Second Tuesday Trivia Contest!
Yesterday’s Publishers Weekly included an article on what messages covers are meant to convey to the reader. One of the covers discussed was that of The Temptation of the Night Jasmine. According to the PW article, the subliminal message indicated by the cover of Night Jasmine is that “[t]he heroine, while innocent and beautiful, also has a secret.” So… here’s this week’s question:
When you look at the cover of Night Jasmine, what does it say to you?
There is, quite clearly, no right or wrong answer to this question. (I thought it would be more entertaining for us all to have lots of opinions rather than the same correct answer seventy-three times over, as amusing as that was.) I’m just curious to see what message the cover conveys to you.
One commenter will be chosen at random to receive an advance copy of Night Jasmine— cover and all. Check back here Wednesday for the winner!
I think it says that she’s a daydreamer. She probably loves to read and in general is a nice person, but everyone says she has her head in the clouds.
She looks young and rather innocent. She also looks like she is distant from reality, mulling over some thought we can’t quite divine…The overall effect is old fashioned and sweet, and I really like it.
She looks very young, kind of sad, and very delicate. She seems very self-contained, but very ready to be loved at the same time
I think it conveys that she’s shy, timid, and not completely confident in her abilties. I think that the cover portrays Charlotte’s potential as a heroine in an unlikely girl, and that not only, as the heroine, is she destined for adventure, but that she will undergo personal growth or “grow into” herself.
she looks shy and like she is thinking off something far away. She seems innocent and like she really isn’t sure of herself.
She looks shy and pensive. She looks like the kind of young woman who is reserved, but strong. She might just not know how strong she is yet.
She does look young and innocent, but wistful and unsure are the words that come most to my mind when I look at the cover. Given the word “Temptation” in the title, I’d say it looks like she’s facing a moral dilemma and is weighing the consequences. (Unlike the representation of Mary, staring boldly off the cover of “Crimson Rose.” I love the contrast!)
The heroine looks young, shy, possibly does not know the extent of her beauty. She probably has a lot more going on in her mind than some people give her credit for – she looks dreamy. The title leads me to believe that the hero will be tempted by her, and that she will be tempted by him into a life that she has only dreamed about before.
She seems like she’s a bit of a dreamer, but with a touch of sadness. Something isn’t complete with her, yet. But she has the determination to see it will.
The heroine, being not only fair and beautiful, has a determination to her. I see it in the set of her mouth. It’s not frowning or wistful to me, but set. It’s as if she knows what she needs to do, and she’ll do it, no matter what.
She appears to be quiet and shy but beneath that, she has a silent resolve. She may not always say what’s on her mind, but that doesn’t mean she’s got nothing to say. Although she looks somewhat sad, I’m inclined to think that she’s just contemplating and reflecting. It looks as if she wants to come out of her shell and step outside the box for a change, but she isn’t sure quite how to do it or if it’s the right thing to do.
She looks like she’s deep in concentration…trying to resolve some problem. I think she shows signs of inner strength.
For me, the heroine is portrayed on the cover as shy and quiet, young and innocent, but comtemplative and calculating. The light in her eyes says she’s planning something, hoping for something…
I think she looks like she’s thinking of something that makes her just a touch sad and maybe trying to resolve those issues in her head.
In my opinion she looks kind of sad and pensive at the same time – as if she has some kind of a problem she doesn’t know what to do about.
I think the heroine looks very sad. There is something about herself and her life that she is unsure of. I think she is unsure if she will ever find what she’s looking for, maybe if the one she loves will ever return her love.
She definitely looks like she’s daydreaming…but there’s also something self-effacing about her. As if, as she’s daydreaming, she’s also thinking, “Oh, this is so interesting to me…but probably, no one else would think so.”
She looks like she’s daydreaming and waiting for someone or something to wake her up.
She is most definitely lost in thought, but I also wonder if she is looking at something below that provoked her thoughts. The angle of her glance seems to suggest that she is looking out a window well above ground level, but she does not seem to be actually seeing what’s below, but thinking of something else.
I think that it expresses a wistfulness and a dreaminess, with her expression and her eyes facing downward. All of the other covers feature a woman looking up or out, but Charlotte’s downward gaze indicates more self-posession.
