If there’s any novel that’s just made to have a beautiful cover, it’s The Lord of the Rings.
I would think this novel would be a book designer’s dream come true. So much inspiration.
Every now and then, I’ll take a look back at some book covers over the years for specific novels. We’ve done it with The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath and The Sound and the Fury.
Now let’s take a look at some of the The Lord of the Rings covers over the years.
I love this one. According to the script at the top, this is the cover design for the Chinese version of The Lord of the Rings. Simply beautiful!
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These covers might take you back. They’re one of Houghton Mifflin’s designs from the early days. Love the color.
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I have this version. It’s actually the design for the wraparound of the little box that holds all three volumes of the novel. This drawing alone makes me want to be an artist, and I hate drawing because I suck at it.
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Here’s the requisite movie tie-in cover. I’m pretty much over these covers. I try to avoid them at all costs. At least this one features Gandalf, though.
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Simple. Classic. Mysterious. I love this one. It’s very similar to the edition I own, which looks like…
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This. Like I mentioned, the cover for the box I own is above, but this is what the hardcover looks like once you take off the dust jacket. Love it.
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Finally, somebody featured the Eye of Sauron. Nice cover but I’m not crazy about the design. Kind of makes me a little dizzy.
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A different take on the Eye of Sauron, very similar to the edition I own. These have a 1960s or 1970s vibe to them, though I’m not really sure when these versions were published.
I could probably write 10 posts on this topic. There are just so many different takes on this cover.
Any favorites? Any links to even better ones?
