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We find ourselves back in Sweden this week with the cover of The Beautiful Mystery. Of the many foreign covers we’ve explored so far, the Swedish edition is the closest we’ve seen to almost matching ours. In previous posts, we’ve talked about the use of light as a powerful symbol, but these two covers put that idea in the forefront.
In The Beautiful Mystery, Chief Inspector Gamache travels to the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups, to investigate the death of a renowned choir director. Tucked into the wilderness, the monastery is a beacon of peace and reflection in the dark woods. The light shining through the trees on both jackets might also symbolize the illumination and discovery resulting from Gamache’s investigation.
Does the Agatha and Anthony Award callout on the top of the Swedish jacket bring a movie poster to mind? What actor would you pick to play Gamache?
For more information on the real place that inspired the monastery in The Beautiful Mystery, click this.
30 replies on “Gamache Goes Abroad: The Beautiful Mystery”
I really like the Swedish cover. It represents the title well combing beauty and mysteriousness.
I like both of them. the Swedish one evokes evil to me where the other peace.
It is difficult for me to decide which is best. Both convey the same thing – momentary peace and sanctuary.
U.S/Canada jacket cover. It is beautiful as is this book. My favourite. The colors evoke the peace of the monastery
The Beautiful Mystery is my favorite, both for locale and it’s unusual plot.
Both covers with the light shining through the trees invoke the biblical context that light and truth can permeate darkness and fear.
In this instance, although it’s difficult, I’ll stay with the US jacket cover.
It confuses me as to why the covers are different in each country. The story is the same and the author is the same!