I think there’s also a resolve there, a determination to meet any challenge forthcoming. It seems to me that she is depicted in the moment just before she meets the viewer’s eyes head-on.
This demure young lady looks both sad and deep in thought. The “temptation” from the title makes me think that she is considering either a moral dilemma or deciding whether to be true to herself vs. what others expect of her.
She looks shy and reserved. She’s poised and ladylike. She wants some excitement, but is scared to ask for it or seek it.
Ever since I’ve known the 5th Pink book was going to be about Charlotte, I wanted the color yellow or gold to be depicted in the book. Yellow seems to suit Charlotte because its a happy and innocent color and the thing that I remember most about Charlotte was that she was dressed up as a shepherdess with the stuffed sheep in the Black Tulip. So I was very happy when the cover showed her with beautiful gold hair and there were yellow jasmines.
I really do think this is a good cover for Charlotte’s book–she looks so sweet, demure and maybe…repressed (by the Dowager)? Or maybe I’m just reading too much into the cover. 🙂
I think she looks shy and rather innocent, though there seems to be a hint of irony in her subtle smile; as if the woman within is just waiting to break out, given the right circumstances (or the right man). She has been the observer in society for long enough, and now it is her turn to be part of the excitement. Can’t wait for her book to come out!
The message that this conveys?
“There’s more to me than meets the eye.”
She has a demure look about her. The (looks like) tulips in the corner convey a spring and innocence feel. And the background color has an almost rebel/ war like feeling. Lovely. =D
I think that she looks shy and not altogether there like she is day dreaming about something.
I think that she looks innocent and a little wistful. It makes me wonder what she is thinking.
I adore the cover of Night Jasmine. Charlotte looks very contemplative, and although she doesn’t quite resemble the Lady of the Lake—her desired costume for Lord Vaughn’s masquerade—she could pass for the Lady of Shallot, waiting in a dreamlike state for her Sir Lancelot to come to her rescue, or, in Charlotte’s case, her Duke of Dovedale. I think the cover conveys this feeling of pining love and epic escapades. But hopefully Charlotte’s romance ends better than poor Elaine of Astolat’s.
With her eyes angled down, I think she’s lost in thought. But there’s also the sense of shyness and timidness in that as well – can’t wait to find out what it is.
I heard it said once that when individuals cast their eyes down to the left, they are trying to access memory. (I have no idea if that’s true or not.) But going off that premise, perhaps she is recalling some childhood daydream of Robert. I also love the slight quirk to her smile – it tugs up slightly on one corner, which to me conveys an amused reflection on an adored subject… I think there is a subtlety with abject grace to her character. I absolutely can’t wait to read her story!
I get a feeling of resigned sadness. She looks slightly sad as though she remembers something she regrets.
She looks as though she’s lost in thought or a daydream of some sort…maybe like Jane quietly planning. The girl also looks a tad forlorn in her reverie.
I think the girl on the cover looks shy, introverted and maybe a little bit sad.
Catherine, that’s so neat! I never knew that before about casting one’s eyes to the left….
I think she looks contemplative and quiet. She looks like she is the kind of person who puts a lot of thought into her decisions.
She looks young, beautiful, thoughtful, and gentile
Her eyes seemed glazed, in a dream-like trance. She is having pleseant thoughts, because of the slight upturn of the corners of her mouth. Whatever it is that she is thinking of however, is secretive, for her face is still relaxed, seemingly in an effort to supress a full smile
She looks as if she is recalling a memory, which is most likely bittersweet. Otherwise, she seems quiet, delicate, and sweet.
I think that she wants and adventure like her other friends. She is also looking for love being a shy, timid person that is somewhat difficult
I think she looks sad and lonely, but she wants more from her life. She seems like the type of girl that is easily passed over without a second thought. She looks like there is something that is keeping her from standing out and being herself.
Charlotte seems complex; the tilt of her head and her calm expression suggest that she’s sweet and submissive. However, her wry smile is almost self-mocking, as if she feels a certain irony in her situation. Her delicacy of features ensure a knight in shining armor somewhere in her future.
