The swedish coverart

[Majsju]

 

i see 2 or 3 possible ways to look at that.

either as the Aiel break camp and march to the Wetlands.

or they break connections with each other, on second thought they don't do that really.

maybe it has to do with what happens when Rand tell them the big secret

 

 

 

It is refering to the clans leaving for Randland. You can not really use 'uppbrott' any other way, at least not in this context. The by far most common use of the word is when it concerns leaving a (physical) location. Using it to describe ending a relation can of course be done, but that is quite rare.

 

/Maj, Humanist ;D

[ROB_88]

i had forgotten about this topic, it's about time to do the rest.

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The Lord of Chaos part 1: Fursten av kaos

the title is a direct translation of the original title, "The Lord of Chaos"

 

iv'e never quite undertood this cover, but i think it's supposed to be Elaida on the Amyrlin Seat.

that's not at all how i picture her but it's the only thing i can think of.

 

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The Lord of Chaos part 2: Svarta Tornet

The title means "The Black Tower" and we all know what it refers to.

 

this is one of my favorites

The face(s) on the left i think represent the Rand/Lews Therin- mix.

I'm guessing the tower would be the Black Tower itself, although that was never a real tower.

completely unrelated but that is how i picture the Tower of Ghenjei

 

[Thor]

isnt' ghenjei supposed to be a very smooth solid tower?

[ROB_88]

yes, it's smooth but that is still basically how i see the general shaope in my head.

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A Crown of Swords part 1: Vindarnas skål

 

The title means "Bowl of Winds"

 

i'm not sure but i seem to remember a mention of a column like that in the beginning.

the person at the top must be Egwene as Amyrlin, but the other two i don't know

 

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A Crown of Swords part 2: En krona av svärd

 

the title is a direct translation of the original title

 

i'm assuming that the picture is Rand with the actual crown, even though it looks more like a plate with small sword than a crown.

and they made his hair wrong again, but it's not that bad

[Bert]

Why would they change the cover art?  I almost understand changing a title in different regions due to language/cultrual differences, but does that mean the main text is altered as well?  I doubt it.

 

I assume that Robert Jordan approved the US cover art?  I am almost certain the US titles are his own words. 

 

These covers remind me of some cheap Star Wars knock off. (except the first two, I like those, though not as much as the US version). The rest are not suitable for an epic fantasy. I apologize to the artist if I offend, but they obviously have either A) not read the books, or B) don't care enough to have the honor of creating the cover art.  11 years ago while I was serving an in-school suspension (hehe, it was for skipping school.  Little did they know that I would prefer to sit in a small room a read all day rather than go to class :) ) I came across EoTW and loved the cover.  It drew me in and made me decide to read it.  By comparison, if it had had one of these covers, I would have passed it by as a cheap LOTR rip-off.  I would prefer a blank cover with just a title to these monstrosities.  At least that way I would not have a preconceived notion (and an incorrect one at that) as to what the books were about.

 

My guess is the RJ and Harriet would have cringed at the sight of these.

 

Edit:  I do not normally bash artist like this and I regret that my first post on these forums is a negative one.  Regardless, I had to create an account to share my thoughts on this 1980's Atari cov...I mean on this cover art.

[Bert]

Not to flog a deceased equine, but most of the WOT fan art I have seen is better than this.  Why not hire them?  Wow, ok, I'm going to stop being so negative now.  I am just shocked that something as great as WOT could be released with such a poor representation of art gracing its cover.  First impressions are everything, and a books cover is its proverbial handshake.

[Majsju]

Since Sweden split all WOT books in two, they must come up with original art for one of the two books that comes from the split, and it is more coherrent of you have one artist doing all covers, instead of keeping half the original art, and producing new art mimicing the original for the other half.

 

Also, quite different culture in Sweden compared to the US. Almost everyone here I know who reads WOT finds the US original art very cheesy, and frankly quite poor from an artistic point of view. Of course, the same people who dislikes the US art tends to see the UK covers as the best...

[Bert]

Since Sweden split all WOT books in two, they must come up with original art for one of the two books that comes from the split, and it is more coherrent of you have one artist doing all covers, instead of keeping half the original art, and producing new art mimicing the original for the other half.

