Daily Bookshot: Known by Two Names
January 22, 2010 by Rob
Filed under Daily BookShot
I’m sure many of you will recognise this book in an instant because it is rather old, and it has been out in the wild for some time now (this edition 2001). Having only netted it myself last week though, it’s a new one to me, and I think it looks rather exquisite; both in terms of cover and content (the content is a collection of short stories from Divakaruni, which depict life in the East and the West).
So, does it ring a bell with anyone then? Well the cover artwork may well do (it’s the creation of Stuart Haygarth, an artist who specialises in creating art from found things), but the title may well be throwing a few people off. And that’s because the book’s UK publisher, Abacus republished this in 2005 under a different title. So now it is perhaps more commonly known as The Lives of Strangers (which just so happens to be the title of one of the enclosed stories).
So mystery solved? Well almost!
I’m not as worldly-wise as most people are, and I for one can’t remember any instances of an English-language work of fiction being republished under a different title. Of course I’ve heard of a multitude of titles being republished with an updated cover, but never with a different title. So worldly-wise, throw some examples at me. I’d love to be enlightened.
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Rob, a self-confessed bibliophile, is without any hope of rehabilitation. He gets unnaturally excited over anything book-shaped, and if book sniffing were a crime then he would have been locked up years ago (which wouldn't bother him in the slightest provided his cell were lined with books)
a lovely shot ,the cover seems to sum up all the images you could get from east and west
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Rob Reply:
January 24th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
It’s a cracking cover Stu, and make no mistake!
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I read her “Queen of Dreams” a while ago and would like to try more of her works. Maybe this one will be the next one(under whichever title is here in the US!).
I know there has been a few instances of title changes, but right now all I can think of is when “Q & A” by Vikas Swarup got its’ title changed to “Slumdog Millionaire”. Oh, and Agatha Christie had a few of her titles changed when they were published in America.
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Rob Reply:
January 24th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Hi Valerie,
Thank for stopping by. Your partial endorsement of the author is much appreciated. She is still a complete unknown to me until I get into this collection, so you’ve helped to boost my confidence in her somewhat.
As for title changes, of course ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. I remember Swarup mentioning that title change in an interview around the time. As for the Chrisities, emm… not being a big Christie fan (Am I bad? Sorry!) I would never have known that. Any particular reason why the titles were changed? I presume to appeal better to the US market.
Warmest
Rob
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Valerie Reply:
January 25th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
I haven’t read Christie in years and years, but I remember that the title currently known as “And Then There Were None” was previously “Ten Little Indians” — and before that, originally published in England as “Ten Little N****”. So that’d be three different titles for one book. That’s the only instance I can think of right now!
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Rob Reply:
January 26th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Thanks for that Valerie. If your edited ‘N’ word is the word I’m thinking it is, then I’m certainly a lot happier with the book’s modern title.
Warmest
Rob
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