When looking at all four pieces of the cover art, it is very hard to draw similarities and differences because the four covers seem so independent. They each look so unique that it is hard to imagine that they all are covers for the same book. The first cover portrays a blonde haired girl sitting in a lush field full of sunshine. This represents a positive interpretation of the novel. Maybe a love story perhaps. The second cover art represents a blurred image of a girl. This cover could represent the interpretation of the clones. The different interpretations on whether the clones are real people or fake copies. The third cover is a quite image of a small boat in a lake. This image could represent a tragedy of some kind. In this cover, the title Never Let Me Go is emphasized way more than any of the other covers which could make the viewer think of a romantic tragedy similar to the Titanic. The fourth cover shows very simply drawn human organs that are outlined in barbed wire on a cold blue canvas. This is a depressing portrayal of the novel that emphasizes the clones purpose which is for the extraction of their organs.
I chose to further examine the second cover and the third cover.
When I first look at the second cover I immediately thought of a girl, but then there is some hesitation. It obviously is a girl, but then why is it so blurry? Is it actually a girl? I question weather it is a real girl because of how blurry the image is. It causes a sense of mystery about the girl. This mystery could represent the blurred line between science and humanity. This cover would be created by a more scientific artist and would be designed for someone intending to read science fiction. There is a hint to the cultural construction of the clones that is whether the clones are real and if it is humane to extract their organs. This appeals to the scientific aspect of the novel.
The third cover is a little more ambiguous. A theme of the novel does not immediately jump out at me. However, when I do look at this cover, the title stands out to me in this one more than in any other. If I had never read the book before I would imagine a spin off of the Titanic. With my knowledge of what the book is actually about, I would draw a connection to the boat and Hailsham. The boat is isolated which could show the isolation of Hailsham. This could be a lake on the property of Hailsham. It is interesting that you cannot see anything in this picture besides a boat and a lake. This could represent that no one really knows what goes on at Hailsham. Looking at the boat closer I noticed that there is no paddle. When I saw this my mind started thinking that the boat is a representation of an escape for the clones. The problem is that there is no paddle so the clones never could escape. Dun dun dun. This cover would appeal to someone who wants to read a mystery or a depressing rendition of a love story with a twist.
Nice post, Wrenn! I really liked your interpretations, as they are ones that I hadn't thought much about before. I liked that you drew parallels to each cover; the Titanic one especially interests me. I agree that the second cover is a bit mysterious, but I interpreted the blurry background to be fire-like. That could have been an interesting way to tie your comments together: that there is no escaping the fire (a.k.a. the donations and death). Overall, this was a fun read!
ReplyDeleteI liked reading your interpretation and relation of the 3rd cover with the boat to the Titanic.The boat also makes me think about the boat that Kathy found in the middle of the woods. I agree about this representing the isolation of Hailsham but I also think it symbolizes the isolation that the clones are faced with for their entire lives.
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