Foreign Cover Friday is a weekly meme hosted by The Reading Fever, where foreign covers of the books we know and love are spotlighted and discussed. To join, either pick your favourite foreign cover, or pick many foreign covers, and start discussing!
This week I’m going with Unearthly by Cynthia Hand for two reasons: point the first: it’s the book I’m currently reading and point the second: it’s my birthday and I’m going to try to keep this post short so I can finish Unearthly and start on Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, my present from my hubs-to-be. It was published in 2011 so there aren’t a lot of foreign covers as yet, but the covers they do have are all interesting in their own ways.
Clara is part-angel. Through terrifying visions of a forest fire she is shown her purpose: to save a beautiful, unknown boy. When she finds Christian, the boy from her visions, he’s everything she could wish for. But Clara discovers there’s a darker side to her purpose. And if Christian is so perfect, why does she have feelings for someone else?
Because I live in the UK, this is my cover. It’s SO gorgeous. I first saw this cover on Amazon and didn’t realise it was the UK cover, so I was pretty stoked when I walked into the bookshop last week and found this baby waiting for me. Also, I have a thing for white hair – the heroine of my YA high fantasy, Innocence Frostcaller, has white hair. I’m drawn to it. I love the trees, which are important to the plot, the ethereal appearance of who I suspect must be Clara (even though it’s not entirely accurate) and the art designs over the top. It also doesn’t hurt that Richelle Mead, my favourite contemp YA author, has a comment on the cover.
This is the HarperTeen US cover. Although I don’t like the overuse of the blue palette, the girl is quite pretty and I love her dress and all the arty-farty stuff around the cover text. The ever-so-important trees are still there in the background, but I wonder what on earth is a girl in such a gorgeous dress doing wandering the woods outside?
This is the HarperCollins Australia cover. I like my cover better! Sorry, homeland. Although the girl is a more accurate description of Clara with the orange hair (and maybe the dress, I don’t know because I haven’t finished it yet). I love the pose Clara is using and the trees framing her, and the use of the pale orange in the background which, as anyone who’s ever lived through an Australian summer will tell you, is the red-orange rays of the sun filtering through the smoke of bushfire – an all too common occurrence in any Australian summer. Nice touch there, HarperCollins, appealing to this market directly! I think the text is a bit too basic to grab my attention, although the dress totally makes up for that. It’s gorgeous!
This is the Portuguese cover. I don’t like it very much. For a start it’s all blue. And then Clara appears to be naked. What’s up with that? She’s not a woman, she’s a teenager.
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These three covers are clearly heavily inspired by the US cover. The Croatian cover on the left is actually pretty cool. It’s toned down on the purple and it shows Clara’s wings while turning her blonde. The Polish cover in the middle lacks the wings of the Croatian version but has paled the purple even further, which I like a lot. Clara’s hair colour has also changed for this cover and the Spanish cover on the right, which out of all of them I believe I like the text design the best.
Croatian Translation: Angel Wings Polish Translation: Unearthly Spanish Translation: The Design of the Angel
I’d never watched The Princess and the Frog before I did so for this weekly Disney segment. I wish I hadn’t left it so long. It was released in 2009, so well after the established 8 Disney Princess franchise had been set up (around 2000-2001). Yet Tiana was easily added to the Princess line up in 2010 more than ten years after the last official Princess film was released (Mulan). Also, I always forget that I love jazz music until I listen to it, so I completely adore the soundtrack as well.
The film is based on a book that is based on a Grimm fairy tale, and the most interesting thing about the film (apart from being set in 1920 New Orleans with Disney’s first African American princess) is that the film is self-referential. The characters interact with the original tale, recognise it, and try to emulate it. This, of course, leads to more problems and conflicts as they then try to undo the spell cast on the Prince by an evil voodoo witchdoctor (voiced by my favourite voice actor, Keith David).
Scary, yes?
Working Class Princess
Now, let’s make one thing clear. Tiana’s not a princess. The closest thing the United State of America have to royalty is the First Family. Prince Naveen – a legitimate, if dishonoured royal – mistakes her for a princess because of the clothes she is wearing to a costume party – which is the first thing I hate about Naveen, but I’ll save my anti-Naveen rant for later. However, I love Tiana so much. I don’t know why this film, although selling better than the more recent hand-drawn films (Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Brother Bear) didn’t sell as well as the Renaissance films (from the 90s). I think basically in my opinion, The Princess and the Frog really paved the way for the roaring success of Tangled. Which is sad, because I once again underestimated a film (I refused to watch Cars for years, and it turned into my favourite Pixar film) and when I finally saw it, fell in love with it. Most of it.
