I have mentioned the work of John Fante a few times on this blog with particular reference made to the fact that he is one of my favourite American authors. On more than one occasion when I have been in the company of friends and had a novel of his on my person, it has been remarked that the covers of his books are rather impressive. I think this is due to the simplicity of them and as a result the “less is more” cool visual aesthetic of them. So, as much as we are told never to judge a book by its cover, in the case of Fante, exceptions can be made. By way of some visual literary celebration, and lets face it who doesn’t need some VLC from time to time, here are the four covers of the novels that centre on the life of protagonist Arturo Bandini, collectively known as The Bandini Quartet.
Image 1 – The Mookse and the Gripes
Image 2 – Justin Mitchell
Image 3 – The Gulf Scream
Image 4 – Happy Hour Lit