In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - book covers

Figure 1

Illustrative Cover (figures 1 and 2):

Figure 2

Within this cover the representation of the farm, the scene of the murders is portrayed by placing the typography within a wooden sign. The overall atheistic of the cover further adds to the portrayal of the farm due to the printing style chosen representing the handmade approach associated with farming. Additionally the gritty and imperfect design conveys the tone of the book which portrays the brutal, cold murder of the Clutter family and the hunt for the killers. The cliche use of red within the cover represents the brutality of the murders however I feel this is a very obvious colour choice to depict violence therefore I will look further into colour theory to see what colours convey similar emotions for use within my design.  The contrast between black and red further adds to the dark mystery that surrounds the murders as the murderers Perry and Dick nearly get away due to there lack of personal connection to the family. Furthermore the use of irregular and bold typography within the cover and spine creates a main focal point and further enhances the handmade printed aesthetic of the cover  however I also feel this use of bold striking typography doesn't effectively represent the sophisticated nature of the book or crime as the perpetrators nearly get away but more focuses on the brutality of the murders which I feel is an obvious focal point for the cover. Therefor creating a more youthful cover for a book that is written in a fairly sophisticated way due to the interchanging story lines of the Clutters and the murderers.


Penguin Modern Classics Cover (figure 3 and 4):
Photographic cover featuring key scenes from within the book as well as the author Capote. This is a more subtle representation of the book as the scenes within the photographs become clear as you read the book but are also understandable at a glance to potential readers who may have a basic understanding of the book as they reference key themes/events. The black and white aesthetic of the cover relates closely to the time period of the book in 1959 before the widespread use of colour film. Additionally it subtly addresses the cold brutal killings within the book without being too obvious but also references the sophisticated nature the book is written in as black and white is often associated with class and sophistication. The simple use of typography allows for the photographic cover to be the main focus whist its relatively large size allows it to be visible to the reader but in a more inconspicuous way which can be seen to represent the murderers ability to avoid capture for a while and hide behind the many rumours that caused suspicion within the town of Holcomb during the investigation. The contrast in size and colour within the typography is also interesting as the main focus is the authors name as the underlying tone/theme of the book is his journey to discover the truth about the murders however this is never made obvious within the book as Capote is never appears in the book.

Original Cover (figure 5) :
The heavily typographic cover gives a limited insight into the book itself due to the quite sophisticated and grand use of typography. Consequently this subtly references the style in which the book is written as Capote keeps the reader guessing by never fully revealing the facts about the murders until the killers confess as well as the interchanging story lines of both the clutters and the killers. However the dark nature to the book is subtly referenced through the use of red within the typography which symbolises the bloodshed caused by the brutal murders as it symbolises violence. However the use of red also represents the suspicion created throughout the town as people start to suspect there neighbours. The cover is very dated to a modern audience as it was designed in the 1960s however the limited reference to the story line creates a more intriguing cover as it provides the reader with little information adding to the confusion within the book as the reader has to try and figure out what exactly happened to the Clutters. The close kerning within the typography could be seen to represent the tension within the book as a close community is tested due to suspicion and rumours as well as representing the chase to catch the killers. Consequently this cover is particularly successful due to the subtle references to the theme of the book, however feel the themes could be slightly more obvious in order to attract a modern audience as the original cover isn't very intriguing to the modern eye due to its dated styles.