The Friday Face-Off was created by Books by Proxy, where each week bloggers can showcase books with covers centered around a weekly theme. You can visit Lynn’s Books for a list of upcoming themes. Join in the fun each Friday by finding a book whose cover is based on the theme!
This week’s theme: Summer solstice – the longest day of the year – Pagan rituals/standing stones/blazing suns.
So I sort of blanked this week, trying to think of a book. But I decided that when I think of Pagan rituals, I think of witches, so I chose The Witching Hour by Anne Rice, and at least one of these covers feels “pagan” to me, so let’s just go with it. Here are some of the covers I like best:
U.S. Knopf edition 1990 | Spanish edition 2019
UK edition 2004 | Spanish edition 2010
French edition 2004 | Danish edition 2002
Romanian edition 2002 | Russian edition 2016
The 1990 Knopf edition is the one I own, so I do love it for sentimental reasons. But I’ve fallen in love with the 2019 Spanish edition! It’s not very witchy but I think it’s beautiful:
I haven’t read this one but I like the looks of the Russian cover.
So I think I’m doing this feature all wrong. I just focused on the Summer part of the statement. Oh well, at least I’m having fun. I can honestly say I think all of these covers are pretty awful. I never have thought Anne Rice had the best covers. If I had to chose one, I would pick the first one. However, despite the bad covers, I loved this series and since I read it years ago, I would really like to reread them one of these days.
These covers all have a real otherworldly feel… my favourite is the Russian edition, which I think is beautiful and rather enticing.
I think I like the US Knopf 1990 edition best. I’ve only ever read Rice’s The Mummy, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. I’ve been meaning to check out Interview With the Vampire for awhile, though I’ve heard the movie of that one is better.
The cover for the Russian edition makes me think about Doctor Who’s episode “Blink”, which might not be pagan, but is weird and scary…
I love the one you chose! I also think the Russian one is stunning! I’ve always wanted to read an Anne Rice book!
I lean towards the Knopf edition, perhaps because that’s the one I own. None of the other covers really fit the book for me, though I do like the Russian and Spanish editions. I really enjoyed the Mayfair Witches stories. It’s been far too long since I’ve read anything by Anne Rice.
This week’s was tough, I kinda blanked too. I like your cover, as well as the Russian edition!
I also struggled this week – you’d think I’d cut myself some slack really and come up with an easy theme. Funnily enough, witches was exactly what I had in mind so it’s cool that you found something and I think your favourite is definitely my favourite.
Lynn
So many great covers here. I love the one you picked and the Russian one also really appeals to me.
Great choice. I own the first cover but I really like your choice.
I like your choice of the prompt! Its been fun to see everyone’s interpretations
I don’t love any of the covers for this book tho haha. I would probably choose the Russian edition 2016 but it reminds me too much of the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Great choice, I love this book. I am really digging that 2004 French edition!
That Spanish cover is gorgeous! I never did get around to The Witching Hour. I stalled at Blood and Gold in the Vampire Chronicles but I’d like to get back to it someday.