Cover Art - I want Roses!

Use this forum to discuss the January 2021 Book of the month, "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley
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zulfiyya
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Re: Cover Art - I want Roses!

Post by zulfiyya »

She might have forgotten about it or never meant to. I sure forgot about it.
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Post by Chizioboli »

She actually overemphaasized about the roses in the first page. Those plaants on the cover page aren't roses to start with, they are actually hibiscus flower precisely. I believe she talked of those roses to draw the readers attention first, before starting off the book
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Post by SunVixen »

As I know, writers don't make covers. This is a job for publishers and cover artists. Someone decided to decorate the cover with pink hibiscus, and that someone probably wasn’t the author.

However, roses would be quite appropriate on this cover.
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Post by natasha juhl »

Symbols in novels are usually not always explicitly referenced numerous times. Sometimes this is because the author chose it to be that way, other times because they just forget. However with the significance of roses in this book, I see it more of a creative liberty the author took to let us interpret the meaning on our own.
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Post by leiabutler »

I agree that the roses would have made a nice link, but covers don't always have to specifically match the content! You know how books have alternate covers sometimes, like The Great Gatsby has more than 3 different covers, perhaps a clearer rose design could be something the author would pick or a designer would choose in a different cover version!
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Post by cjl1995 »

I agree that roses would have made for a symbolic cover because they are mentioned in the book. But the flowers on the cover look like a type of hibiscus flower, which is the national flower of Korea (the Hibiscus syriacus). I think these flowers also make a good cover since it symbolizes the Korean culture and how it "vanishes" dues to the Japanese occupation.
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Post by cjl1995 »

Brownbrit wrote: 01 Feb 2021, 15:20 At the beginning of the book, the narrator speaks lovingly about the roses that she cherishes gifted to her family and passed down. The cover art does not look like a rose. Is it? If not, why are these not the prized roses that were so important to spend a page on and then never mention again. In fact, the author did that a lot. Do you think that she just forgot?

The flowers on the cover are Hibiscus syriacus, which is the national flower of Korea! I agree that roses would be a good choice for the flower because they are mentioned in the book. But the use of the national flower is also a good symbol!
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Post by cjl1995 »

Ellylion wrote: 16 Feb 2021, 09:06
Krienkie wrote: 10 Feb 2021, 14:05 The roses would have made more sense. Is there any link to the flower on the cover and Korean culture?
I've learned that the flower on the cover represents Korean national symbol and can be interpreted as a rose :)
The flowers on the cover are Hibiscus syriacus, which is the national flower of Korea!
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Post by Sam Lauren »

Sou Hi wrote: 16 Feb 2021, 20:09 I remember there is a reviewer said that the flower on the cover is pink hibiscus. It's considered the national flower of South Korea, so I think the cover represents the country as a whole, or it could be that it's a symbol of Korea's freedom. As for the roses, it's Lady Sougyon's personal fondness, so it's not really necessary to place them on the cover, since Lady Sougyon is not the main focus of the story.
That's interesting! Thanks for doing the research. Hibiscus makes a lot more sense now. It still feels a little generic to me but I'm sure the writer was more concerned with story than of what the cover looked like.
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Post by Abacus »

"To each his own" - Everyone has a right to have different preferences or make different choices. Thank goodness we are all different and bring many preferences to the table, a full-blown rose, and a Hibiscus, both incredibly beautiful, in their own way. 🌺 I would be happy with either, but the author's choice of Hibiscus being South Korea's flower symbol satisfies me.
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Post by Upeksha »

cjl1995 wrote: 24 Feb 2021, 18:36 I agree that roses would have made for a symbolic cover because they are mentioned in the book. But the flowers on the cover look like a type of hibiscus flower, which is the national flower of Korea (the Hibiscus syriacus). I think these flowers also make a good cover since it symbolizes the Korean culture and how it "vanishes" dues to the Japanese occupation.
I had the same question in my mind as described in the topic. I think you have given a good explanation to it, so I totally agree with your point.
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Post by Megamind136 »

I think that a flower picture would have made more sense
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Post by britcott30 »

Yes, I think so too. The cover should be rose to match the story, but the flowers are not roses. Maybe it has to do with the art designer or publisher.
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Post by Dzejn_Crvena »

Sou Hi wrote: 16 Feb 2021, 20:09 I remember there is a reviewer said that the flower on the cover is pink hibiscus. It's considered the national flower of South Korea, so I think the cover represents the country as a whole, or it could be that it's a symbol of Korea's freedom. As for the roses, it's Lady Sougyon's personal fondness, so it's not really necessary to place them on the cover, since Lady Sougyon is not the main focus of the story.
I think this is a thorough explanation, if true. Well, I initially thought the author did not tell the book contents to the cover artist.
I'd appreciate it if there is a separate page for a glossary that will help the readers learn more about South Korea's symbolic items. Honestly, I find roses to be overused in many book covers, so this might be a deviation from the typical rose we know. Overall, the actual cover looks clean-cut to me.
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Post by jaym_tan »

The roses were a nice touch, both on the cover and it's wonderful inclusion in the storyline.
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