The Plague by Albert Camus
New York: Random House,(1972).
Translated by: Stuart Gilbert.
Cover Type: ITC Serif Gothic—with alternate characters
I’ve had this edition of The Plague sitting on my bookshelf for a few years. I could say it has remained untouched, but I’ve picked it up, turned the pages, and put it back on the shelf multiple times, deeming it “not the right time” to read it yet. That changed mid-March when I started reading it without hesitation. It was my first week working from home (being unquestionably privileged to be able to do so) and my first week practicing social distancing more strictly, which was a fun combination when a wave of depression hit simultaneously. In terms of the Nation state during this time, California Governor, Gavin Newsom, announced the closure of bars, winerys, and nightclubs to limit exposure to COVID-19, and shortly after that, issued a stay at home order for all of California due to the rapid spread of the pandemic. Things don’t need to go to hell before picking up this book, but wow, it’s fitting.
I won’t go into a review or synopsis of The Plague because that’s already available and accessible in many forms (and has picked up recently), but I want to highlight some of my favorite elements in terms of the design that really add to the tone of the book in all the right ways. This is a mass-market paperback, but there’s a lot of character packed into it with a simple use of ornaments. This edition is harder to come by at a reasonable price, if you’re looking online, but I’ve scanned some of the details that make it a favorite below.
The Cover
Cover type: ITC Serif Gothic designed by Herb Lubalin and Tony DeSpigna in 1972.
Cover Artist unknown and not credited. If you know, LMK!
Book design aside, if you want a way to break up time looking at social feeds full of quarantine activities and news cycles, give it a read. Support your local bookstore and purchase from them directly (if they’re open and delivering books) or through bookshop.org. If you don’t want to purchase, check your library for the e-book through Libby or CloudLibrary to see if it’s available to borrow. You can view some of these pages on the Internet Archive too!
The Plague by Albert Camus
New York: Random House,(1972).
Translated by: Stuart Gilbert.
Cover Type: ITC Serif Gothic—with alternate characters
I’ve had this edition of The Plague sitting on my bookshelf for a few years. I could say it has remained untouched, but I’ve picked it up, turned the pages, and put it back on the shelf multiple times, deeming it “not the right time” to read it yet. That changed mid-March when I started reading it without hesitation. It was my first week working from home (being unquestionably privileged to be able to do so) and my first week practicing social distancing more strictly, which was a fun combination when a wave of depression hit simultaneously. In terms of the Nation state during this time, California Governor, Gavin Newsom, announced the closure of bars, winerys, and nightclubs to limit exposure to COVID-19, and shortly after that, issued a stay at home order for all of California due to the rapid spread of the pandemic. Things don’t need to go to hell before picking up this book, but wow, it’s fitting.
I won’t go into a review or synopsis of The Plague because that’s already available and accessible in many forms (and has picked up recently), but I want to highlight some of my favorite elements in terms of the design that really add to the tone of the book in all the right ways. This is a mass-market paperback, but there’s a lot of character packed into it with a simple use of ornaments. This edition is harder to come by at a reasonable price, if you’re looking online, but I’ve scanned some of the details that make it a favorite below.
The Cover
Cover type: ITC Serif Gothic designed by Herb Lubalin and Tony DeSpigna in 1972.
Cover Artist unknown and not credited. If you know, LMK!
Book design aside, if you want a way to break up time looking at social feeds full of quarantine activities and news cycles, give it a read. Support your local bookstore and purchase from them directly (if they’re open and delivering books) or through bookshop.org. If you don’t want to purchase, check your library for the e-book through Libby or CloudLibrary to see if it’s available to borrow. You can view some of these pages on the Internet Archive too!
The Plague by Albert Camus
New York: Random House,(1972).
Translated by: Stuart Gilbert.
Cover Type: ITC Serif Gothic—with alternate characters
I’ve had this edition of The Plague sitting on my bookshelf for a few years. I could say it has remained untouched, but I’ve picked it up, turned the pages, and put it back on the shelf multiple times, deeming it “not the right time” to read it yet. That changed mid-March when I started reading it without hesitation. It was my first week working from home (being unquestionably privileged to be able to do so) and my first week practicing social distancing more strictly, which was a fun combination when a wave of depression hit simultaneously. In terms of the Nation state during this time, California Governor, Gavin Newsom, announced the closure of bars, winerys, and nightclubs to limit exposure to COVID-19, and shortly after that, issued a stay at home order for all of California due to the rapid spread of the pandemic. Things don’t need to go to hell before picking up this book, but wow, it’s fitting.
I won’t go into a review or synopsis of The Plague because that’s already available and accessible in many forms (and has picked up recently), but I want to highlight some of my favorite elements in terms of the design that really add to the tone of the book in all the right ways. This is a mass-market paperback, but there’s a lot of character packed into it with a simple use of ornaments. This edition is harder to come by at a reasonable price, if you’re looking online, but I’ve scanned some of the details that make it a favorite below.
The Cover
Cover type: ITC Serif Gothic designed by Herb Lubalin and Tony DeSpigna in 1972.
Cover Artist unknown and not credited. If you know, LMK!
Book design aside, if you want a way to break up time looking at social feeds full of quarantine activities and news cycles, give it a read. Support your local bookstore and purchase from them directly (if they’re open and delivering books) or through bookshop.org. If you don’t want to purchase, check your library for the e-book through Libby or CloudLibrary to see if it’s available to borrow. You can view some of these pages on the Internet Archive too!
The Plague by Albert Camus
New York: Random House,(1972).
Translated by: Stuart Gilbert.
Cover Type: ITC Serif Gothic—with alternate characters
I’ve had this edition of The Plague sitting on my bookshelf for a few years. I could say it has remained untouched, but I’ve picked it up, turned the pages, and put it back on the shelf multiple times, deeming it “not the right time” to read it yet. That changed mid-March when I started reading it without hesitation. It was my first week working from home (being unquestionably privileged to be able to do so) and my first week practicing social distancing more strictly, which was a fun combination when a wave of depression hit simultaneously. In terms of the Nation state during this time, California Governor, Gavin Newsom, announced the closure of bars, winerys, and nightclubs to limit exposure to COVID-19, and shortly after that, issued a stay at home order for all of California due to the rapid spread of the pandemic. Things don’t need to go to hell before picking up this book, but wow, it’s fitting.
I won’t go into a review or synopsis of The Plague because that’s already available and accessible in many forms (and has picked up recently), but I want to highlight some of my favorite elements in terms of the design that really add to the tone of the book in all the right ways. This is a mass-market paperback, but there’s a lot of character packed into it with a simple use of ornaments. This edition is harder to come by at a reasonable price, if you’re looking online, but I’ve scanned some of the details that make it a favorite below.
The Cover
Cover type: ITC Serif Gothic designed by Herb Lubalin and Tony DeSpigna in 1972.
Cover Artist unknown and not credited. If you know, LMK!
Book design aside, if you want a way to break up time looking at social feeds full of quarantine activities and news cycles, give it a read. Support your local bookstore and purchase from them directly (if they’re open and delivering books) or through bookshop.org. If you don’t want to purchase, check your library for the e-book through Libby or CloudLibrary to see if it’s available to borrow. You can view some of these pages on the Internet Archive too!