 

Also, quite different culture in Sweden compared to the US. Almost everyone here I know who reads WOT finds the US original art very cheesy, and frankly quite poor from an artistic point of view. Of course, the same people who dislikes the US art tends to see the UK covers as the best...

 

I quess that makes sense about spliting the books and having the same artist do both covers, but that doesn't explain the difference in quality btween the covers for EoTW and the rest.  The quality seems to go downhill after EoTW.  I quess our veiws on what we find cheesy differ greatly because I could say the same about the Swedish covers.  Its not just the percieved cheesiness, the quality, or even the lack of accurate details.  Its all of them combined. 

 

As for culture I understand what you mean.  Look at how the Japanese plaster everything with large text and bright flourecent colors.  I can only imagine what they would do to the covers.

 

I have to disagree with you on the "poor from an artisitic point of view" comment.  Though opionions always differ when discussing art, I feel that the US covers have a better artisitc quality to them.  The Swedish ones seem amaturish to me.  The faces, though one of the most difficult things to paint, are not quite right.  I remember better displays are artisitc skill in my highschool art classes.  And no, I'm don't pretend to be an art conniosseur or enything, this is just my opinion.

 

To sum up this whole discussion, these (and in the Swedish opinion of the US covers) bring a whole new meaning to the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover'.  I have read some great books with terrible cover art and horrible books with showcase qaulity cover art.

 

[Majsju]

Keep in mind that a cover looks quite different when you hold the book in your hand, compared to when you see a miniature like here.

 

The difference between TEOTW and the rest might be because they changed artist. I do not know, since I have read the englisg books from the start. I read the first half of TEOTW in Swedish later on, just to see how the translation was. It kinda speaks for itself that I did not read any further books in Swedish... ;D (though it was way better then the most common translation of LOTR here, that one makes my eyes want to pop out and run away  ;D)

[Bert]

I don't have to imagine.  Link to Japanese WOT cover art: (or so they say, I can't read it)http://search.books.rakuten.co.jp/bksearch/nm?sv=30&g=000&sitem=%A5%ED%A5%D0%A1%BC%A5%C8%A1%A6%A5%B8%A5%E7%A1%BC%A5%C0%A5%F3&Submit=%A1%A1%A1%A1%B8%A1%A1%A1%BA%F7%A1%A1%A1%A1  I was right!  Plastered with text and flourecent colors!

[Tyrell]

I hate all trashy fantasy cover art.

 

It just shouts out "this is a fantasy novel, yay for swords and dragons" which is pretty much the wrong message if you want anyone who isn't a hardcore fantasy reader to even get to your blurb. You need a serious cover if you want to be taken seriously. Pretty much the only trashy fantasy cover art I like is the cover art for most pratchett books (though I see that they are re releasing them JK Rowling style with more simple 'adult' covers) because they are intended to be like that.

 

So I'll take my UK covers of WoT over any of the others. I wouldn't want to be seen on a bus holding the books with the American or Sweedish covers to be honest.

[ROB_88]

i always thought the US were strange, the people in the pictures always look a bit short and fat.

 

best seen in Winters Heart, they look like damn hobbits.

I'll admit that some of the Swedish covers may be a little crappy, especially the next two, but it's what i grew up with so maybe i just got used to it.

i don't think i've seen the UK covers, are they any different?

anyway, next up

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The Path of Daggers part 1: Knivarnas väg

the title just basiccaly mean "The path of daggers"

 

This cover looks awful, even by my standards

a lone man on a horse, i'm not sure who but i think it's supposed to be Rand

and i think there are 2 army's in the background.

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The Path of Daggers part 2: Järnets tid

The title means "The time of Iron" ?

 

i'm not even gonna try to go through this one, this has got to be the worst one by far. terrible

[Tyrell]

 

Different colours for each book.

[Bert]

I actually think the last two you posted were better.  A bit dark, but that is fitting considering what is going on at that point in the book.  I really like the UK cover.  I had not seen it yet, thanks Tyrell.  Its simple, but it seems more approriate. 

