Designer: Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich
Photographer: Richard Bradley
title: Set This House in Order
author: Matt Ruff
publisher: Harper Perennial, 2004
Designer: Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich
Photographer: Richard Bradley
title: Set This House in Order
author: Matt Ruff
publisher: Harper Perennial, 2004
One fan of Matt Ruff’s, Britta Kussin, designed her own jackets for three of his books. I wonder how many novelists receive gifts as awesome as that?
left: the real cover of Set This House In Order, a “road trip” book whose protagonists both suffer from multiple personality disorder (er, “disassociative personality disorder,” as my shrink brother-in-law is always quick to correct). One of the characters deals with this by building an imaginary house in his mind for the various personalities, with daily turns at “driving” the body. A fine cover in its own right imo.
— Eric Jacobsen, 2008-04-17 10:14:00
Well, seeing the ‘gift’ cover against the published one, its no contest: the gift cover gets my vote. Wow. I mean, the marketing department would have a fit because you can’t put a quote or sell line on it, but it certainly captures the essence of the book. The published one has the air of a domestic novel, something of the same literary tone as The Memory Keeper’s Daughter.
— Ingrid, 2008-04-17 10:31:00
I like the real one, but WOW the gift one is totally cool and wildly different.
— lisamm, 2008-04-17 11:20:00
I’ve got to say even though I love Roberto de Vicq’s work, I much more intrigued by the “gift” version. Especially once I knew more about the story. They are both beautiful and so different, but I’d love to see the three illustrated covers as a set! Wowee that’s be sweet.
— Jason, 2008-04-17 12:07:00
That published cover is horrid. It looks like a magazine ad for a bad Lifetime TV movie. The Britta Kussin covers have infinitely more artist merit, however, I’m not in love with the “Set This House in Order” version of hers. The “Sewer, Gas, and Electric” cover is smokin’ though.
— C-Dog, 2008-04-17 12:46:00
It may be the desired effect, but I think it works against it in this concept—I cannot focus on anything for the actual cover. Odd lettering, spacing and image solution. The gift covers are superb. Graphically intact and solid to look at and make you want to pick it up. My only complaint is that it feels like the trendy Graphic Novel look going around—which is cool, but perhaps misleading when you open the book and it’s a bunch of text… I would still buy it.
Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich is a wonderful designer and this cover is not bad, but it is a bit floaty and lacks that graphic strength that I think makes a good cover. Single focal point to assimulate/digest and get into. That makes a cover memorable. Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich has to have like a pen name though… geez that’s a mouth full. And I have a long last name…
Nice find for this post.
— ian shimkoviak, 2008-04-17 15:13:00
if you go here you will see a much much finer example of the hardcover:
http://devicq.com/Web4.htm#
now that gets my vote hands down… Wow, how an image can set things differently when viewed as a package.
— ian shimkoviak, 2008-04-17 15:17:00
I agree with Ian…the image on Roberto’s site ties it all together. The one displayed here isn’t representational at all of the actual book. Which means it probably came from Amazon. :)
— nate s., 2008-04-17 17:17:00
Based on this hardcover that Ian linked too, I really enjoy this cover.
— Jason Gabbert, 2008-04-17 18:08:00
Good find, Ian. I too see that cover in a different, and much more generous, light. It looks 50 times better…
— C-Dog, 2008-04-17 18:46:00
you’re right, Ian, the hardcover is hugely better
direct link: http://devicq.com/Covers_html/images/Set_HouseA.jpg
— Eric J, 2008-04-18 11:28:00
^ that shot is gorgeous
— rek, 2008-04-21 08:35:00
i`m very proud of my daughter britta
— Sabine Kussin, 2008-04-27 10:01:00
I agree about the cloth edition. The subtle orange and blue on the type makes all the difference. It makes the book look more imaginative, rather than some weird horror novel about a haunted house.
— jh, 2008-04-30 11:59:00
i weel like buy this program plese help me
my number 00966500704700
iam in saudi arabia
— jalal, 2008-06-22 22:47:00