Looking for a book with a specific cover...

[ewomack]

Hello, I figured this forum might prove fruitful for a more detailed book search, as I'm sure many book buying connoisseurs post here.

George Orwell's A Clergyman's Daughter is not a difficult book to find (I've also heard it doesn't rank among his best), but I'm looking for a very specific cover (attached). Why? Well, because I have all of his other books available in that cover format (other attachment; Animal Farm and 1984 did not appear in that specific series, to my knowledge). I know it sounds bizarre, but I'd just like to find that one specific book. So far, I have had no luck after perhaps a month or two of searching. I've found plenty of other copies, of course, just not that specific cover. So far, I have searched ebay, Better World Books, Abe books, and a few other used book sites I cannot remember.

First, does anyone have this specific version that they would like to part with (PM me)? Second, does anyone have any advice on how to find such a specific cover for an otherwise easy to find book. This particular series and design appeared during the mid-late 1990s, so it's not incredibly old.

Thank you!

[ewomack]

Almost a month later, I'm still looking

There can't be anything rare about it. I think that particular series circulated around the 1990s. Copies of every other Orwell title of that cover series were very easy to find.

Onward, I guess.

[ewomack]

Almost two months later, and I'm still looking.

I did not think that locating a specific cover of an otherwise easily obtained book would prove so onerous.

I guess I'll just keep looking. How long will it take before I give up?

[Chris OConnor]

Have you tried to use Google lens?

[ewomack]

Have you tried to use Google lens?

That's a good suggestion. First I had to learn about Google Lens. I had never heard of it. I downloaded the app, scanned the picture from the post above of the book cover and it sadly didn't come up with any matches.

That was a really good suggestion, though. Thank you!

[ewomack]

A copy of the long searched for book with the desired cover came up today in a random Google search. I had performed this same search dozens of times and it had never appeared before. I would have definitely seen it, since it included a photo of the cover. Clicking on the image took me to a site called "depop," which listed it as selling for $8.00. I went there only to find no "buy" button or any obvious way to purchase it whatsoever. The seller's site had a message that said "DM me before any purchases," so I went to do that and the item only then said "no longer available." I messaged the seller anyway, but I have a feeling that it's long gone. The site did include a picture of the back of the book, but taken at enough of a distance so that the ISBN looks fuzzy. I've attached the clearest magnification that I could muster given the original picture's resolution. It appears to be something like: 0-13-418045-0? The "3" could be a "5?" The "4s" could be "6s?" None of those variations produced anything (yet) in a search. Does anyone see anything different? Knowing the ISBN could perhaps help in this search.

So, yes, the search continues. I've scoured local used bookstores, countless internet sites and I've only seen the book twice. Once as an image for a review, not for a sale, and now this. The quest continues.

[ewomack]

The ISBN on the back of the photo above won't help me after all, because it appears to match the ISBN 10 of the most recent cover: 0156180650. So it goes. Oh well.

So it appears I will have to go by pictures. Some of the listings on website have the most recent cover and say "Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different" - do I start contacting them and asking "do you have this specific cover?" Seems a little crazy, but perhaps that's the next route?

I found all of the rest of the books shown above very quickly and with almost no effort. I didn't expect a massive challenge at the end.

[ewomack]

I feel like I should keep this thread updated to determine just how long it takes to find something that I thought would be incredibly easy.

Still no sign of that particular version of that book. I have seen countless upon countless examples of the book itself, of course, but that particular cover seems increasingly elusive. Querying individual sellers has done no good, since only one ever replied. But I tried. Every once in a while, I pop into a few used book stores "just in case," but still nothing.

Perhaps this experience will teach me that pursuing a book for its cover will ultimately prove futile. If I wanted just about any other cover of that book, I would have it by now. I've even seen an extremely expensive first edition for sale, which, if I wanted to shell out the money, which I don't, I could obtain easier. But not that cover. I'm starting to wonder if all of the copies of that cover were remaindered and ultimately recycled.

[ewomack]

Well, serendipity played a role. I went to an online site just 15 minutes ago and the book with the right cover was showing for sale. I ordered it immediately and I think I probably won't believe it until it arrives and I see it in person.

I'll post pictures when it arrives and you can all finally be done with this bizarre thread.

[LanDroid]

Fingers crossed. Can hardly breath, turning blue with anticipation.