NLMG Book Cover Analysis
Initial Analysis
It's odd that these four covers are for the same book. I get a very different vibe from each of them. I would not think they were about the same story. I'm likely to go research the backstory on all of these covers later, but for my examination I'll give my first impressions of them. The top right cover shows a teenage girl sitting in the grass with taller plants surrounding her. The only connection I really see with this cover is that the girl is Kathy and her face and and body language express reminiscence. I'm unsure about why the artist chose the setting. Perhaps nature creates a meditative environment to think. It could also be an Adam and Eve kind of vibe. Hailsham is "paradise." The top right cover shows a blurred child moving in the background. I think this cover draws a parallel to the recollection of memories. Our memories often become blurs to us. The bottom left has a boat on a lake. This has a darker tone. There is low lighting and fog in the background. I think this references the talks that Tommy and Kathy have at the pond. This is the place that Kathy makes realizations. The bottom right took me a while to figure out. At first I thought it was some wire contraption representing some abstract creativity. Thanks to Tori, I now know that it is the human body. This is the darkest of all the covers. In the background there's the forest surrounding Hailsham. The human body refers to the purpose of the people in the novel to become organ donors. The use of wire is clever. It represents imprisonment and restriction. Oddly though, none of the characters feel this in Hailsham, except maybe Tommy (At least in the first part of the novel). I think the first two covers share the theme of memory, and the last two covers share a darker tone.
I don't find many similarities between the two covers I chose but one thing that sticks in both of the covers is the use of the text. In Image 1, the letters are all different sizes, the words are placed in seemingly random places, the font of the text is unrefined. The author's name has random letters written in white. The letters are cryptic and evoke a grim tone. Ironically, it seems the words "Never let me go" are floating away because of their placement and sizes. In Image 2, there is a huge contrast. The font of the letters has refined edges, and the words are placed symmetrically. I think any perfectionist would find the text aesthetically pleasing. In both of the covers the text emulates the style of the cover.
1) What are the first words that come into your mind when you see this image? What does it make you think of?
Image 1:
-Horror, dark, mysterious, oppression
-This would be a good movie poster for a horror film. I probably wouldn't read the book if I saw this cover. This reminds me of evil scientists that do experiments on people. They torture them and use their bodies in inhumane ways for the sake of research.
Image 2:
-symmetry, aesthetic, youth
-Everything about this cover is aesthetically pleasing. The text was placed strategically on the face. It is all symmetrical. The spacing of the letters is well done. The word "Let" matches up with the corners of the eyes. "Kazuo Ishiguro" is divided by the line of the two lips. The quote from Time is centered perfectly on the chin. Also just looking at the face of the girl. The pigments of her eyes, lips, cheeks and skin, reflect beauty, youth, and perfection. I would think that beauty would be a theme in this book.
2) If you hadn't read any of the novel, what would this image make you think the book was about? Now that you've read the novel, what kind of relationship(s) does this image have to the text?
Image 1:
-If I hadn't read the novel, I would think this book had some very dark themes. It kind of makes me think about experiences from concentration camps. The wire shows that captivity is a theme, and an outline of a human body is an objective way to look at a person. There's no color in the cover, that express lack of agency to me. Color is an expression. The letters look like they could be put on a ransom note. It seems like there are no happy messages in this book. That often seems the case when one reads a memoir of someone who has undergone inhumane treatment. (i.e. Night, Red Scarf Girl, Woman at Point Zero)
Now that I have read the book (most of it), I don't think the story is nearly as dark as this cover evokes. There's the obvious connection with the organs and the forest in the background, but I do not get this dark tone from the book. Though I can see this cover serving as a complement to the story. The story doesn't read like a typical dystopia, but the cover might cause the reader to look at the story through a darker lens to see the underlying themes.
Image 2:
-With this cover it's hard to be able to tell what this story would be about. All it is is a face of a young girl. I could infer that there is a young female protagonist. The font choice makes me think it's a sci-fir novel. The diagonal slashes seem more modern and futuristic. So my guess is some sci-scenario with a young girl. The title, "Never Let Me Go," has a sad connotation. It sounds like something one would say to a loved one. I would infer that this character experiences some kind of loss in her life. Also the accolades on the cover provide the book with some ethos, so the book is one that has been successful.
Having read the book, I know that this girl is Kathy. The girl is in her youth because much of the book is spent describing her life in Hailsham. I perceive the girl to be perfect, and this would go along with the clone idea. I also think that the lack of flaws in this girl's face also reflects the emphasis they place on their bodies. Tommy hitting Kathy was shameful not just because he hit a girl but because he hurt her body. The placement of the eyes could also mean several things. When one is reflecting or remembering something they'll look up and to a corner. She could also be looking up to a higher authority like her guardians. There's also the motif of windows and staring. People in Hailsham are always watching and through windows.
