly to pick my favourite and I will try to get hold of a copy!

I think I am going to be purchasing a second copy for a friend this Christmas, it is going to make a stunning present, one I know she will love!

I would like to thank Quirk for sending me this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.