Judging Brideshead by Its Covers
Evelyn Waugh's most popular novel Brideshead Revisited has gone through many cover designs through the years. Let's take a few moments to appreciate some of the highlights and oddities.
1945, Chapman and Hall (first UK edition)
1945; Little, Brown and Company
1951; Penguin Books
1962; Penguin Modern Classics (Aloysius!)
1967; Penguin Books
1979; Little Brown and Company
1981; Penguin
1983 miniseries tie-in edition
1990; Penguin Classic
1993; Everyman's Library
1999; Penguin Books
1999; Back Bay Books
2000; Penguin
2000; Penguin
2008; Back Bay Books (movie tie-in "Evil Lady Marchmain" edition)
2011; Penguin
2012; Back Bay Books
I love that the cover designers kept coming back around to the spirit of the original edition's ornate design. This is a good instinct, and it shows that there remains a perennial understanding of the book's nature.