It's odd that these four covers are for the same book. I get a very different vibe from each of them. I would not think they were about the same story. I'm likely to go research the backstory on all of these covers later, but for my examination I'll give my first impressions of them. The top right cover shows a teenage girl sitting in the grass with taller plants surrounding her. The only connection I really see with this cover is that the girl is Kathy and her face and and body language express reminiscence. I'm unsure about why the artist chose the setting. Perhaps nature creates a meditative environment to think. It could also be an Adam and Eve kind of vibe. Hailsham is "paradise." The top right cover shows a blurred child moving in the background. I think this cover draws a parallel to the recollection of memories. Our memories often become blurs to us. The bottom left has a boat on a lake. This has a darker tone. There is low lighting and fog in the background. I think this references the talks that Tommy and Kathy have at the pond. This is the place that Kathy makes realizations. The bottom right took me a while to figure out. At first I thought it was some wire contraption representing some abstract creativity. Thanks to Tori, I now know that it is the human body. This is the darkest of all the covers. In the background there's the forest surrounding Hailsham. The human body refers to the purpose of the people in the novel to become organ donors. The use of wire is clever. It represents imprisonment and restriction. Oddly though, none of the characters feel this in Hailsham, except maybe Tommy (At least in the first part of the novel). I think the first two covers share the theme of memory, and the last two covers share a darker tone.
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| Image 1 |
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| Image 2 |
1) What are the first words that come into your mind when you see this image? What does it make you think of?
Image 1:
-Horror, dark, mysterious, oppression
-This would be a good movie poster for a horror film. I probably wouldn't read the book if I saw this cover. This reminds me of evil scientists that do experiments on people. They torture them and use their bodies in inhumane ways for the sake of research.
Image 2:
-symmetry, aesthetic, youth
-Everything about this cover is aesthetically pleasing. The text was placed strategically on the face. It is all symmetrical. The spacing of the letters is well done. The word "Let" matches up with the corners of the eyes. "Kazuo Ishiguro" is divided by the line of the two lips. The quote from Time is centered perfectly on the chin. Also just looking at the face of the girl. The pigments of her eyes, lips, cheeks and skin, reflect beauty, youth, and perfection. I would think that beauty would be a theme in this book.
2) If you hadn't read any of the novel, what would this image make you think the book was about? Now that you've read the novel, what kind of relationship(s) does this image have to the text?
Image 1:
-If I hadn't read the novel, I would think this book had some very dark themes. It kind of makes me think about experiences from concentration camps. The wire shows that captivity is a theme, and an outline of a human body is an objective way to look at a person. There's no color in the cover, that express lack of agency to me. Color is an expression. The letters look like they could be put on a ransom note. It seems like there are no happy messages in this book. That often seems the case when one reads a memoir of someone who has undergone inhumane treatment. (i.e. Night, Red Scarf Girl, Woman at Point Zero)
Now that I have read the book (most of it), I don't think the story is nearly as dark as this cover evokes. There's the obvious connection with the organs and the forest in the background, but I do not get this dark tone from the book. Though I can see this cover serving as a complement to the story. The story doesn't read like a typical dystopia, but the cover might cause the reader to look at the story through a darker lens to see the underlying themes.
Image 2:
-With this cover it's hard to be able to tell what this story would be about. All it is is a face of a young girl. I could infer that there is a young female protagonist. The font choice makes me think it's a sci-fir novel. The diagonal slashes seem more modern and futuristic. So my guess is some sci-scenario with a young girl. The title, "Never Let Me Go," has a sad connotation. It sounds like something one would say to a loved one. I would infer that this character experiences some kind of loss in her life. Also the accolades on the cover provide the book with some ethos, so the book is one that has been successful.
Having read the book, I know that this girl is Kathy. The girl is in her youth because much of the book is spent describing her life in Hailsham. I perceive the girl to be perfect, and this would go along with the clone idea. I also think that the lack of flaws in this girl's face also reflects the emphasis they place on their bodies. Tommy hitting Kathy was shameful not just because he hit a girl but because he hurt her body. The placement of the eyes could also mean several things. When one is reflecting or remembering something they'll look up and to a corner. She could also be looking up to a higher authority like her guardians. There's also the motif of windows and staring. People in Hailsham are always watching and through windows.
Love how you organized this- I think it allowed you to do a very careful, yet concise AND thorough investigation and analysis.
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