Don't judge a book by its (fingernail) cover

October 19, 2013 8:00 AM

The novels of Nicholson Baker (previously, previously) in nail art form. Via.
posted by Cash4Lead (13 comments total)

Shouldn't "The Anthologist" have taken 8 fingers (although some would say 10)?
posted by mittens at 8:05 AM on October 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

Stephen King described Vox as an inconsequential fingernail paring of a book, which ties in nicely
posted by GallonOfAlan at 8:30 AM on October 19, 2013 [4 favorites]

Now I want to see nail art interpretations of works by other authors, e.g., Franz Kafka, DFW, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, John Irving, etc.
posted by carmicha at 8:32 AM on October 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

Stephen King described Vox as an inconsequential fingernail paring of a book

That is hilarious and incisive, because Stephen King's works are monuments of Western literature!

Also, if you're going to read Nicholson Baker, don't read just Vox. I mean really.

I love me some Nicholson Baker - one of the quirkiest, sincerest, and most individual writers we have. The long discursive ruminations on life's minutiae are great and slow time down a little.

I like this concept but I wish the nail art was better. My expectations are probably too high, because there's some insanely good nail art out there.
posted by Miko at 9:15 AM on October 19, 2013 [2 favorites]

I like this concept but I wish the nail art was better.
Subordinate claws.
posted by islander at 9:45 AM on October 19, 2013 [5 favorites]

Stephen King described his own work as the literary equivalent of a Big Mac. I think what he meant by his comment is that Vox was being heralded in the press, but he thought Baker could do a lot better.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 10:23 AM on October 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

I see, thanks for the context. Baker does do a lot better, both before and after Vox; he's got that category of books that's really focused on erotism, but most of his books really are better (even though I wouldn't say Vox was bad - it was just doing a particular thing intensively). And his essays are fantastic.
posted by Miko at 10:30 AM on October 19, 2013

Vox was the Baker "gateway novel" for me. Then I read Mezzanine and realized he's actually a great writer!
posted by ReeMonster at 10:52 AM on October 19, 2013 [2 favorites]

I dunno why, but nail art always gives me the heebie-jeebies. The ones in the article are especially "ewww".
posted by Thorzdad at 10:53 AM on October 19, 2013

I like this concept but I wish the nail art was better. My expectations are probably too high, because there's some insanely good nail art out there.

Yeah, those talons were kind of sloppy. I was hoping for neater, more graphic execution, given the material.

The newsprint nails you linked are actually pretty easy. I have done them with the adult classified ads and with the comics, and they looked amazing.

Thanks for reminding me it's time for glow in the dark skull nails again!
posted by louche mustachio at 11:35 AM on October 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

Now I just need to decide what literature I should use as inspiration for my next nail art.

I feel like a snob for saying that I could do better. But I could totally do better.
posted by bookish at 1:12 PM on October 19, 2013

I thought of trying for some Penguin Classics but I've got shit to do.


I JUST bought a small stack of old science fiction paperbacks because the covers were so beautiful.


ooh or maybe the classic Lord of the Rings covers...
posted by louche mustachio at 3:00 PM on October 19, 2013

Vox was the Baker "gateway novel" for me. Then I read Mezzanine and realized he's actually a great writer!

Same is true for me! I came for the lascivious content, but I stayed for the actually great writing.
posted by Miko at 7:51 PM on October 19, 2013