# Gorgeous new cover for 1984



## RightHoJeeves (Jun 30, 2016)

The (excellent) folks at Text Publishing in Melbourne put together a new cover for Orwell's 1984.

Isn't it gorgeous?










Link to buy if you want https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/1984


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## RightHoJeeves (Jun 30, 2016)

M R Mortimer said:


> No. I hate it. LOL. I see what they were trying to do, but it missed the mark for me. To each their own, I guess.


Really? wow, haha!


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## Joseph J Bailey (Jun 28, 2013)

My personal favorites are the Signet Classics edition (I love the clarity and simplicity of the watching eye):










And the typographic book cover for 1984 by Adronauts Berlin (Patrick Pichler & Wolfgang Warzilek):


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## ThomasDiehl (Aug 23, 2014)

Interesting. It works only if you know the first sentence of the book. I wonder if it is wise to hinge that much on something like this.
I also can't help but wonder if it is even book-acurate. I was under the impression Oceania uses a 24-hour clock.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

The Kindle cover I am being offered this morning.



I like this version.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

personally, i don't like clocks with the number 13 on them (except for one in the musical Wicked).

and I find eye imagery creepy, so crebel's post makes me shudder.


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## RightHoJeeves (Jun 30, 2016)

ThomasDiehl said:


> Interesting. It works only if you know the first sentence of the book. I wonder if it is wise to hinge that much on something like this.


Good point. Although Text Publishing is sort of a high end publishing house, mainly sold in expensive independent shops.


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## LSBurton (Jan 31, 2014)

I think that's a pretty nice cover. It's a nice take using a classic book's distinctive opening line.

I also like the Penguin cover of 1984 that's redacted, and the more the book is read, the more wear and tear it receives, the more the title wears through the black.


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## Erin Zarro (Apr 30, 2011)

It seems a bit odd to me. But maybe it'll work in today's market.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

ThomasDiehl said:


> Interesting. It works only if you know the first sentence of the book. I wonder if it is wise to hinge that much on something like this.
> I also can't help but wonder if it is even book-acurate. I was under the impression Oceania uses a 24-hour clock.


Yeah, I've read 1984 but it was decades ago and was wondering why there was a clock on the cover. I like the ones with the eye on it.



telracs said:


> personally, i don't like clocks with the number 13 on them (except for one in the musical Wicked).


LOL, I didn't even notice the "13" until you said this (no coffee yet, think I need to rectify that!) and can't say I've seen many clocks with 13 on them. *Ponders*


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## Alberto L Pupo (Jun 4, 2017)

I think the cover is actually pretty cool. It is a neat idea overall. This book I think will always be relevant no matter what is on the cover.


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## MartaDec (Mar 21, 2017)

I think it's a really clever cover with an awesome concept, but it may be a bit too complex - on the artistic/design level it definitely works, but if it was a new book I definitely wouldn't go for something similar. It definitely catches attention, but it is a bit confusing at first glance, too, imho. Since it's definitely not something new to the market, though, I'd say it works really well! I'd definitely love to put a book with a cover like that on my shelf!


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## Rosie Scott (Oct 3, 2017)

Wow! I actually really dislike that new cover. Ha. 

I like both of the covers that Joseph J. Bailey posted much better. I used to own the one with the eye cover (before I sold it), and I really dig the simplicity of the typographic cover. Less is more.

...and I just realized that the clock cover makes it pretty hard to tell the title or the full name of the author. Yikes, that's pretty terrible.


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## RightHoJeeves (Jun 30, 2016)

LovingLife139 said:


> Wow! I actually really dislike that new cover. Ha.
> 
> I like both of the covers that Joseph J. Bailey posted much better. I used to own the one with the eye cover (before I sold it), and I really dig the simplicity of the typographic cover. Less is more.
> 
> ...and I just realized that the clock cover makes it pretty hard to tell the title or the full name of the author. Yikes, that's pretty terrible.


Haha I guess I was wrong. I still think it's cool, though.

When I control everything as Big Brother, I'll make you all see my POV.


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## RightHoJeeves (Jun 30, 2016)

Jeff Tanyard said:


> I, for one, welcome our new Australian overlords.
> 
> Just please don't make us eat that Vegemite stuff.


That stuff is reserved for the Inner Party. The prols aren't worthy.


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## KiraCarter (Sep 8, 2017)

It is kind of cool that they tried something with the clock. So many 1984 covers have played with the eye motif. It did take me a minute to find the title, though.


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## odtodt (Oct 16, 2017)

Love the typographic cover. Thanks for sharing! Hadn't come across that one before.


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

I think that, like a lot of today's ads, it's a bit too clever for readers who are scrolling down through 100's of covers to find something that shouts the genre they are searching for. Ads or book covers that have to be explained have probably missed their mark. (I also didn't notice the highlighted 1984 until it was explained  )


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## RightHoJeeves (Jun 30, 2016)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> I think that, like a lot of today's ads, it's a bit too clever for readers who are scrolling down through 100's of covers to find something that shouts the genre they are searching for. Ads or book covers that have to be explained have probably missed their mark. (I also didn't notice the highlighted 1984 until it was explained )


To be honest I think this sort of cover isn't meant for casual buyers; it's probably meant as a unique and clever cover for people who already loved 1984 and wanted something striking. It's the sort of book that is probably an expensive hardcover. A collector's piece, rather than just another book on Amazon.


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

RightHoJeeves said:


> To be honest I think this sort of cover isn't meant for casual buyers; it's probably meant as a unique and clever cover for people who already loved 1984 and wanted something striking. It's the sort of book that is probably an expensive hardcover. A collector's piece, rather than just another book on Amazon.


You could be right. It would be interesting to do a poll of all the covers to see which one is preferred. But it would also be interesting to see which one catches the eye (no pun intended) of new readers.


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## KateEllison (Jul 9, 2011)

I like it! It did take me a while to find the title. I think I would like it better as a poster on a wall. It's evocative of the book but it does make you hunt a bit--I think book covers work best when you can look at them and get it right away.


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