Shown above are four alternate covers for the novel Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro. Each cover represents its own element of the story and does so in its own way. Particularly with the use of color, each cover prefaces the book with a different tone.
The first image (the one in the top left) pictures an orange/tan background, resembling old paper/papyrus. In front of this background color is a blurry image of what appears to be a girl. This image suggests motion as if the girl in the image is spinning in one direction. Her face cannot be seen she appears to be in a blue dress of some sort. This cover may serve to allude to the theme of identity and individuality present throughout the novel, as shown by the girl in the image being faceless. By not giving the girl a face, the artist is intentionally preventing the girl from having an identity, and thus she becomes just another model for a girl, not any specific character. The motion in the image may suggest that the storyline is not calm or in a lull and that behind the simplicity of the image (or the novel) the story is erratic and constantly changing from start to finish.
The image in the top right also utilizes the image of a girl as the first one does, but gives the girl a face and setting of nature. In contrast to the first cover, this cover may represent a tranquil, peaceful setting or theme in this book. Whether or not this is intended as an intentional lie or half-truth is unclear, but it is evident that this cover hopes to create a tone of normalcy for a reader who has not yet read this book. This cover also places the title of the novel before the author's name, while the first placed the author's name first. The effect this has is it changes which the reader sees first, the book title or the author name. By putting the author name first, the reader may recognize it in the future or from a previous novel.
The third cover (bottom left) alludes to the scene in the novel where Tommy, Ruth, and Kathy H. visit an old washed up boat together once Kathy is Ruth's Carer. The boat represents a mode a transportation, a way to freedom, presenting the idea that there is something to escape from or run away from in this novel. Or, alternatively, the boat represents the ocean and riding on the waves as they roll past, which could be a metaphor for the acceptance of one's fate and predetermined path, which is also a common theme in the novel. This cover is more similar to the second than the first, as the two both depict scenes like photographs of real events, while the first cover is a drawn image. Also, the third and second covers both put the title of the book first, suggesting that the intention is to draw attention to the title of the book, not the author name.
The final cover (bottom right) creates a much more morbid/unsettling tone for the novel that is not present in the other three covers. While the other three covers used nature, bright and warm colors, this cover uses shades of black and cool colors, as well as imagery of the internal organs of a person, outlined in barbed wire. The barbed wire suggests a prison, possibly alluding to the fact that the artist may see the world the children in the novel are living in as a prison that they are trapped in and cannot escape from. The organs allude to one of the novel's great reveals, (spoiler alert) that the children in the novel will eventually have to donate all of their internal organs and eventually die from organ failure. This cover is the most different of the three and does not seem to focus on similar themes. The only similarities are the use of the author name first, as the first cover does, and the use of nature scenes, seen in the background. The tie between nature that the last three covers use is likely to tie the mood to natural events.
Next, I would like to compare the second cover to the last cover, as they both make explicit stylistic choices that are much better comparable.
Upon viewing the image in the top right, the first word that comes to my mind is loneliness, as the viewer sees a girl sitting alone among nature. While this would often be viewed as serene or peaceful by some, I view it as more lonely, as if no one wanted to talk to her so she decided to sit alone at the edge of the woods. It makes me think of the fear of missing out and feeling as if one does not belong, or is a sort of social outcast in a way, cut off from other people because they are seen as different. Upon viewing the image in the bottom right, however, the first thing I think of is horror and the unnatural. The crudely drawn image of the torso and internal organs makes me think of a child's drawing, and the barbed wire represents to me some sort of imprisonment or torture. The black creates an ominous, terrifying tone and makes me think of a rainy day.
If I had not read the novel, the cover in the top right would make me believe that the story was about a girl who felt outcast from society and was likely left out of social groups. This girl was forced to find comfort in herself and likely only had a few other ties to society. Then, I would image that one of these ties begins to loosen, and she feels herself slipping away from everything she once knew, hence "Never Let Me Go." Now that I have read the novel, I see the connection of the girl to Kathy's character, who is very introverted and content in spending some time by herself every once in a while. This image could also represent a feeling of loneliness that Kathy would feel at the end coming to the realization that her old friends and life are dead, literally and metaphorically. The second image (bottom right), had I not read the novel, would make me believe that the novel was a kind of horror book that would contain a lot of sadness and possibly a setting in prison. I would image the story had some special emphasis on organs and a gloomy tone. After reading the book, this cover most closely ties to the last few sections of the book, where the children face the reality of donating their organs and the tone of the story becomes much darker.
As mentioned previously, the first cover in the top right seems to portray Kathy H.'s character, as she is the narrator and is presented in the novel as introverted and solitary in nature. I would think that the viewpoint this is presented from is that of her friends and peers, as this is likely how they would view her. Kathy would be seen as contemplative, somber, and solitary to those who did not know her inner thoughts and feelings, but who also saw her on a level plane as themselves, which would be her peers. The second cover in the bottom right seems to portray all of the clones (or "students") because all of them are tied to the theme of donating organs and all of them will eventually be impacted by it. This image represents the viewpoint of the outside society of people who are not clones because they view them as tools in order to advance scientific research and medicine, not as people. This kind of dehumanization is the same idea that Miss Emily mentioned to Kathy and Tommy, that the outside society wishes to not think about where the organs come from, just that they exist and benefit them.
The first cover seems to suggest a culture with a focus on nature and the ties that it has to us as humans. Because the title shows such a strong connection between humans and nature, it appears almost archaic in its construction. The clothing and style suggest European context for this novel as well. The second cover, on the other hand, hints at a more scientifically focused society, more industrialized and deary. This suggests a more western cultural context, as those are the nations typically viewed as "industrialized."
The kinds of people that would read this book, based on the first cover, are those who enjoy books focused on human nature, relationships, and that contain a strong connection to nature. The book appears to be made by the kind of person who likes to draw connections between the setting of their book and the plot, and who puts a strong emphasis on one character in particular, as only one person is shown on the cover. The cover also suggests that the person writing it is writing it with the intention that the person reading it will view it as lighthearted and natural in its theme. The second cover has an entirely different approach to potential readers. The second cover makes it seem as though this novel would appeal to those who are into darker themes, with morbid or uneasy subject matter, such as human organs. Readers of this book would be those who enjoy horror, science fiction, and the macabre. This cover gives the impression that the writer is tormented, in a kind of Edgar Allen Poe way, where their themes reflect some aspect of themselves or their views. This cover makes it appear as if writing is an outlet for the author to express themselves and their darkest thoughts.
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