[ROB_88]

lets just move on

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Winters Heart part 1:Vinterns hjärta

 

the title is a direct translation from "Winters Heart"

 

I can't really see whats on the cover, it's too white. maybe it's supposed to be snow or they just had a lack of imagination that day. some form of humanoid stands in the background for no real reason.

 

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Winters Heart part 2: De nio månarnas dotter

 

the title means "Daughter of the nine moons"

 

this one is also a little to light for my taste.

i'm not sure but i think the three woman would be Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne, that's the only group of three i can think of. the city in the bottom with a big-ass tower must be Tar Valon

[entropic]

Just a thought, but being his creation, wouldn't RJ have been asked approval for the titles and cover art? And if anyone could post a link to the UK cover art everyone's boasting, please do. I've never seen them.

[Majsju]

An example of the UK art can be seen in this very thread, just a few posts ago...

[entropic]

Is that how all the UK covers look though?

 

[reyler]

One of the things I enjoy most about hardcover books is that you can ditch the dust jacket and the ugly art on it.

 

I actually quite like some of those Japanese covers. Looks kind of like Yoshitaka Amano's work, when he manages to control himself. At least you can tell that whoever did the art for those has actually read the books. Or at least been given a thorough description of who and what they're meant to be picturing. Looks like they released each book with several different covers, and also broke each book up into serialised installments.

[Mr Ares]

Is that how all the UK covers look though?

Yes, just with different colours for the writing and symbol, as was stated in Tyrell's post.

[ROB_88]

that seems a little imaginationless.

it works os some level, but still

[Gentled Ben]

One of the things I enjoy most about hardcover books is that you can ditch the dust jacket and the ugly art on it.

 

I actually quite like some of those Japanese covers. Looks kind of like Yoshitaka Amano's work, when he manages to control himself. At least you can tell that whoever did the art for those has actually read the books. Or at least been given a thorough description of who and what they're meant to be picturing. Looks like they released each book with several different covers, and also broke each book up into serialised installments.

 

Yeah, I kinda like the renditions of Lanfear and Elayne. At least I knew right away who it was supposed to be, and I did not cringe. They do not look like Hobbits, like the American WH cover.

[reyler]

Yeah, some of the Japanese covers feature less prominent characters like Cadsuane, Moghedien, Graendal and Asmodean - and you can actually tell who they are supposed to be.

 

Plus, whoever the artist is, they seem to favor evoking imagery rather than any kinda of literalism of scenes, which resulted in a boring cover where Wolverine Perrin is talking to Galina over a map.

[ROB_88]

We are nearing the finsihline now

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Crossroads of Twilight Part 1: Dunklets korsväg

 

the title is a literal translation of "Crossroads of Twilight"

 

a lone man on a horse yet again, don't know who as it's been to long since i read it

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Crossroad of Twilight Part 2: De dödas stad

 

the title means "City of the dead"

at first glance i would think it's a reference to Shadar Logoth and the cleansing of Saidin, but that happened long before this book takes place.

on second thought it might be the town called So Habor where we first get reports of people seeing dead people walking around.

 

like most of the darker covers, i really like this one picture off Perrin with yellow eyes and the axe. maybe because he's my favorite.

he might look a little skinny compared to the description though.

[ROB_88]

Repent, The End Is Near. ok, it's time to do the last one in the main series so far, Knife of Dreams, and afterwards New Spring.

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Knife of Dreams Part 1:Tar Valons Fånge

the title means "Tar Valons prisoner" and must be a refeference to Egwene, way to put in spoilers.

 

at first i thought the cover was Egwenes ride to the docks for the Cuendillar- chains but that happened long ago at this point.

so the only thing i can think of would be Siuans hectic ride from one camp to another in chapter 1

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Knife of Dreams Part 2:Fällan

the title means "The trap." stupid title BTW.

it could mean either the varios traps set up by Mat againt the Seanchan, but the most probable considering the cover would be the trap set up by Semirhage against Rand.

 

the cover is Rand on a horse with his Dragon Scepter, the Crown of Swords and some random soldiers.

he does look a bit too feminine though.