Book Cover: Spring (by David Szalay) [US Divergence]

A new book cover today prompts suggestion that Americans like umbrellas more than the British, at least in the minds of publishers. The book in question is Spring: A Novel   by David Szalay. This book was first published in (no accident) Spring 2011 in the United Kingdom to fairly good reviews--"95 per cent excellence" according  The Independent. Exploring discussion of the book, it is clear that it does, indeed, take place in Spring and the Spring in England is rainy, clearly justifying tying the red umbrella to the cover. However, the original British hardcover had no image on it all, but was full of print, clearly appealing to a different sensibility:  

                                     

The British paperback edition goes away from this enticing text to a vague image, but no umbrella.

What can we make of this? Umbrella lovers appreciate the recognition of the power of the brolly, but does it really sell better in the United States? And how do we figure this out?

Before we leave the topic for today, I also report that Szalay does refer to umbrellas in his text--on at least four different pages if you accept the Amazon search tool. For the romantic entanglements involved in this novel, it is nice that the first reference (on page 66) appears to capture some of his themes:

Outside he puts up the umbrella. They have to squeeze together to get under it. They have not been in such proximity all evening and he smells the faded sense of her perfume - so familiar a smell, lingering in woollens - that she put on in the morning when she went to work. It is only a short walk to her flat. They have made this ingress together many times. They know what to do. He shakes off the umbrella and takes off his shoes.

The rest, I leave to your imagination!