By Its Cover: Judy Blundell, T.C. Boyle, David Ebershoff

It is a veritable cultural force, a Monday night event, a dictator of trends, and, some say, a harbinger of the apocalypse. I refer, of course, to that singular bane of male existence, “Gossip Girl.” Since making the jump to the small screen last fall, Cecily von Ziegesar’s series of novels has ensnared a whole new audience in its pernicious spell.

But it seems that “Gossip Girl” (or, at least, “Gossip Girl” copycatting) has decided to re-infect the literary world. A number of recent novel covers seem to evoke a certain aura of Upper East Side teen girl-dom, almost as if to say, “Spotted: a novel you might enjoy!”









WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED

by Judy Blundell





A delicate, raven-haired young woman applies lipstick as she peers fearfully into the darkness that surrounds her. What could threaten such an innocent-looking girl? A past lover? A crazed suitor? A malicious rumor? Speaking of which, she seems to bear a passing resemblance to another slender brunette—I believe they call her “Blair?”And why, for that matter, do I even know the “Gossip Girl” characters’ names? I’ll never tell...







THE 19th WIFE

by David Ebershoff



A pale, naked woman stares ahead, with only her long, sunflower-hued braid in sharp focus. Her soft skin melts into the yellow-toned background, while a pink blossom in her hair provides the sole variety in color. Again, a mysterious female presented without any particular setting? I guess that’s just the theme this season. This cover seems strange, secretive, evocative of hidden truth. Perhaps we should discuss further—and that’s not gossip, is it?









TALK TALK

by T.C. Boyle



The jacket depicts nothing but three brilliantly white teeth and a lip—an extreme close-up of the corner of somebody’s mouth. The image is mildly grotesque, even shocking. But, turning the novel over, one finds an equally strange image: Boyle, the author, staring solemnly out from a photograph, a tuft of dyed hair falling across his forehead. Is this the 59-year-old author or a “Gossip Girl” character wannabe?

We’ll hold off on that question. Instead, let’s pose this one: what do those three teeth symbolize? Given the title, I’d say it might have something to do with scandal, secrets, and the unbridled rumors that follow. And given those options, what’s not to love?

—Evan T.R. Rosenman