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MorriganJade t1_jduub6o wrote

Most of Lolita's covers are maybe not ugly but just not good for the story, with a young girl on the cover which Nabokov explicitly said he didn't want (there's even one of a girl biting an apple, like the forbidden fruit, happily, which is so not the point of the book), or there's the Everymans library one with a fairly ugly picture of Nabokov on the cover which, without knowing makes you think that's Humbert. I managed to find one with a plain blue cover

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glister_and_gold OP t1_jduw65e wrote

“I want pure colors, melting clouds, accurately drawn details, a sunburst above a receding road with the light reflected in furrows and ruts, after rain. And no girls.” His description of the cover he wanted was so eloquent. I really wish someone had done that.

I think my favorite existing cover was the one with a man’s shoe stepping in discarded bubblegum, by Yuko Shimizu. It gave me instant insight into the book’s themes.

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MorriganJade t1_jduxjne wrote

I haven't seen that one but I've seen a concept one that was never made with a lollipop smashed on the ground that was really good

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SmolPandas t1_je9jnt6 wrote

this is how the prose of lolita feels to me. i would love that cover

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Ayjayyyx t1_jdvbtpp wrote

Yep, I just have the orange penguin cover. It only has lettering which is best for this type of book.

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stone_and_fury t1_jdya80u wrote

The Lolita podcast by Jamie Loftus features an episode that goes into detail about all the various covers. The podcast as a whole is excellent.

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