I see red
According to Penguin books, red is the new brown. The publisher has reprinted 30 classic novels, including Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, in new delicious-looking covers under the revamped brand name Red Classics.
I guess this is what you call repackaging old goods to attract new audiences. It may just work - I was sorely tempted to buy a handful of the things when I saw them on display during my lunchtime book browsing session today.
Click to see a full list of the titles currently available. Apparently more will be republished in April.
Some of those are nice covers but there are some I really didn't like -- Perfume for example.
Posted by: iliana | Tuesday, February 07, 2006 at 11:09 PM
I agree iliana, the cover of Perfume is a bit dull, isn't it? But I like the size of these books - alarmingly thin in comparison to today's modern authors - so you actually feel like you could read one a week, rather than one a month!
Posted by: kimbofo | Wednesday, February 08, 2006 at 10:19 AM
Oh. I thought Red Classics was referencing cold war era Soviet Block literature. Silly me.
Posted by: adrienne | Wednesday, February 08, 2006 at 10:27 PM
Adrienne, hehe. I bet that wasn't the intention behind the brand name! ;)
Posted by: kimbofo | Thursday, February 09, 2006 at 10:46 PM
Gee, the covers are actually appealing! Makes you want to read all these classics - good marketing job then?
Posted by: Melody | Saturday, February 11, 2006 at 10:16 AM
Yes, they're quite lovely, aren't they? Wouldn't mind the entire collection, although I have read some of the titles already...
Posted by: kimbofo | Saturday, February 11, 2006 at 10:41 PM
Red classics are available too in the Philippines. And i can't wait to pick up Bridge of San Luis Rey! Other editions here are way expensive ranging from ($12-16) but red classics only cost like ($4.50), so yeah, the price and the amazing covers are a great come-on!!
Posted by: julsitos | Friday, March 17, 2006 at 04:38 PM