She looks very timid and shy. I think she desperately wants adventure. She knows a secret but appears very unassuming underneath her demure exterior.
It doesn’t necessarily convey innocence to me, but a more complex wistfulness/sadness. It’s hard to divorce what I know of the plot… but it definitely seems appropriate that she’s dreaming of a “knight” who isn’t quite what he seems!
While I do see innocence (she appears young) and beauty, I also see some sadness, like she is struggling with something, perhaps that secret you mentioned.
She seems sweet but very lonely. She looks like shes used to fading into the background and letting others have the spotlight.
I agree that she has an innocence about her. She appears to be blushing as if she has just had an intimate encounter with a lover and she avoids our eyes knowing we might read her thoughts.
This cover shows the calm demeanor that she has, it portrays that she is a bit lonely in her dream world and it makes me want to know wether she gets to have the adventure she is seeking or waiting to encounter. It definitely has a grab on the public, i want to know why she seems so thoughtful, daydreamers are the best characters!
I keep thinking she’s sad over a lost love and what she should have done or maybe even, not done.. Will she ever get it back????
She looks melancholy to me… Not quite sad, but as if she has an empty or unfounded sense of regret. Like she’s remembering a conversation and realizing she said something that she now regrets. Or, perhaps she’s not been bold enough when she ought to have been. Self-critical. Not self-loathing, in fact I would guess that although she lacks confidence outwardly, she’s a very strong woman. She just looks to me like she’s second-guessing herself. And her second-guessing makes her go over (and over) in her mind her words, actions, and the like.
Definitely a lot to her story. She’s a fabulous image for a cover!
I see a young lady deep in thought. The slight tilt of the head, slight smile on her lips and flush of the face indicates that she is in love and dreaming of someone special. Although she looks demur, remember the old saying that “still waters run deep.” Henrietta would never have a friend who was a “milk sop”! I think we are all going to be suprised at dear Charlotte!
I think her expression looks thoughtful. Which is a little at odds with the very idyllic, traditional (i.e. woman are empty-headed but pretty look at idea in society) style of the picture as a whole. It seems to foreshadow a conflict between other’s perception of her and her true self.
She seems somewhat shy and sad. Charotte has always been a wall flower and even her aunt criticizes her. It seems like everyone around her is doing well and she’s left behind having to accept whatever is left over. Hopefully she’ll finally get what she is looking for!
she looks very naive, inocent. thinking of love, perhaps.melancholy about thoughts,taking a decission …
She looks like she is a reflective person who has spent too much time alone. I’m interested to see what adventure awaits her, and how she changes!
She looks like she’s waiting for her knight in shining armor, which she can almost see over a distant hill.
To me the young girl looks sad because she has found out something that will change her forever. It is as though she has found out a secret, and is taking one last moment to savor her innocence before she proceeds with the path the revealed secret will take her down.
Pensive. She looks deep in thought. Of what I’m not sure, but after I read the copy I just ordered from the library, I’ll let you known. 🙂
She looks lost in a daydream…content to dream the day away, creating a whole new world of possibilities.
She is contemplative and serious, but deep down has a wistful side that yearns to be loved.
To be honest, when I look at the cover, I go, “Oh! I didn’t expect Charlotte to be a blonde.” ;-D (I definitely need to go back and re-read the Black Tulip, eh?)
But yes, on the cover she looks very young, innocent and deep in thought.
She’s lost in thought, a million miles away. I think she’s standing at a window, remembering seeing someone standing there, wishing he were still there. I guess this makes me think of the death of Charlotte’s parents, maybe she is looking out the window, remembering seeing them. She’s such a dreamy character (as in always dreaming) and in that household it was probably her refuge, dreaming and imagining.
The first word that jumped into my head when I saw the heroine on the cover for “The Temptation of the Night Jasmine” was “pensive”. Although strikingly beautiful, this woman appears to have the weight of the world on her delicate shoulders.
I see a hint of a smile on the cover model. Perhaps it’s as if she is remembering a thought that elicits a bit of sadness at first, but then carries over to some happiness. This would be a snapshot of that transformation…closer to the “sad” side, of course.
