Thomas Schlesser's novel *Mona's Eyes* has been named Barnes & Noble's book of the year for 2025, but its cover has sparked controversy online. The cover features Johannes Vermeer's *The Girl with the Pearl Earring*, even though the story is about a girl named Mona who visits Paris museums with her grandfather, and the painting is not held in Paris—it resides at the Mauritshuis in The Hague. A viral Reddit thread on an art history subreddit accused the publisher of "ragebait," noting the mismatch between the cover image and the book's content. Schlesser, an art historian who teaches at the École Polytechnique and runs the Hartung Bergman Foundation, defended the choice, saying he wanted an iconic work symbolizing light and darkness rather than highlighting any of the 52 artworks featured in the story.
The controversy matters because it highlights how visual art choices in publishing can provoke strong reactions from informed audiences, especially when they appear to contradict a book's narrative. The incident also underscores the power of social media—particularly niche art communities—to amplify criticism and shape public perception of a bestseller. Schlesser's explanation, while logical, has not fully quelled the debate, raising questions about the responsibility of authors and publishers to align cover art with a book's geographical and thematic accuracy.