Thomas Schlesser's recently released novel, "Mona's Eyes," has garnered significant acclaim, even being named Barnes & Noble's book of the year for 2025. However, the book is also attracting considerable discussion for reasons unrelated to its literary content: its cover design. This unexpected attention stems from a perceived mismatch between the book's title and its visual representation, sparking a lively debate across online platforms, particularly within art history communities.
The controversy surrounding "Mona's Eyes" centers on its cover, which prominently features Johannes Vermeer's iconic painting, "The Girl with a Pearl Earring." This choice has baffled and irked many readers and art aficionados, especially since the book's title, "Mona's Eyes," strongly suggests a connection to Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa." A viral Reddit thread encapsulated this sentiment, with one user expressing, "I feel like I’m being ragebaited by this book cover." The core of the confusion lies in the fact that "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" is housed in the Mauritshuis in The Hague, not in Paris where the novel's protagonist, Mona, embarks on her artistic journey through various museums, ultimately encountering the "Mona Lisa." This geographical and artistic discrepancy has fueled accusations of deliberate provocation by the publisher and author.
Despite the online furor, the author, Thomas Schlesser, an art historian who lectures at the École Polytechnique in Paris and co-manages the Hartung Bergman Foundation, has addressed the cover choice. In an interview with a French Braille publisher, Schlesser explained his rationale. He deliberately avoided featuring any of the 52 artworks Mona and her grandfather encounter within the book to prevent overemphasizing their individual importance. Instead, he sought an iconic artwork that metaphorically represented the interplay of light and darkness, finding "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" to be a perfect fit. He also playfully mentioned that the painting is referenced on the book's final page, serving as a subtle check to see if readers have completed the entire work. This explanation, while offering clarity, has not fully quelled the online discussion, with some critics suggesting that as an art historian, Schlesser was well aware of the potential for such a reaction.
The book's internal design, however, reveals a clever detail often overlooked by those scrutinizing the cover. The cover of "Mona's Eyes" can be unfolded to present a comprehensive diagram listing all 52 artworks that Mona and her grandfather visit. These artworks are, in fact, all located in Parisian museums, including the Louvre, where the "Mona Lisa" resides. This detailed diagram confirms that "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" is not among the pieces featured in Mona's Parisian art tour. The Reddit thread, though modest in size compared to other communities, has gained significant traction, accumulating over 1,700 upvotes, indicating the widespread interest and strong opinions generated by this artistic debate.
The discussion surrounding "Mona's Eyes" underscores the power of a book's cover in shaping public perception and sparking dialogue, sometimes even overshadowing the content within. While some online commenters have urged a focus on the literary merit of the book rather than its external packaging, many remain convinced that the cover was a calculated move, especially given the author's background as a prominent art historian. This incident highlights the intricate relationship between art, literature, and public engagement in the digital age, where visual cues can quickly become subjects of widespread debate and interpretation.