She is a shy person – the picture captures her during a moment o introspection, with a little bit of little sadness. Considering Charlotte’s sweet nature, and circumstance (i.e. Dragon granny) it would seem very appropriate. 🙂
that charlotte’s life with her grandmother has not been happy for her and to get away from the harsh words and actions of her grandmother charlotte reads novels and gets lost in a world that is not like her own. the heroine is bold and out spoken and the hero is always a knight in shining armor even if he has a few flaws.
I see an innocent and timid girl who is more than she seems at first glance. There is a strength to her that can be formidable if given the right outlet.
She looks wistful, like she is waiting for something to happen, but she;s not sure what or how to get it
Demure and dutiful.
While the girl looks young, it doesn’t seem to me as if she’s imbecilic. Her eyes denote a thoughtfulness rather than the immaturity of youth and while she does seem young at first, on second look I see that really she’s probably just more demure than young; a lot of women will look younger if they try to act more virginal and pure than others their age. She kinda seems like the Geoff of women, pardon the comparison. It was noted in the third book that Geoff preferred to watch rather than act most of the time in social seems and I think this girl would do something like that. Sadly, because she’s a girl, she’s probably called a wallflower rather than enigmatic as Geoff.
She looks young and innocent. She has a dreamy look on her face. She seems like she would be shy and a bit of a wallflower. But, the quirk of her smile makes me think that she knows something we don’t or perhaps she is not exactly what she seems;perhaps she has been underestimated in the past.
She looks a little sad to me, like she’s disappointed by something that’s gone wrong in her life; she’s been rejected by a man at a party, or something similar. Poor girl 🙁
To me, Charlotte looks like a young woman who is shy and wants to fall in love with her ideal prince. Yet at the same time with her eyes downcast with a half smile, it shows how she has not felt any warmth from her grandmother but has friends in her life that do love her. I also get the feeling that she wants to step away from the shadows and into her own light.
I think she represents mystery. Her eyes are slant down so no one can see into her soul and truely find out what is on her mind and heart. Her facial expression conveys a sadness so deep, it has affected her confidence in herself. She probably has hard time trusting others and seeing the beauty in herself. She’s scared to be open because of how often she’s been rejected. The sense of mystery comes from all of this.
When I look at the cover of The Night Jasmine, I don’t only see Charlotte but I see mysef as well.
She looks very innocent and sweet, young, shy and naive. (However she also looks like she’s keeping a secret, like she’s not very good at lying and can’t look you directly in the eye). I also noticed, if you look at her face, the left side looks sad, but the right side looks like a hint of a smile playing at the corner of her lips. (Hmmm… interesting).
She looks innocent and reflective, like a calm and careful person who thinks before she acts.
I think she looks very contemplative, lost in thought, thinking of something serious… that she has an interior life and something serious to contemplate.
She looks sad and contemplative to me, like she’s made or about to make an important decision of some sort, but not happy about it, wishing it was something she didn’t have to make a choice about, regretful.
I think she looks like an avid reader. She loves her books so much she can’t put them away even for the making of a portrait. Since the cover is only a part of a painting, we don´t get to see her book.
I think she looks like a dreamer. A girl who reads a lot and tends to get lost in the stories. Someone who wishes that what she reads in the novels would happen to her in real life.
She looks like she wants everyone to think she is shy, a daydreamer or contemplative, but in reality is very cautious of those around her and always has her eyes and ears open for information. It’s always the shy looking ones that surprise everyone in the end.
To me she appears introspective, someone who sees more than others, who perhaps feels more than others.
[…] those curious about the painting we’ve been discussing below, the detail on the Night Jasmine cover was taken from a painting by Charles Sillem Lidderdale […]
Maybe it’s just my computer screen, but the portrait has a kind of softness. The picture tells us a lot about the heroine. Downcast eyes, slight smile. She seems sweet and shy but I can definitely see someone with a secret. I’m sure she tends to keep things to herself.
Anther somewhat random thing, I love the lace on the left. Very classic and pretty.
she looks kind of sad to me….i see the secret thing, and the innocence, but the picture makes me sad.