Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Similar covers: Two couples

Here are another two sets of lookalike covers for you. First up, two different covers for Fred & Edie by Jill Dawson as well as The Nation’s Favourite Love Poems: A Selection of Romantic Verse edited by Daisy Goodwin. Below are Queen of the Underworld by Gail Godwin (also with two covers) and Sights Unseen by Kaye Gibbons.


I stuck both these sets in the same post because both feature a couple; it was only after I put them side by side that I realized they also feature similar colours: turquoise, orange and lavender.

Last week, I mentioned that I collect book covers—what I didn’t mention is that I started my collection by going through other people’s libraries on LibraryThing (when I was sick at one point), and I remember finding Fred & Edie and The Nation’s Favourite Love Poems in one person’s library!

I feel like that top photo is one that I should be able to identify, but I have no idea how. Does anyone know what it is? (If anyone has either of these books, please check!)

13 comments:

bermudaonion said...

I'm amazed that they use the same photos for different book covers.

Mary said...

It's almost like the couples kissing belong to the bodies dancing (or embracing).

claire said...

I love both the Fred & Edie designs. Reminds me of Oscar Hijuelos's A Simple Habana Melody. Not the same photo but the same feel. :)

rhapsodyinbooks said...

Great sleuthing job!

avisannschild said...

Me too, Kathy or rather, I'm amazed at how often it happens!

Mary, yes and the similar colours in the top and bottom covers makes that seem all the more true!

Claire, you're so right -- it almost looks like the same couple!

Thanks, rhapsodyinbooks!

Jenners said...

That is neat how the colors complement each other. And it does look like a photo that should be well-known or of famous poeple.

StephanieD said...

Ah, the dangers of using stock photography.

Ti said...

Even the coloring of the covers is the same... the same but tweaked.

Lenore said...

I love how good you are at finding these!

Amy said...

It's interesting how for Godwin's book the cover is the same but they tweaked the colors a little bit. I wonder why they changed the colors for the same book. And I wonder why for "Fred & Edie" they changed which side the woman and man are on when kissing and also aaltered the colors. It's really interesting. The Fred & Edie and Love Poems cover makes me think of old movies. The image seems so familiar but I can't think where I've seen it before. If i figure it out I'll be sure to let you know!

An Anonymous Child said...

I think it's legitimate for two editions of the same book to have the same cover but slightly tweaked. It's still one book, after all, and publishers often update the cover imagery a little when going from hardcover to paperback. On the other hand, it's those thirds that bother - it's a sign that these are standard issue covers and someone didn't do their homework...

J.T. Oldfield said...

In the one of the couple kissing, they guy totally looks like a chick. He seriously looks like he has make-up on at least.

In the second set, I like the middle one, because of the colors. I think they bring out the picture better.

Heather said...

wow, this is fascinating. I haven't come across duplicates like this, though now that you have brought the topic to my attention, I'll be watching.

thanks.