Justine Larbalestier

reading, writing, eating, drinking, sport

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Magic’s Child in Brazil & Japan

Just arrived from the fabulous Whitney Lee: Brazilian (Editora Record) and Japanese (Hayakawa) editions of Magic’s Child. This means there are now complete sets of the trilogy in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan & the US of A. W00t!

Very happy making indeed. I really adore all the different covers the trilogy has gotten around the world. I still love the German ones best. Though the Japanese and Brazilian ones are a very close second. I like that the Japanese designs are so strongly influenced by events and characters in the book. While the stylised clean design of the Brazilian covers is just gorgeous. And also reflects the books quite accurately.

Here’s the two different Magic’s Child covers. The Japanese cover is on the right:

And here’s the Brazilian editions of the whole trilogy:

And the Japanese versions:

I love them all. What do you think?

Posted by Justine at 13:10, 18 April 2009 under Magic or Madness trilogy, Praising | 15 Comments »

Comments

  1. jill Says:

    wow. the japenese ones are so vastly different from anything I would have imagined for the books. fun though. the both look so much younger than the books actual age appeal, but i do like them. still the the US covers are pretty cool.

    April 18th, 2009 at 1:39 pm

  2. Karen Says:

    Both sets terrific in their own ways, though I have to say it’s the Brazillian ones that really knock me out.

    April 18th, 2009 at 1:39 pm

  3. Maggie Says:

    I like the Brazilian ones a smidge (and only a very little smidge) better, but in both editions, Magic’s child is by far the prettiest. Why is this?

    April 18th, 2009 at 2:01 pm

  4. Sarah S Says:

    I love all the covers.

    Not really connected to this blog, but I adore the cover of “Liar”.

    April 18th, 2009 at 3:57 pm

  5. Rachel Says:

    The Brazilian ones are beautiful, but I also love Japan! Congratulations!

    April 18th, 2009 at 4:03 pm

  6. Sarah Cross Says:

    I looooove the Japanese covers! That’s my favorite art style, and these are beautiful. I especially love that there’s something floating/swirling around in each one: butterflies, feathers, flowers. Such a great detail to tie them all together.

    April 18th, 2009 at 4:31 pm

  7. JS Bangs Says:

    Those Japanese covers are the best. I love all of them, but especially the last one. Why does Japan get all of the good book covers?

    April 18th, 2009 at 5:02 pm

  8. tess Says:

    The Japanese ones are my favourites. I love covers where it looks like the designer might have actually read the books. I would have liked Jay-Tee to be on Magic’s Child instead of Reason, just to balance things out, but ah well. Such is life.

    April 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pm

  9. 9. Justine Says:

    tess: That’s interesting I assumed it was Jay-Tee. And Reason on the front of Magic or Madness. The hair’s different.

    April 18th, 2009 at 5:23 pm

  10. Suzi Says:

    I’m just curious, do foreign publishers talk to you or your agent about not translating the titles exactly as they are in English? I realise due to the differences in languages that, of course, sometimes the original title doesn’t mean exactly what you want it to mean when you directly translate it, but the Japanese titles are, “Me and the witch’s (magic woman’s) door”, “The light that captured me” and “The magic inside me”. Do you know about these kinds of things or do you just hope for the best possible translation when your agent sells the foreign rights to your book?

    April 18th, 2009 at 6:57 pm

  11. 11. Justine Says:

    Suzi: I’ve only been consulted about the title of a translation of one of my books once. And I basically said I don’t know your language so I have no idea what would sound best and make the most sense. Do whatever you think is best.

    I have always hoped that a translator would send me queries about what I meant when I wrote certain phrases or words. Because other writers I know get such queries. But that has never happened. *Sigh*

    April 18th, 2009 at 9:02 pm

  12. mb Says:

    I assumed it was Jay-Tee on Magic’s Child because she’s dancing, right?

    April 19th, 2009 at 9:09 am

  13. Hillary! Says:

    I am going to disagree with you, Justine. I do not like the German covers. Well, they are very pretty. But what do they have to do with the story? It looks like someone just took very pretty pictures and then made them even prettier with the computer without even reading the story. I love the Japanese covers. And I thought that Jay-Tee was on the last cover. She seems to be dancing, and Jay-Tee loved to dance. But they do look very similar. So maybe Tess is right.

    April 20th, 2009 at 11:49 am

  14. Amber Says:

    I love the Japanese covers best! I would so pick up a book with a cover like that. I don’t really like the US covers and only read it because I knew who you were, not because of the cover (covers do help me pick out books).

    April 20th, 2009 at 1:22 pm

  15. yza Says:

    The Japanese covers are so cute, but I really like the Brazilian ones better.

    April 21st, 2009 at 8:18 pm

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