Books and Their Titles: How the Front Page Started to Land on the Cover

Quite a few years ago Russell Baker pointed out that he thought books were getting bigger. They were longer. There were novels that were stretching hundreds of pages beyond what he thought was normal. He attributed this to the advent of computers and word processing. Writing was no longer as fatiguing as it had been. Physical effort was diminished, so people were writing more. Thus, books emerged in need of diets.

I once read that William Faulkner wrote a novel, in longhand, on the reverse side of pages from a previous novel he had written, also in longhand. I don't know what either of the novels were, or, if they ended up being of nearly equal length. But the man was Green before Green was a political party.

It is quite possible I'm noticing something that's been going on for a while. But when I test my theory with the daily book reviews, if it is not something new, it certainly is something that is continuing. Book titles are getting longer. At least for non-fiction works.

A book just came out Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is Another Way for Africa.

Another book I read about today, has the sub-heading on top of the title:

HOW A BUNCH OF NOBODIES

CREATED THE WORLD'S

GREATEST ENCYCLOPEDIA

THE

WIKIPEDIA

REVOLUTION

The book The Dead Beat came out in 2006. It is a highly entertaining account of the artistry that's going on in obituary writing and how our lives might some day be summed up by the practitioners of the art. (There are however no clues in the book on how we might spiritually stick around and somehow read just who wrote what about us. And perhaps get even.)

Like all good books, it does have a cover. The title is on the cover. But it is surrounded by lively text, in different fonts that additionally tell us:

This

PUBLICATION,

proudly sets forth under the title of:

THE

DEAD BEAT

will gratify

THE READER

with a survey both humorous and poignant

of the wonders enfolded in the pages of an ordinary newspaper,

and including many marvelous tales to

LOST LUCKY

SOULS STIFFS

and the

PERVERSE PLEASURES

of OBITUARIES

As witnessed and faithfully recorded by

MARILYN JOHNSON

The Lost Souls/Lucky Stiffs words surround a picture of a raven, which of course is saying something. The point is well made. You can buy a book just for its cover. I think I did. It is advertising.

Ms. Johnson has another book forthcoming, this one about librarians, or cybrarians, depending on who you encounter. The cover has not yet been designed, but the title does seem to continue with the come on in, barker approach.

THIS BOOK IS OVERDUE!

How Librarians and

Cybrarians Can Save Us All

Compared to the other book's title, this one's been to the gym. But either way, with titles this good, the books won't disappoint.

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