Shields in Pink!

Studying the various covers used for The Stone Diaries is interesting. My favorite one is the first image posted here; the copy I happen to own is the third example. These last two covers are the ones most readily available today. I kind of despise the black and white image of this woman though. It doesn’t seem to represent anything about the novel’s content. And, the pink copy with the image is even worse because the size of the book is larger and its pages have those fake hand-cut edges. After I decided I was going to work on this novel, my prof ordered a copy off of Amazon. I actually intended on giving him a copy. He seemed interested in the book and I happen to like giving friends copies of it. Any way I can get more people to read it…. Unfortunately, Amazon sent him the pink copy. The printing does insinuate some interesting things about how Penguin’s marking this book today and how much cultural capital is being investing in Shields’ most-excellent novel.

My prof responded with a tone of disappointment — “It’s very pink.”

I couldn’t contain my laughter and let out a *loud* cackle.

I know several book clubs around the nation have been reading this book. Clearly, Penguin’s playing up to this audience, forcing the novel to appeal primarily to a limited audience. (Keep your eye on Oprah’s Club). I’ve always hated that this is the way people tend to deal with Shields. Calling her a “woman’s author” or a woman who writes about and for women. I mean, yes, she wrote novels about women, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she wrote for women exclusively.

Feel free to vote on your favorite cover.