Tuesday, 27 March 2012

Same Book/Different Cover: The Gunslinger

This is an occasional feature where I compare different covers of the same book...while usually I compare foreign edition, this particular book has be re-published so many times if I included all the copies we could be here all night! So what's the book - The Gunslinger by Stephen King. A classic book which lays the foundation for a truly epic series...
US Edition 2
US Edition 1988




US Edition 2

UK Edition 1
UK Edition 2



New UK Edition
US 1988 Edition: This is almost graphic novel like, with the wind moving his hair and the hands on the belt. The crow is behind him while the tower is only semi-there - is it all a dream?
US Edition 1: The focus is very much on the gunslinger - he's in a typical pose with hat down and gun in hand. The tower looms in the background but he isn't looking at it, focusing instead on the crow on the rock. What is it about the crow that holds his attention...?
US Edition 2: I like the focus on the crow with the cowboy blurred in the background. Crows can be harbingers of death, in groups they are called murders yet they are one of the most intelligent bird. Intriguing...
UK Edition 1: This is not my favourite. While the tower does seem to glow, the focus of the cover is too much on the King name for me to really appreciate the cover art on it's own.
UK Edition 2: This is the cover I own. It's brightly covered and I like the storm clouds but I find it slightly dull.
New UK Edition: I LOVE this cover. This new cover actually inspired this while post once I spotted it in the shops. I love the orange cover with the cowboy and the tower illuminated against the sun. Is the sun setting? Or rising?  Is the cowboy moving towards the tower? Or away from it? I need to get copied of all these new covers!

My verdict? The New UK Edition!

Which do you prefer? Have you read the Dark Tower series?
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6 comments:

  1. Cayce27 March 2012 at 17:08

    I love the New UK one, too. It looks like a screen shot from a movie.
    Yep, I've read the whole series. I'm a huge SK fan :)

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  2. Melissa (Books and Things)27 March 2012 at 20:09

    LOL You should know my answer... I haven't read SK yet. However, I have to say I love the US2 ed. I really love crows. :D

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  3. Sam (Tiny Library)27 March 2012 at 20:40

    You've read this series? I'm impressed :)
    I casually mentioned to my Dad last year that I might read the first one and he went and bought me all of them! They are now glaring at me from the shelf :P

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  4. Blodeuedd27 March 2012 at 20:49

    For once they all work for me :) But the bet one, hm..The US ed 1, yeah I will go with that one

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  5. Cinema Bud28 March 2012 at 16:58

    Oh, definitely with you Mel, the new UK one by a country mile!

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  6. Melissa (My World...in words and pages)29 March 2012 at 01:08

    Oh wow! I don't know which one I like, but these are all so different!

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