I’ve just been on twitter and I see that several days ago the Hodder account @HodderFiction was – quite rightly – showing off its ‘irresistible new Mary Stewart editions’. Aren’t they gorgeous?
I am rather surprised that these are ‘new’: I don’t own any of these editions but I have been making eyes at them for some time on eBay and on Hodder’s Mary Stewart webpage – have these pages been using preview photos or something? [UPDATE: The four books featured in the photos will be published this Thursday (23 February 2017), according to a tweet by Melissa at Hodder. Thanks, Melissa.]
That was a fairly idle question – I’m just happy to look at the covers whether they are new or old. More pressingly, I am intrigued by the open book in the tweet photos: what is this?
Is this a book that shows all the Mary Stewart book covers that have ever been used? What is this book? How do I get my hands on a copy?? I replied to the tweet asking about this book and I’ll update this post if I receive a reply. If anyone here can answer me, please get in touch! [UPDATE: this is an in-house book of Hodder classics that is, sadly, unavailable to the public. I’m glad they have given us a glimpse of it.]
Meanwhile, what is your favourite Mary Stewart book cover? I adore the cover shown here for The Ivy Tree, and I like all of these covers (although I think it looks rather as though Charity is sporting a periwig or something on the Madam, Will You Talk? cover). Outside of these editions, I do have a fondness for the pulpy 60s paperbacks (see my Book Covers section for some examples). And, of course, if you’ve seen my last post, you will know that I delight in the cover by Herb Mott for The Spell of Mary Stewart, so much so that I’ve had a locket made of it.
Covers I’m less keen on are the ones in this series of re-issues by Hodder in 2011 (although I do like the brief bio and review quotes):
Oh and there is this horror from 1978.
The font! The orange background! And is the pouting woman supposed to be young Heather Macrae? Always makes me think of Geri Halliwell for some reason. Anyway, a dreadful cover but at least we are told the illustrator’s name: Robert Estall. I do resent on their behalf how rarely book cover illustrators are named.
Okay, now it’s your turn: please share your favourite or worst covers.
Mary Queen of Plots 
Fantastic article.
I agree, the pouting woman also reminds me of Geri Haliwell. Otherwise some cool covers
Cheers
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Thanks, Dave. I agree about the covers – I think these new ones are some of the best ever for Mary Stewart.
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Ack, I had a nearly whole set of the 2011 covers, and now I wish I’d waited, heh.
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Ah, I feel your pain!
I hate to think how many Stewarts, new and second-hand, I have bought over the years! I’m probably going to buy these ones, one or two at a time, and donate the 2011 ones to a charity shop or library. As I say, I’m not quite so keen on the 2011 books anyway so hopefully I won’t be struck by donor’s regret (still sorry I didn’t have room to keep all my 60s/70s copies that I bought 2nd hand in the 80s/90s… these can be quite hard to find in good condition now).
I’m also excited to see what the new issue of The Little Broomstick later this year will look like…
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The new Hodder cover art is really gorgeous. Two of my earlier favorites are the Charles Geer cover for Nine Coaches Waiting showing Linda & Philippe escaping at night, and the paperback cover for My Brother Michael showing Camilla at the theater at Delphi. Thanks for this topic.
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I agree about the new cover art, the more I look at it the more I love it! I think I might know the paperback covers you mean, are they US copies, by Morrow? If I’m thinking of the right ones, I like those too.
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umm, i’ve only seen them online ( i’ve purchased the omnibus editions of most of Mary’s novels) The Nine Coaches Waiting art is set at night with Valmy looming at the top. The My Brother Michael art was possibly for a mass market paperback edition (Crest, I think) but really captured my imagination.
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Ah okay, I’ve had a look online and seen the Geer cover, it’s the cover I guessed; and I see that the My Brother Michael cover was a Crest paperback (60c!): it’s the one where Camilla is in a red dress and half-turned round as though startled by a noise above and behind her. Yes these are gorgeous covers!
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The new covers look gorgeous – sadly I currently have all of them (across a range of editions) and can’t justify buying the new ones. At least, not until they fall apart from being read so much :p
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They are the best I’ve seen for her books in the UK. Ha, I like your thinking on replacement planning!
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I love these covers; they’re on the kindle ebooks in the US, too. I can’t find any information on the illustrator, though. Is there anything in the print book that says who did them?
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Hi Kit, thanks for getting in touch. Yes, details are given on the back cover of the paperbacks. When I have added book images to the blog I have captioned with illustrator info when I have it but this isn’t always visible on wordpress – I have just been tinkering with my book covers gallery section but can’t seem to get the captions visible. So here is the information:
Madam, Will You Talk?, Hodder pb 2017. Illustr ‘Driving a Peugeot car is fashionable’, 1934 (colour litho) French school (20th century)/Private collection/Archives Chormet/Bridgeman Images. Clouds: Shutterstock.com
Wildfire at Midnight, Hodder pb 2017. Illustr Swim Ink 2 LLC/Contributor/Getty Images
Nine Coaches Waiting, Hodder 2017. Illustr Swim Ink 2 LLC/Contributor/Getty Images
My Brother Michael, Hodder pb 2017. Illustr Everett Collection/Mary Evans
The Ivy Tree, Hodder 2017. Illustr TFL from the London Transport Museum Collection
This Rough Magic, Hodder pb 2017. Illustr Mary Evans Picture Library/Onslow Auctions Ltd
The Gabriel Hounds, Hodder pb 2017. Illustr Mary Evans Picture Library/Onslow Auctions Ltd
The Wind Off the Small Isles and The Lost One, Hodder pb 2017. Illustr Swim Ink 2 LLC/Contributor/Getty Images
Stormy Petrel, Hodder pb 2017. Illustr The Lake District for Holidays c1930 (colour litho) Mace, John (b1899)/Private collection/photo copyright Christie’s Images/Bridgeman Images
Rose Cottage, Hodder pb 2017. Illustr TFL from the London Transport Museum collection
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Thanks so much for the information!
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That is so odd – I would have sworn looking at them that they were all done by the same person since the styles are consistently similar. It’s disappointing that they only have the licensing information rather than the “who did it” for each of the pictures.
I’ve never read a Mary Stewart book, but the recent Amazon sale for Kindle had me look at every one of these, specifically because of the amazing cover art – there are several i’d like to have as art hanging on my wall at home! Good job by the publisher on these – they definitely caught my eye.
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