Despair, published in 1934, is the seventh book by
During World War II, most of the English copies of this book were destroyed by bombs. Nabokov published a new translation of the book in 1965, and that translation is used for this edition.
This edition was published by Panther books in 1969. Panther Books was a British publishing house that published books across a variety of genres, including literary classics and science fiction novels. Panther primarily published paperback reprints rather than original titles.
The cover art is by John Holmes (1935-2011). Holmes was a prolific cover artist that was known for his provocative and eye-catching style. Holmes once worked at a meat market, and he claimed that he often drew upon that experience when creating covers.
Holmes worked with a number of publishers and created cover art for many books, including covers for the
Holmes also created a number of record sleeves, including covers for Be-Bop Deluxe’s Axe Victim and Spooky Tooth and Pierre Henry’s Ceremony. His original art was also showcased in numerous art galleries.