covers and coughing

[leelastarsky]

Sick. As. A. Dog. :~(

the only thing keeping me going is codral.

Neverthless, I am excited by the release of the book covers for HBP.



I saw the Mary GrandPre one first and have to say I think it's my favourite of her covers so far. Though I really liked what she did for OotP. Someone on my flist said that she really needs to go back and redo the 1st 4 because the last two were a distinct change in style from the first 4, and I agree with this to some extent.

Then I saw the adult cover and meh I hate photo covers, so it did nothing for me.

Then I saw the UK cover and WOW. Talk about dynamic compared to the US one! I really, really like this one. Harry looks terrified but determined and Dumbledore is 'kicking ass and taking names!'. The fire surrounding them is from Dumbldore's wand, I suspect in response to another Voldie confrontation and, from what I have read on my flist, I am not the only one thinking that Dumbledore will be biting the big one this time round. Hero's journey and all that.

I really, REALLY want to see the back covers now! Specially the UK one.

Comments

[belovedranger.livejournal.com]

I was excited by the UK cover too. I sure hope that you feel better soon... I had the icky throat thing for 2 full weeks, while my kids got the throwing up thing. Ugh.

[argyle-s.livejournal.com]

You know, I've been that taken with Mary GrandPre's stuff. Don't get me wrong, it's much better than I could do, it's just, I've never thought it really fit the tone of the books. I even like the "adult" UK covers better.

The "Children's" UK covers are always the best though.

Of course, I really hated the Mass Market Paperbacks they did around the time fo the first movie, and some of the foriegn language covers are truly dreadful, so I don't complain to much. I just really wish we got the UK covers.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Can't say I adore Mary GrandPre's style either, but then I'm very much a 'realist' in art (and fic). Her sort of naive style looked nice on the first few books, but IMO defined them as children's books. GoF particularly had Harry looking quite joyous, which wasn't really appropriate. :~P

I prefer the UK editions too, and am very glad we get that here. I'd really love to see some good scans of the Danish and Swedish covers. They look beautiful, but I've only ever found weeny scans online.

I really wish the UK editions had the publication quality that the US editions have: all the chapter headers and the internal text changes. I was completely gobsmacked (and insanely jealous!) when I got my hands on a copy of OotP. The US version is a work of art.

[argyle-s.livejournal.com]

I wish the US editions weren't "Americanized."

I've considered shelling out for the UK editions just so I could read JKR's stuff unmangled.

I'll agree that the internal art on the US editions is something though.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I wish the US editions weren't "Americanized."

You and me both! We get the UK version here in Australia, for which I am forever grateful, but I could not believe the changes when I first became aware of it. Right down to the title of the first book! *steams* And the changes really DO stick out. To me anyway.

This is one of my pet peeves so I'm going to step away now before I start ranting. :~P

[argyle-s.livejournal.com]

You and me both.

Don't get me wrong, I understand why it was done. The books are marketed to children in the US, and a certain bit of Americanization was probably inevitable. I just wish the would produce an unmodified version for sale in the US as well.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

They're marketed to children here too, but our kids get to learn the British coloquialsms. :~)

[myf.livejournal.com]

Oh, the Swedish covers are beautiful. I saw a big poster of an illustration of CoS in a bookshop in Sweden, with Dobby sort of perched on Harry's shoulder, and Harry looking completely pissed off. It was the first illustration that really said 'Harry' to me. Wish I could find it online, but no luck. Have you seen the one I mean?

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

No I haven't! But I'd love to!

[lissannej.livejournal.com]

Am sorry you are not well, Kate. Hope you're better soon!

I'm not a fan of Mary GrandPre, never have been, although I didn't mind the OotP cover...

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I liked her OotP cover, and I like the new one too. I think they're both nicely moody. I just don't like how her people are sort of geometric for want of a better word. But then I like realistic style (as is evident by my art! ;~P ) people, so I guess that's hardly surprising.

[leftsockarchive.livejournal.com]

There's an interesting article about Grandpre in which she talks about the shift between the first four covers and the last two.

Here it is.

:)

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link. :~)