번역서 표지에 대한 사회기호학적 분석 및 평가—｢82년생 김지영｣ 번역서의 앞표지와 주제 간의 일관성을 기준으로

Abstract

The first encounter with a book occurs at the cover, and the book cover influences readers’ decision-making about whether to buy the book or not. If the book cover has little relevance to the original content and theme, the book may be misrepresented, ultimately misleading the readers who attempt to predict the content based on the book cover. In this respect, this study analyzes the book covers of Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 translations. Contributing to the globalization of Korean literature, this novel was delivered into other cultures with various cover illustrations at the front. The main themes of this novel are disclosing identity crisis of women in Korean society, constructing solidarity among women, and sharing anxiety and grief with other women. The congruence between the cover design and the theme of the book is one of the important elements for successful cover designs. Therefore, this paper takes a social-semiotic approach to analyze the book covers of Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 translations published in 20 countries and evaluates them on the basis of congruence between the cover and the theme.