For ages now I've wanted a nice set of Harry Potter books. The editions me and my brother read as kids are somewhat knackered. There are loose pages, spines are peeling and cracked, chunks of the books are covered in what is probably food (I used to read when eating cereal in a morning before school) and basically one more read might just kill them off. I love the first editions, not because they're particularly beautiful (I remember getting the seventh book when it first came out and being like "whut? Who drew this?"), but because they're my Harry Potter's. They're the versions I couldn't wait to get hold of, they're the versions I spent hours curled over, they're the versions that came with me everywhere, in case there was a spare minute for extra reading.
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Yeah, you know the ones. However, so far as I can find, a box set of these beauties does not exist. And you cannot buy them new, individually without spending a small fortune. So what other versions have come out in the UK? Well, If memory serves me correctly, I remember an 'adult' box set becoming available shortly after publishing houses realised that Harry Potter was just as bigger hit with grown up people as it was with the smaller humans. This is what they came up with:
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Seriously. Yawn. I am not a fan. If I had to pick one, it might be the first, because of the shiny, red stone (basically the only one with any colour). But no, even if you can still get this box set, I don't think I'd bother personally.
The next series I remember (there may have been more series than there are in this blog post, these are just the one's that spring to mind for me), were these simple beauties:
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Now these, I don't mind. I quite like The Prisoner of Azkaban especially. These illustrations were done by Clare Melinsky, who did a good job to be honest. The illustrations stand out against the white backdrop and gone is the gloomy, hideous look of the other 'adult' editions. These would appeal to kids or adults and I enjoy the sparkly Harry Potter signature on the top. If I was going to actively source a newer edition, it would be this one. What are Bloomsbury's latest offerings for HP fans?
(Image reference: Bloomsbury)
Okay, if you haven't seen these for your very own eyes, this picture can be deceiving. The colours are actually very, very bright. Basically it looks like a bunch of highlighter pens had an orgy all over what is actually some pretty detailed illustration. Here's the fourth book as an example:
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Look at the detail behind all that yellow. How awesome would that be as a cover? Now I know I complained about the first lot of 'adult' books being too dull. But this is the opposite problem. THE YELLOW HURTS MY EYES. Though not as much as the florescent pink on the first book. Also: we know who wrote it. We don't need Rowling's name (however awesome and brilliant she may be) taking up half of the page. Even the titles are smaller. Gumbling onwards here is the latest editions, released by Bloomsbury:
(Image reference: Bloomsbury)
Now these have their merits. Unlike my cherished childhood editions, they're all drawn by the same artist, a guy called Jonny Duddle, so continuity is great. It's not a bad set. I love the colours, I love the shadowy, magical element they seem to have. However I have two main problems. Now I know good old Voldy has been made flesh, via the magic of Cinema. We tend to associate him with Ralph Fiennes and this laugh. But one thing I liked about the original covers is that Voldemort didn't appear on any of the covers. It added to his mystery and made him more scary. But lo, see his shiny noggin on the 7th cover. Also, in these editions, Harry seems to grow from age 11...to about age 14. Here's the Deathly Hallows, original and new:
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And if we zooooom:
On the left: The Harry not far off his 20's. On the right: Benjamin Button Harry. To conclude I'm a fussy bugger with book covers, despite the fact you should never judge a book blahblah. What I'd love is a nice shiny set of the original covers for under fifty quid, so I can pretend I'm a kid/teen again when I read them. But if that's not gonna happen I might see if I can source the Melinsky versions. Or just wait and see what Bloomsbury do for the next cover they create.
Are there any other covers that I missed? Which do you like best? Here is a Telegraph article comparing the old and new kids covers if you're interested. I'll update if I ever get a hold of a set. What is important to mention here is that the story (should) be the same no matter what binding and pictures and stuff you cover it in. Long live Harry (even if he's trapped in miserable grey colours).
For now,
Over and out.