Tiana is not only a waitress at two jobs, but a very competent cook, and shown studying cooking on the commute to work.
I fell in love with Tiana. Tiana is hard-working, a no-nonsense dream-catching go-getter. She’s working hard to achieve her dreams, working two jobs for years, putting up with heaps of negative feedback and being told she won’t achiever her dream from colleagues to real estate agents. There’s even a racial slur in the film which made me fumingly mad. Intentional, of course. Tiana has to fight against so much: gender, race, and a poor socio-economic background in the 1920s, a father who died in the Great War. She’s the toughest of all the Princesses, next to Mulan, because the society she lives in makes it hard for her to do what she wants.
The art styles used in Tiana's solo song "Almost There" were just amazing.
Tiana’s Pride, Tiana’s Dream
Tiana doesn’t believe in wishing. She believes in hard work. Her best friend, Charlotte, is a spoiled, shallow (but totally funny!) debutante and Tiana contrasts her so sharply sometimes I almost cut myself watching. See what I did there? Oh, Charlotte’s not all that bad. Tiana’s a good friend of hers. But Tiana still has to work twice as hard and twice as long as any of her friends to achieve her dream when Charlotte could simply throw the cost of one dress at her to help her open up her restaurant. Tiana works hard, and she’s proud of that fact. She tells Naveen, “I’ve had to work hard for everything I’ve got,” which really resounds with me, and I think it leaves a great message to its target audience. No more Domestic Goddess princesses. No more princesses who do nothing but wait for someone to rescue them. Tiana is on her way to getting what she wants, and she’s only 19. Even Belle (mon amie!) wanted something (adventure) but wouldn’t actively go seeking it of her own free will. Even Ariel (poor unfortunate soul) didn’t seek out Ursula until Flotsam and Jetsam suggested it. Tiana is on par with Jasmine, Mulan and Pocahontas who all sought their own path without outside influence and who, incidentally, are all non-Caucasian. Perhaps that’s because the non-Caucasian princesses are the most recent films, but maybe I’m sensing a theme here!
The dream is Tiana’s but it’s also Tiana’s father. Tiana’s mother, voiced by Oprah, has a role in the film. Oh my gosh, a present mother in a Disney film! No way! Gender reversing the films of the 90s, Tiana’s father is the absent parent. But he’s still present in a big way, because he’s the one influencing Tiana’s current dream. All she wants is to open her restaurant, which is exactly what her father wanted but never achieved. So the question is, is the dream really hers, or was it just pushed on to her by her father so often and for so long that she adopted it as her own dream?
Young Tiana and Adult Tiana wishing upon a star - a rare occurrence.
Frog Time
Yes, Tiana’s a black princess. I think that’s wonderful. I think she’s beautiful, both inside and out. Unfortunately, she spends the majority of her time as a frog, so we lose the visual images of a strong, confident, young black woman doing all these amazing, brave, independent things. I suppose the best thing about Tiana’s representation is that her black voice carries over in to the frog body. You can clearly hear the New Orleans twang. And she still carries over her amazing independent spirit and her strong will. If anything, she learns to become softer, and learns to let go of the dream she has kept tight for so long.
Naveen: That is new.
Now, I just have to have a Prince Naveen rant. The entire film is his fault. If you ask me, and clearly you asking me or you wouldn’t be reading this blog, the only thing Naveen has going for him is the fact that he isn’t black (I LOVE inter-racial couples, and I’m so impressed Disney put one in their first modern Princess movie) and that he changes from the lazy prince to an honest hard worker by the end of the film. It’s a good character arc, but because of the character he was when the film started, I don’t even like him by the end. Comparing him to Flynn Rider from Tangled, his contemporary Disney ‘Prince’, at least Flynn was also working hard to achieve his dream. Naveen just wants to marry some rich girl. He’s a total gold digger, and the exact gender opposite of some of the earlier Disney Princesses… mainly Giselle from Enchanted, who, despite not being a princess or really anything special at all, still harboured a fantasy to marry a prince.
As usual, Tiana does more than her fair share.
Sure, Naveen is supposed to redeem himself at the end by refusing to marry Charlotte and choosing to spend his life as a frog with Tiana but still… I’m not entirely convinced. And when they are both transformed back into humans (which is a totally cool loophole, BTW) he’s had the adventure of a lifetime and changed his ways, but Tiana? She’s going back to working hard her whole life despite being a princess now. Tiana doesn’t really have much of a character arc. She starts off independent and strong with a dream, and she ends up achieving that dream and snagging a prince as well. It’s the exact same line Sex and the City is trying to sell: you can be superwoman, you can have the career you want and be sexy and independent AND you can marry the (rich) prince of your dreams. I suppose what Tiana’s got going for her is that unlike her friend Charlotte, she’s not sitting around wishing for her life to happen, she’s out and living it.
