It's Cover Critique Time! - The Iconic

Time to look at some book covers...

I tried to pick books which I've read, or at least know the basic plot (I need to read more)...

Apparently this is a contemporary, take on the old Shakespeare play for the teenage audience (with teenage characters). Personally I'm not a big fan of modern takes on Shakespeare's stories, they always seem a bit tacked on. However, I've never read a John Marsden book, so I can't really say whether or not this is the exception.

Anyways, this critique isn't about that, it's about the book covers. I've started with this one because I wanted to make the point that I've found there seems to be two main variations of overall book covers (at least the less kitsch ones).

First there is the standard "unknown book" cover - the cover designed to draw you in to read a book that is relatively unknown. These are the majority of book covers and usually contain subtle and/or abstract images to give you some impression of the book's content.

The second is the book cover that assumes the average person already has familiarity with the book or story. A cover like this will use iconography that the audience will already know, in order to "re spark" whatever previous association the viewer has.

In this case the skull from the "alas poor Yorick" speech in Hamlet is used. The skull in Hamlet is well known, but I can only assume (although I can't say for sure) that it has less of a literal presence in this teen version. However, on seeing the skull on the book, the viewer will remember the connotations associated with both it and Hamlet. Hopefully they will be intrigued to pick up the book and when they glimpse the small text saying "a novel" it will be like a small nudge to get you to realise that this may be something more edgy and hip than Shakespeare's original play.

Both books an movies seem to like to do this, and it makes sense. If something already has an established reputation, you may as well use it. Although there are occasions when it really does not work.

-- plus the grey colour gives it a morbid look, as does the faded gradient and the non structured san-serif font. Big centred words grab attention etc etc.

There is even a circular relationship where a cover image will eventully become iconic unto itself - independant of the written story. Clockwork Orange fits this mold - this image is so iconic in popular culture it is guaranteed to be incorporated into any media relating to the story. Images like this allow for minimalist representations of well known stories. The audience can recognise the story because the icons are so familiar:

35mm from Pascal Monaco

I figure this is the natural evolution as a piece of media becomes popular.