Inarguably one of the most controversial books of all time.  In fact the further it gets away from it’s original date of publication the more this taboo grows with infamy. I figured that I would go off on this note because I couldn’t think of any other book that is more transgressive.

Request, nothing really else to say.

In Jr / Highschool because of having to move around I had to watch Charly 3 times, read this novel twice, and the short story a lonesome one time. I've been meaning to re-read it for a while, though I just re-watched Lawnmower Man if that counts for anything.

Great book, slightly above average movie.

“bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk!” 
― James Joyce, Finnegans Wake

This illustration was inspired by someone's sketch on how to read the novel.

“The sky is purple, the flare of a match behind a cupped hand is gold; the liquor is green, bright green, made from a thousand herbs, made from altars. Those who know enough to drink Chartreuse at Mardi Gras are lucky, because the distilled essence of the town burns in their bellies. Chartreuse glows in the dark, and if you drink enough of it, your eyes will turn bright green.” 
― Poppy Z. Brite, Lost Souls

Wanted to do something a little more direct.

This one actually came very easy to mind as I've read this book 500 times in my life.  Only took me 15 minutes to design...

“If there’s anything more important than my ego around, I want it caught and shot now.”

― Chuck Palahniuk, Choke

To me this is one of those books were you get lost in the words, not so much in the meaning.  It's hauntingly surreal.

“People don't get better, they just get smarter. When you get smarter you don't stop pulling the wings of flies, you just think of better reasons for doing it.” 
― Stephen King, Carrie

The design is actually based off of an lecture I just watched with Chip Kidd were he said that if you say apple and show an apple you're treating your audience like they're stupid. Thanks for the advice!

What can you say about the man who came up with the phrase, "hell is other people"?

"Be careful what you pretend to be because you are what you pretend to be."

The second book I thought of doing once I came up with the general concept of this blog.  Haven't gotten around to it until today.

Today's book actually doesn't exist, but definately should. I would pay good money for the script to David Lynch's seminal Eraserhead to be produced.

Out of the entire Bukowski cannon of work this might just be my favorite as it's the most emotionally involved that you ever get with Chuck's alter ego Henry Chinaski as he bounces from woman to woman in an endless circle of ambiguous relationships.  

Haven't read this since high school, however I've had no less than three requests for it.  Hope you like it nerds.

Another request for a book I've never read,  oh well.  This request was from Christopher of the band Thunder Bunny (a band I loved so much I decided to try to put out everything that they've ever recorded on my label).

Today's selection is Camus' The Stranger which was actually my first introduction to existentialist fiction.  It's one of those books that's classic for a reason, ashamedly I was a fan of The Cure song based off of the novel way too many years before I even heard of the correlation.

For some reason I decided to go for a bit of a Warhol feel for this one, because nothing makes me feel more existential than realizing how famous he was for what he did.

Warhol fans can send me hate mail to the address listed in the contact area.

Seeing as hardly anyone "liked" my last one, I take it that we don't have many poetry fans in the audience. Never let it be said that I'm not a placater or a panderer, today's book is one that's close to my heart. In fact I've read this book at least a dozen times. I even shed a tear or two when Hunter passed a few years ago. It's hard to say what kind of human being I would be today if I hadn't first picked up this book, but most likely I'd be a lot more well adjusted.

First foray into narrative poetry, Rimbaud's masterpiece of surreal images that would make Burroughs blush.  This book is a rite of passage for every goth kid who starts writing bad poetry in high school, myself not an exception.

Must admit haven't read it, it was a request from my fiance Emily. I do however love Jim's song The People Who Died and the Movie was good.

Kafka quite simply might be one of my favorite writers, but what most people see as depressing and surreal I tend to see as darkly comical.  So for the design I went with a snowflake of cockroaches. Not even entirely sure why, but I went with it. Still not sure about the violin, maybe if I ever get time to put more effort into these that'll disappear but it's there for now.  What do you think?

Toughest decision for Ennui Novelty Classics thus far as I had to sit here and decide which Orwell book to do a cover for.  1984 would be too obvious and with my favorite Down and Out in Paris and London I couldn't think of a central image that would represent it well enough so... here it is, Animal Farm.

Designed after a famous scene from the movie adaptation (I'm talking about & taking from movie adaptations an awful lot already with this blog, something I'll try to stop)

Yet honestly folks, it's what makes the world go 'round.  Even though I lifted my stage name for my group The Cryogenic Strawberries from this glaringly deviant fellow DeSade, I've never actually read this book or seen the movie adaptation.  *breaks down sobbing* I only read a 120 page biography!  I'm so ashamed!

Anyhow it's my new years resolution to finish it (half way through in only 8 months.)

Also... it's our first request!  
(Thanks Brian of Neon Lushell for the idea / request)

Today's book cover is for Bret Easton Ellis' Less Than Zero a book that while it was huge when it came out has been largely overshadowed by his subsequent novels such as American Psycho & Rules of Attraction.  Out of the three it is also the one with the most unfortunate movie adaptation.  It's truly one of those books that seriously makes you want you want to become a writer.

My choice for my first design for this project is a new cover for William S. Burroughs' second novel (The) Naked Lunch.  There have been both a lot of great designs for this book throughout it's 60+ years of infamy, as well as some that I never particularly cared for. Including the widely read 90's Jazz influenced neon yellow typographic cover.   I decided to go with a stark and dirty cover inspired by the Mugwumps of David Cronenberg's loose film adaptation of the novel.