In Judge a Book by Its Cover posts, I compare different covers for the same book, and judge which cover, in my opinion, best fits the book, either because it is the cover I'd be most likely to pick off the shelf or because it fits the style, mood, or plot of the book. I'd love to hear your opinions on these covers.
For this edition of Judge a Book by Its Cover, I will be judging the three different covers for The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. Note: Although I have labeled each cover with only one country, the first two covers are used in many different editions.
Cover No. 1
US Edition
Cover No. 2
UK Edition
Cover No. 3
Spanish Edition
Cover No. 1: I love this cover. Not only does it utilize the black, white, and red color scheme that plays a large part in the circus within the book, it captures the mystery and excitement surrounding the striped tents. I really like that the image is made of cut paper, and the idea that the entire circus is in the palm of someone's hand. I also really like that the clock features so prominently in the cover, although it is not exactly how the clock is described in the book, and also the stars covering the background, which I think is a reference to the story, although it might just be a coincidence.
Cover No. 2: This also plays on the black and white color scheme with a dash of red. However, this cover focuses more on Marco and Celia than the circus itself. I love the objects hidden in Celia's skirt, and the stars scattered around the cover, both in the background and in the title. I really like the fact that Marco and Celia are both on the cover, but you can't see their faces. As in the book, they are both hiding their faces. I think this cover would appeal more to female readers, whereas the US cover seems like it will appeal to both male and female readers.
Cover No. 3: This cover is very different from the other two. There are some aspects I really like about it but for the most part I feel it doesn't represent the story as well as the other two covers. I think it's really cool that the towers are made out of ordinary objects, like a button, a marble, and a lollipop. I like the idea of the colored tower rising out the the city of black and white, but I don't love the way it was executed. I'm not really sure what to think of this cover. In a way, it's much more creepy than the other two covers, and it seems almost like the cover for a children's book. I can see why the cover designer came up with the idea for this cover, but I don't really like the way it was carried out.
My favorite: Overall the US cover wins for me, although I really like the UK cover as well. I would probably pick the US cover as a hardcover and the UK as a paperback.
Which is your favorite? Judge this book by its cover!
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