For your consideration this time around we present the 1985 Bantam Skylark paperback edition of The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn. This is the second paperback edition (we've touched on the first paperback edition elsewhere) with Edward Gorey's unique cover matching the style of the other Bantam Skylark editions. It’s an interesting cover but one I’ve always thought odd. There is little-to-no shadowing within the tower room yet the figure pulling the trap door down is solid black. Maybe Hugo had been snooping around in the coal bin and was covered with dust and -- wait, wrong book. Never mind.
What say you?
I have to say this cover is at least a little bit less of a spoiler than the cover from First paperback printing. Although it is not too far of a leap to the solution if the reader were to consider the image after reading part of the book. I have to wonder of Hugo is blacked out to make this less of a spoiler. It does make it harder to identify the character unless you have read the book, and the place is not especially recognizable either until after you have read the book. I still like the original image quite a bit myself, except for the spoiler aspect.
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