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This week, Booking Through Thursday asks,
How do you feel about illustrations in your books? Graphs? Photos? Sketches?
I can’t say that I always spend a lot of time looking at them, but I like them. They just add a little extra something. I loved the illustrations China Miéville did for his own book, Un Lun Dun. They added just the perfect touch of whimsy to an already-charming story. And it was a lot of fun to see exactly what he had in mind when he described binjas!
How do you feel about any kinds of graphics in your books?
4 Comments
For a book like Hugo Cabret, it just made the book even richer. But even sparse illustrations, like in The Book Thief, can be so important and powerful. So yes, I definitely like them.
I love that you mention Un Lun Dun — China Mieville is one of my favorite authors, and I LOVED that he put his own illustrations in this book and felt they added a little something special to the story. I don't require illustrations, but think that on occasion, they can lend an interesting element to a story. I'm reading Leviathan right now, and like that it has illustrations.
I think that for adult fiction, I rather they didn't have pics. Non-fiction needs them. Here's mine.
That's a good point – sometimes the illustrations really do help readers see what the author wanted us to see. And I think if the illustrations are done well, they really should add to your enjoyment of the book. Good answer!
Here's mine.