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This article is from the R.E.M. FAQ, by Ron Henry (rgh3@cornell.edu) with numerous contributions by others.

33 "The spine title of my copy of Fables is Reconstruction of the Fables, not the other way around! Do I have a limited ed. or something? (R.E.M.)

Alas, no. It's neither a misprint, nor rare, and the "two" titles indeed
refer to one and the same album. The "real" title of the album is circular,
you might say ("Fables of the Reconstruction of the Fables of the
Reconstruction of ... [ad nauseam]"). You'll notice that on one side of the
CD booklet, it says "Fables of the" and on the other side it says
"Reconstruction of the." You can flip the booklet and use either cover you
wish. The spine of the CD says "Reconstruction of the Fables," whereas the
face of the disc itself says "Fables of the Reconstruction," but with
"Reconstruction" printed upside-down, and "of the" printed vertically, it
can be read either way. (However, note that the newer European reissue
discs just have "Fables of the Reconstruction")

Anyway, it's a play on words, like much of the band's genius. Does it mean
"tales about the post-Civil War period in American history," or does it
mean "putting back together those tales of old in our own weird way"...? It
all depends on which way you show the cover.

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