I finally bought a book that I have been wanting since I first saw its cover jumping out at me from a library shelf.  Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a quiet, mysterious book about magic returning to England in the early 1800′s.  However, it was certainly for the cover that I paid for the hardcover edition.

William Webb, the jacket designer, boldly throws color and clutter to the wind and boils this book down to a design that connotes a certain mystique.  The dark cover is evocative of the gloom and dreariness found inside the rain-soaked pages.  That much black on the cover certainly helps the book stand out from others around it.

The type is well done I think, with a misshapen edges that are reminiscent of real letter-pressed fonts.  Spacing is nice vertically, the ampersand given and taking nice room and showing the importance of the connection between the two characters.  The kerning on the J in Jonathan seems to be a little too much though.

Lastly, although it has recieved its share of critiques, I think that the single small image of the crow is well done in this case.  The crow carries with it heavy symbolism, and reversing its color here is a nice twist.

Overall, this is one of my favorite book covers in the past few years.  Simple and elegant, yet dark and foreboding at the same time.  No matter how the book turns out to be I’m glad to have this piece sitting on the shelf.