OoTP book covers & interpretations

[Alex]

No: HPFGUIDX 54068

I'll try to keep this at least _mostly_ related to canon, but as a graphic designer 
who has plenty of art direction experience, that may slip out, so I'll apologize 
in advance.

First of all, I love the American cover much more than the UK ones, if for no 
other reason that it gives us something to discuss! What can be said about a 
phoenix rising from flames?

The first thing I find interesting in the American cover is its blueness. Even the 
flames of the candles are in blue tones, and the light they're producing is blue. 
This either means that they are bewitched to give off a blue light (which is 
possible since they're obviously magically floating) and the blue is an 
indication of something. My take: the blue has something to do with ghosts. 
JKR has said we will learn more about why people become ghosts, and 
though I don't think Harry is a ghost here (as one other poster suggested), the 
bluish light certainly lends a ghostly quality, so ghosts might very well figure 
largely in the storyline. Also, look at the way "and the Order of the Phoenix" is 
written: it has a ghostly, ethereal, almost translucent look, and the dotted part 
of the 'i' trails just like the candles.

The other possibility is that Ms. GrandPre chose to illustrate the cover in blue 
tones to acheive a cold, dreary or spookier feel, and that it has nothing to do 
with the plot...but I don't think so. It would still be spooky even if the candle 
flames were yellow and Harry's face glowed with a yellow cast

As for the right hand/left hand thing, we have to keep in mind that the cover art 
is not art-directed by JKR, and that GrandPre is only interpreting what she 
reads into something for us to see. Just because Harry is holding his wand in 
his left hand doesn't mean that he's looking in a mirror or that he's suddenly 
left-handed. GrandPre probably chose to put the wand there because it just 
looked better that way. Artist's choice doesn't necessarily fit into canon.

Also, it's my opinion that what we see in Harry's glasses is nothing other than 
the reflections of the nearest flames. I see no nose or body parts. This brings 
up a point that I don't think anyone else has made: wherever he is, Harry is 
definitely alone. This could be important to the plot. Usually he always has 
Ron or Hermione with him, so what is he doing alone?

This could mean another important plot development. As Harry matures, and 
the world gets messier and divides into good and evil (hmmm, sounds like 
current affairs) he's going to have to make some tough personal decisions, 
and he won't always have his friends to rely on. It's part of growing up and 
becoming a man. Our little boy is certainly growing up!

> bboy_mn:
> >The room does have a hazy dream-like quality that could be the 
> >mirror reflection that others talked about or as I suggested, a 
> >dream. The fact that the light trails from the candle flames point 
> >in the opposite direction on the other side of the room does 
> >strongly imply circular movement. It could be that the candles are 
> >swirling around him.

I  don't think it's a dream unless a dream plays a very important role in the plot. 
GrandPre, having read the entire book, and having chosen this scene to 
illustrate for the cover, leads me to believe that whatever we're seeing is a 
pivotal part of the story, probably real-life. It doesn't appear to be an amalgam 
of the story, as was the case in PoA, as we're only seeing one thing.

I do agree that the candles are swirling. The trails close to Harry fall to the left, 
but the smaller candles on the other side of the room fall to the right. 
(particularly look closely at the candles near Harry's wand, where one even 
appears to have a motion trail).

I think the room is circular. The ceiling is too curved for it to be just a matter of 
perspective. This also lends credence to the swirling idea...this would be 
easier in a curved room. The question is why have a room with swirling 
candles? It must be plot related!

I am even more intrigued thinking about what is on the back cover and the 
spine (which is going to be pretty wide). Are we going to see down one of the 
doorways? Maybe there will be something down there. The artwork has to 
continue for some extent to the left, so what's down there?!

> bboy_mn:
> >Maybe it's a situation like that, choose the right door and save 
> >your friend; chooose the wrong door and be prepared to save your 
> >own life.

This is a distinct possibility, but I think it's much more broad than that. JKR has 
made mention that an important theme of the series is about the choices that 
characters make, and I think that it is one of the most important lessons that 
we can learn from Harry in the series, that the choices we all make have 
immense consequences on our lives. Each door could represent a choice 
(literally or metaphorically).

Harry does not always make the perfect choice, and he does sometimes fly 
straight in the face of rules (which is why a lot of "christians" seem to have 
problems with the series), but he's a kid, growing and learning, and his 
choices always result in him doing the "good" thing. Harry may not have 
respect for rules, but his motivation is always to further the good side.

Another odd thing I notice is the reflection of the candles in the doors (or we're 
seeing candles through the doors), as though they have glass in them. This is 
odd, as it leads me to believe that Harry can see into the doorways and make 
an informed decision about which door to choose.

Also, as an aside, I don't think Harry looks at all like Dan Radcliffe...it looks 
like a rapidly maturing version of the same boy we saw on the GoF cover. He 
is thinner, and obviously growing taller and more wiry. At age 15, boys are at 
their most awkward...growing rapidly upward but not filling in yet (unless 
you're shaped like Crabbe and Goyle).

~~aesob