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John asked this question about In the Distance:
What is with the author's name being upside down on the cover?
Adam Along with the symmetric background picture this sends me off in a couple of directions.

Firstly, this invokes the image of a mirage experienced by de…moreAlong with the symmetric background picture this sends me off in a couple of directions.

Firstly, this invokes the image of a mirage experienced by desert travelers which, also considering the title, conjures up the idea of something ahead of Håkan that he only saw imperfectly but that drew him onward throughout his life <spoiler>- firstly to New York, then finally back to Sweden</spoiler>.

Secondly, the book cover invites you to turn it round, repeatedly, to find it is the same at the top and the bottom; what is near is the same as what is distant. Did Håkan find that if you set off to a distant place, once you arrive, any mystique is removed and you see it just as "another place". <spoiler>Perhaps both New York and ultimately Sweden were appealing for the same reason: they were far away?</spoiler>(less)
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In the Distance
by Hernan Diaz (Goodreads Author)
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