Naveen and Tiana dance together at Tiana's Palace.
Now, I’ve written a lot about Tiana because these posts are a discussion of the Disney princesses, but quite honestly, Tiana was the best thing about this film (and the songs). I didn’t like the supporting characters and the plot had holes the size of my fist. I love Tiana and think the film should be seen on her merits alone. And as usual, I’m ending with a Disney kiss.
This post is very close to a theme that a good bloggy friend of mine, Gina, runs on her blog, Fantasy Casting: Where Books Become Movies. If you like our fantasy cast post, please hop on over and check out her awesome blog!
The other day I was watching Beauty and the Beast while the hubs was doing something ever-so-manly on his laptop when we got talking about who we’d cast in a modern live-action version of the film.
First of all, I insisted that the story is that well-known, imaginative, and loved that it could get away with colour-blind casting (as opposed to white-washing). Meaning that the characters don’t have to be identical to their original Disney counterparts. This is the cast we came up with.
For Belle we cast Freema Agyeman. My hubby is a Whovian, so he started out suggesting Karen Gillan. Yes, she’s pretty, yes she’s got legs… but Freema, out of all the Doctor’s companions, has the most beautiful facial structure. So she’s our Belle. We don’t know if she can sing, but so long as she can hold a tune she’ll be OK. Belle’s singing roles aren’t very demanding. I mean, we talked about Anne Hathaway, whom we both adore, but she seems like an obvious choice. I wanted to go with something a little left-field.
For the Beast, we tossed around several names based on their voice work. Considering the Beast would be spending most of his time under make-up, we decided on a man with a proven sexy growl that could also pull off being the Prince. Only problem is, Gerard Butler can’t pull off being only 21. So we’re casting a young version of Gerard Butler. He can keep the Scottish accent – we want the castle to be in Scotland, not France. And as a bonus, he can sing!
To play Gaston, Hugh Jackman has it all: the height, the looks, the voice, the incessant swagger. In fact, he’s already played Gaston, way back in the 90s. So we’re re-casting him as Gaston.
This is a picture of him as Gaston in the Australian Beauty and the Beast.
As Gaston’s sidekick, Lefou, we’re casting Neil Patrick Harris. not because he’s ugly (because he isn’t), but because he’s smaller than Hugh, he’s a great singer, and he and Hugh have already proved they have a great camaraderie together.
No one’s slick as Gaston, no one’s quick as Gaston… maybe not so flamboyantly.
As Lumiere, the almost grossly over-affectionate French candelabra, we cast David Tennant. Who better than the skinniest of weirdly attractive weasel-looking men than Tennant? And he can keep the Scottish accent – it would be so cool hearing Lumiere as a Scot!
Hubs and I are both huge Alan Rickman fans. We think he could do anything. Cogsworth is very tightly wound, and Rickman, because of his speech impediemnt, has very tight control over his voice. When I first suggested Rickman, Hubs said, “Cogsworth is more of a slapstick role, Rickman is very deadpan.” And I said, “Slapstick was huge in the 90s. Deadpan’s ‘in’ now. Imagine a deadpan Cogsworth.” It worked.
For Mrs Potts, we both wanted to re-cast Angela Lansbury. Can anyone else really do this role? Her voice was so iconic. But we decided she’s simply too old. Hubs wanted Alex Kingston. I wondered if Ms Kingston could sing. I also swear this is the last Doctor Who actor we’re using.
I’m simply fixated on the idea of Queen Latifah as Wardrobe. It’s a small role, but Latifah could fill it full of sassiness and character. I think she’d be wonderful.
Who better than to play flirty, sexy feather duster Fifi than the most beautiful and sexy of all young starlets, Scarlett Johansson? I can’t think of anyone else.
As Belle’s father, Maurice, we cast Patrick Stewart. With facial hair! He’s got the presence to steal scenes and he’s got a great voice.
Last but not least is Chip.
Do you know what they do in the stage show? To get the size differences more accurate, they stick the actor (often a girl) playing Chip in a little cart with just her face showing.
Never mind the whole, “Oh look, there’s a teapot that’s as big as me!” Belle must be thinking when she reaches the castle. Personally, I hate this idea. I want our Chip to run around free, not be stuck rolling on a frickin’ cart. If I had my way, I’d cast Elle Fanning, because I think this girl (younger sister of Dakota) can do anything. I’d cast her as the shark in Jaws. I think she’s amazing.
