Of course, the whole business is subjective, and tastes will vary. For instance, some here obviously like Van Hollander's form of kitsch, and have taken offense at my criticism of it. No one, however, should mistake the force of a given argument in such realms, be it pro or con, for an assertion of objective truth.
Myself, I can enjoy the Ballantine covers because they are unpretentious, imaginative, in their own way, and often simply so bad that they are hilariously funny. Also, they are fitting for mass market paperbound books, and may even serve a legitimate purpose as eye-catchers in a competitive market. On the other hand, I dislike such covers for the same reason that I dislike the CAS covers: They do not do justice to the dignity of the works, themselves, and, indeed, even trivialize them, in some instances. Again, though, in a mass market setting, this is at least marginally excusable, but not, in my view, in expensive limited editions published by specialty presses that will be sold primarily via mail order.
Quote:I don't envy the cover artists who must deploy these cliches in a fresh way.
Indeed, and part of what I find entertaining about the Ballantine covers is the game of spotting the quotations from the likes of Bosch, Bruegel, Magritte, and Dali.
