Peritextual Analysis of Denotative Peritext

3.3.1 Peritextual Analysis of Denotative Peritext

For the purpose of this research, the peritextual material of the UK publication published in 2009 by Fourth Estate Publishers will be analysed; this is different to its American

counterpart published by Grove Press the same year. Both publications, however, use the same translation by Tim Mohr.

Similarly to the German original, the book cover has a pink background; however, unlike its German counterpart, the centre of the front cover depicts a sliced avocado with a brown seed visible to the reader, instead of an image of a medical plaster. To someone unfamiliar with the plot, the avocado image might seem like a peculiar choice. The round shape of the fruit bears resemblance to the female body and its reputation for being an aphrodisiac, could lead a consumer to make sexual associations. Indeed, the avocado does take on an important role in the novel, as the female protagonist, Helen, collects avocados and uses them to masturbate. She states that apart from having sexing, growing avocado trees is her ‘only hobby’ (Roche, 2009, p. 34).

The author’s name is printed in a black curly font across the avocado followed by the title Wetlands, which is printed in large capitalised letters using a bigger non-curly font. The image of the avocado is encircled by quotes from newspaper reviews about the book. The

handwriting of a child. Each quote culminates with the title of the source printed in avocado green.

Despite various similarities with its German original, what stands out is that the optical focus is not on the author but the book title, a stylistic choice that could be a result of Charlotte Roche not being a prominent figure in the UK despite being a British national. Highlighting the importance of the authorial function, this finding could suggest that in the UK target context, it was not the author’s reputation that incentivised agents to publish Wetlands, but its success in Germany.

The quotations visible on the front of the book are taken from media reviews of Wetlands, primarily representing more left-wing and liberal media outlets such as The Independent, The Guardian and Look Magazine, but also more conservative and tabloid-style newspapers such as the Daily Mail or Look Magazine. Again, it seems that the agents involved in designing the book cover sought to attract as wide an audience as possible. By incorporating media channels from a wide political spectrum, the agents covered all their bases and attempted to attract a diverse readership ranging from liberal intellectuals to more conservative, tabloid, and fashion magazine readers.

Another point worth mentioning is the deliberate use of British cultural references and sarcasm in the quotations used. The most eye-catching review is “This is a Marmite book, one that you either love or loathe” from The Independent. Its big font size and deliberate positioning at the top of the cover ensure that a potential British consumer will read the said review first.

Marmite is a very controversial food item in the UK known to be something that people either

love or hate. It is said that it is impossible to like it unless one grows up with it. It is a highly nutritious food spread made from yeast extract and considered to be a typical British food item.

Marmite advertisements usually comprise a storyline filled with sarcasm and strong British cultural references. Due to its distinctive taste and hype in British popular culture, the product's name has become synonymous with matters pertaining to acquired taste, British identity and matters of a socially polarising nature. After reading the first quote, a British reader will not only feel a sense of familiarity but also be mentally prepared that they might not necessarily like the novel and furthermore, that its content has the potential to divide its readers.

However, due to the Marmite media hype and its humorous advertisements, a British consumer is very likely to approach the book with a sense of humour. In this instance, the agent seeks to bring the reader to the book.

The Guardian, on the other hand, employs a very sarcastic tone when promoting Wetlands:

If you ever wondered what you’d be like if you weren't shy, polite, tolerant, modest, sexually repressed, logical and constrained by modern standards of hygiene, this may be the book for you. (Ellmann, 2009)

This review comes across as more factual and objective compared to the others. Given that The Guardian is considered a liberal newspaper attracting a more intellectual readership, its factual review and use of sarcasm could be seen as a smart and strategic marketing strategy.

Sarcasm requires intelligence as it requires a certain degree of self- reflection and understanding of the cultural context.

Further reviews such as “Got a strong stomach?” from the London Lite or “Profoundly

to convey. A potential buyer might not be sure if said newspapers are endorsing or critiquing the novel. Nevertheless, after reading the reviews on the front cover, a reader will enter the storyline through a threshold that prepares them for a polarising storyline, aware that they will either end up hating or loving Wetlands. Regardless of a reader’s reaction to the book, the paratextual threshold warns the reader of its unusual and ‘acquired’ content, which can assist in sparking their curiosity.

Like the German back cover, the UK version’s blurb text is headed with the female protagonist’s quote: “Hygiene is not a major concern of mine”. The following blurb resembles someone’s handwriting and the overall format of the text is identical with the shape of an avocado.

The blurb text itself summarises the plot of the novel outlining the following key themes: Helen’s divorced parents, her obsessive pondering over “the inner workings of the female body”, and the breaking of social taboos pertaining to “hygiene hysteria and the

standardised sexuality of the female body”. The novel is described as “courageous, provocative and very funny”, telling the story “of a frank and vulnerable heroine who voices what others dare not even think”. Again, the polarising character of Wetlands is conveyed, and the reader is informed of the main themes, such as divorce, hygiene hysteria and women’s sexuality. The choice of pink as the background colour can further be seen as an attempt to highlight the book’s feminist manifesto.

Unlike its German original, the UK version comprises verbal paratextual material inside the book with the aim of providing the reader with background information, thus facilitating subsequent interpretation of the storyline. Further textual peritext provided at the beginning of the book includes an additional page with more reviews from media channels citing newspapers and magazines deemed as more academic or intellectual than the ones listed on the front cover.

These include The Spectator, a weekly magazine on politics, culture and current affairs, or the New Statesman, a left-wing British political and cultural magazine. The front book cover is most likely the first threshold a potential consumer will be exposed to; therefore, it makes more sense to assign it with a commercial function quoting more mainstream media sources.