BOOK CLUB: THE CLASSICS

Fashion illustrator Ruden Toledo makes it okay to judge a book by its cover.

Pride and Prejudice is a book that needs no selling—the story of love, life, and first impressions is just as good today as when Jane Austen first wrote it. Same goes for Emily Bronte’s epic Wuthering Heights and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s damning The Scarlet Letter.

But if we were to judge a book by its cover, we’d argue that these classic reads have never looked better, thanks to the creative vision of Ruben Toledo. The artist is behind the three Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions, illustrating the front flaps of each. While his surreal take on the Yorkshire moors or his Technicolor vision of Hester Prynne might not change the actual details of the plot, they certainly add a stylish edge to book club mainstays.

The series gets its official release on August 25, but they’re available now for pre-order. Which means you have enough time to check out his work at the exhibit Isabel Toledo: Fashion from the Inside Out (on view at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City through September 26) and watch the entire BBC version of Pride and Prejudice beforehand.

Finally, a book that looks so good, we won't mind staying home and reading on a Saturday night.
REBECCA WILLA DAVIS

$10.88 each at amazon.com.

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This story was published on June 24, 2009.