*grits teeth*

 buy it from  http://www.libertas.co.uk/product_detail.asp?ID=2113[OK. OK. So I know I'm a muppet. I still haven't a clue where the previous 2 posts have gone, though...

Right.

Where was I?

Oh yes...]

This morning I was devilish excited to see my signed copy of Sarah Waters' The Night Watch plop through my door.

On opening the package I was less thrilled.
"It's bloody scuffed" I moaned, "Someone hasn't wrapped it properly, it's all scratched... Bloody customer service... Bloody rip-off, slack-alice Britain.. Bloody [insert rant here]-"

At which point Mrs Gripes looked at the copy held in my white-knuckled grip and paused a moment.
"You know, " she said, without so much as a hint of a smirk, "I think it's supposed to look like that."

I looked again at my much-anticipated copy.

It is. It is designed to look scuffed.

Bloody wanker bastard graphic designers. I mean, who designs a book to look knackered? I mean, really?...

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Heh heh, I did the same thing with Master and Commander - hunted through a whole pile in Waterstones trying to find one that didn't have "dog-eared corners".

Anonymous said...

ooh i have ordered that and the new emma donohoe (donohue?) one from amazon... they should arrive next week.

Random Reflections said...

Curious things have been going on at my blog too. I just noticed that yesterday's post had reverted to a draft without me doing anything to it.

I have now republished it and it has appeared. Maybe that is what happened to yours yesterday? So perhaps you are not going insane after all.

30-Something said...

Does the book have pre-stuck bogies in the pages too for that extra authentic well thumbed look?

Anonymous said...

OOOhhh Ahhh.
How very exciting! I'm looking forwards to getting my hands on a copy.

The Gripes of Wrath said...

Well, if there are bogies on the pages, they might be Sarah Waters' bogies and so I could sell them and make a fortune on eBay...

Hmmm...*Wonders if anyone would buy author-bogies? And if so... how would they tell? and would I get away with fakery*

You've given me an idea 30-S!Want a share of the profits?

Anonymous said...

I'm with you. Nothing like the smell and feel of "new book". Scuffed on purpose? Oh HELL no. I'd send it back, ask for my money back and never buy from that publisher again. Fuck with ME, will you??

30-Something said...

A share of the profits? Hell yes! I might even trademark the word bogies. Can I do that?

mc said...

I was very excited by the scuffed look myself. Nice piece of retro design, I though. I'm now on page 370 and adding crumbs between the pages for that lived-in look.

straighttalker05 said...

I am SUPER jealous of you for being in ownership of that. I must demand the school librarian orders it for the library a.s.a.p. (No one has noticed that the 16+ section is full of gay novels).