Let’s take a closer look at this highly unusual cover.
Here we have a bearded man, a wonderfully bearded man, wearing a tuxedo, holding in his hands both a plentiful bounty of mushrooms as well as a brass trumpet.
This man appears to be climbing a hill, ducking underneath the branches of an isolated tree, on a foggy morning, with some sort of school/hospital/building with a railing in the background.
This man is smiling. But why?
What type of man finds himself trudging up a hill in a tuxedo with a trumpet and an armful of mushrooms, “western” mushrooms if you believe this book cover? How is a man who wears a tuxedo on a hike unable to procure a simple bag for his mushrooms?
Is this man tripping on mushrooms? Is he a mushroom tripper posing as a symphony musician? Is he a symphony musician posing as a mushroom tripper? Is he on the run? To where and from whom?
And that smile? What of that smile?
So many questions about this book All That The Rain Promises and More…—otherwise known as “a hip pocket guide to western mushrooms.” Bonus points to this writer for working ellipses into a title.
In the world of terrible book covers (examples here and here), this cover might be at the top of the charts. But at least it’s entertaining.
And, yes, this is a real book and has a 5-star rating on Amazon. So, the saying holds true here, never judge a book by its cover.
