The Cover That Came Before the Book
Interesting Facts in Easy English
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- iconic: famous or well-known for its time
- float: to be up in the air; not resting on the ground
- manuscript: the written text of a book
- incorporate: to add in; to combine
- element: an aspect or detail
- adage: a proverb, a short statement of truth
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The Cover That Came Before the Book
Comprehension Questions
- Who is F. Scott Fitzgerald?
- What is featured on the cover of this classic literature?
- What is a bit backwards about this publishing story?
Discussion Questions: Do you judge books by their covers? Provide an example when a good cover caused you to read a good book, or when a good cover let you down.
Transcript
The Cover That Came Before the Book
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is one of the most famous books in American literature. It also has one of the most iconic book covers. The cover, designed by Francis Cugat, features two sad eyes and some bright red lips floating on a background of night sky. Before the manuscript was complete, the artist designed a cover based on an early conversation with Fitzgerald’s editor, Max Perkins. The writer saw the cover and incorporated some important elements of it into his story. This brings new meaning to the adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Answers
- F. Scott Fitzgerald is the author of a famous American novel called The Great Gatsby.
- The book cover features two eyes and a pair of lips floating on a background of night sky.
- The book cover helped inspire the story.
One comment
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English Club Indonesia says:
F. Scott Fitzgerald was a writer. Two eyes with lips in the background are featured on the cover of this classic literature. The cover, which came first before the content of the book itself, is a bit backwards in this publishing story. I do judge books by their covers. It’s a responsibility for writers and their teams to make covers that could attract readers. It’s essential.