• Title: One Hundred Years of Solitude
• Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• ISBN: 9780141184999
• Extent: 432
• Spine width: 24mm
• Format: Paperback 129 x 198 mm
• Publisher: Penguin Modern Classics
• Age range: adult
• Genre: magical realism

With this title being a classic novel published in 1967, there have been a number of various cover designs over the years.

The present title, published in 2000 comes as part of the Penguin Modern Classics series, the design decisions made will coincide with the style of the series. The spine is in a mint green colour so when all of the titles are lined up on a shelf, they are uniform in colour.

The spine features the Penguin logo and as it is so recognisable they have decided to not include the word ‘Penguin’. This effect works as it creates a little amount of copy, creating a minimal effect on the cover.

The type used is a sans serif, which is also evident on the orange Penguin book series. Another way of making the series more iconic and recognisable. The colour of the type represents that of the mint green spine and back cover creating an effective colour scheme.

The back cover is also quite uniform in the mint coloured background and the positioning of the text. It seems that each title has the front cover to create individuality. They have gone with a photography-based cover of one of the characters, which often appeals to an adult audience. The composition of the cover is interesting, as the woman is very close to the bottom and the title is quite close to the top. It doesn’t seem to follow composition rules but I think it works because of the dark, muted background, which makes the woman and the title stand out well.