She’s quite a bit older now – a teenager, I do believe – but whoever said Chip stopped aging when the spell was cast over the castle, anyway? Imagine Chip being a moody teenager!
So what do you think? What casting choices do you like?
Which ones do you dislike? Who would you prefer?
Let us know in the comments!
If you haven’t heard of Kody Keplinger, I suggest you get acquainted. She’s only like the coolest young adult author EVER. No, seriously you guys. Since most of my favourite authors are dead, I didn’t really have anyone to cyberstalk. Kody is going through that life-altering stage I went through when I learned about feminism at University. She’s written two books: The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) (out now) and Shut Out (September 5). And she’s only 20!
Anyway, so y’all should know that my favourite contemp series is Vampire Academy. And I’m not really into vampires. In fact, I came to the series late, just before book 5 was due out. And the only reason I decided to buy the books was because the protag, Rose, well her best friend is called Lissa. I guess it’s a vanity thing. When no one over the age of 40 can pronounce my name, I get a bit protective of it.
So I really only discovered Kody when I read the blurb for Shut Out. It’s based on a Greek myth called Lysistrata, and in her modern re-telling, the protag is named Lissa.
Yeah, I know. It’s a totally awesome name. Kody thinks so, too.
Foreign Cover Friday is a weekly meme hosted by The Reading Fever, where foreign covers of the books we know and love are spotlighted and discussed. To join, either pick your favourite foreign cover, or pick many foreign covers, and start discussing!
This week I’m going with Sabriel, one of the first YA books I ever read, and probably the first Australian fantasy I ever read as well. That also reminds me that I need to read it again very soon, because I love it. Here’s the blurb from Goodreads:
Since childhood, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who refuse to stay dead. But now her father, the Mage Abhorson, is missing, and Sabriel must cross into that world to find him. With Mogget, whose feline form hides a powerful, perhaps malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage, Sabriel travels deep into the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life and comes face to face with her own hidden destiny.
Here’s the cover it had when it was printed in 1995. Not very inspiring, right? We get a character that we can only tell is a girl because she’s got a hint of boobs, she’s wearing a very unattractive overcoat with a bandolier of – wait, what is that? Bells? That’s right, enchanted bells play an enormous part in this book. AWESOME! And that black thing behind her? That’s Kerrigor, a Very Bad Guy. Scary!
The left cover is the 2001 version from Allen and Unwin, which, from what I can remember, was like a re-launch or something. Suddenly these books exploded all over Australia. That’s a charter mark, by the way, if you haven’t read the books. The cover on the right is the hardcover version from 2004. It shows Mogget the white cat and some of the bells, and a hint of moon. Pretty, but not pick-up-able.
The cover on the left is the version I have, and is the CollinsVoyager 2004 print run. It’s SO pretty. Especially with the matching covers from the other two book from the trilogy, Lirael and Abhorson. The middle cover is also from 2004, from Eos, and the cover on the right is from 2008, by HarperTeen. I really like the simplicity and the gender-neutrality of these covers. It encourages boys as well as girls to read it.
This is the 2007 Italian cover, the 2009 Indonesian cover and the 2006 Russian cover. The Italian cover fails in my opinion, because it’s just too busy. it’s got the image at the bottom of the cover, the charter mark, the blue band across the top and then the author’s name and title in a random artwork that is meant to look like parchment? I don’t like it. However, I LOVE the Indonesian and Russian covers. The Indonesian cover has a touch of anime to it, while the Russian cover looks dark and intimidating. I can’t offer a translation for the Russian cover, sorry.
Here we have two French covers from 2009 and 2003, and a Portuguese cover from 2002. I really love the 2009 French cover. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Action-packed, Mogget cameos, the charter mark is there and it’s set in the snow, which is one of the more memorable scenes I can think of. I don’t like the 2003 version. Sabriel looks like a child, and she’s eighteen. The Portuguese cover is awesome, Sabriel looks totally bad-ass. It translates to The Mission Sabriel according to Google Translate.
Last, but not least, is the 2002 version by German publisher Heyne. Although this cover is totally gorgeous, with the purple border around the man with a sword in a blood-red cloak, it’s also just totally fail. The title translates to The Seventh Gate (which is important in the book) and the figure is clearly Sabriel’s dad, who has a very small role. This stands out because it doesn’t have Sabriel on it, and I wonder why they decided on this artwork. Did someone screw up the memo to the art department? The book is about a teenage girl, not a man.
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Lissa Bilyk 