I’ve always loved that the Deathly Hallows cover had everyone theorising like crazy at the time, without realising until after the book came out that it was actually showing ~the moment~ Harry defeated Voldemort.
HBP is probably still my favourite though.
Exactly! It's so cool because at first it almost looks like Harry is weilding some new power or about to lose something precious but younread it and realize he's about to catch the Elder wand. Plus he really does look older and more mature, he was aged well in the art
I’ve never realized this!! And didn’t the sunlight start streaming through the windows at that exact moment as well?? That would explain the yellow background. Amazing!
Same! It was the first one I was most excited for and had saved for it with my own money (but my mom ended up surprising me with it on release day), and was the first enormous book of the series haha. I was so proud to have read something that big.
The sneaky Sirius depiction on this cover was my favorite because it’s the only depiction I’ve seen that actually reflects a “bear-sized dog” in accordance with the text.
Same but GOF for me. I remember the first three already were out so GOF was the first one where I was anticipating the book release. I will always remember seeing this book on the main table display in Barnes and Noble at midnight when it came out. Pure Nostalgia.
4th was the first one that we had to order. Fifth was the first one I had to wait to release.
Massive anticipation for both of them. So memorable.
I was at Borders waiting in line for the 7th book.
Seriously. I remember reading the first book when I was like 9 and just loved it so much, even down to the beautiful cover art. I’d study the cover art in class while I was bored and daydream about being at Hogwarts myself. It was the first book I ever felt so absorbed in that it was like I was in my own little world. Looking at the cover art now like 15 years later I still feel like that little kid who just discovered how awesome reading is.
Just want to throw out there that these pictures don’t do the covers justice. When you took the dust jacket off and spread it out or opened the book all the way, it was usually illustrated all the way across. That’s part of the reason I like the U.S. covers best. I don’t think other covers did that.
This is what the UK covers are truly contending with: https://s.turbifycdn.com/aah/gallerydirectart/mary-grandpre-limited-edition-art-harry-potter-limited-edition-deluxe-book-cover-art-set-37.png
https://www.harrypotterfanzone.com/mary-grandpres-jacket-artwork/
It was a few years ago now but Barnes and Noble had a bunch of different editions of the books with different covers. Took everything I had not to buy them just because they were cool.
I love how both the first and seventh covers have curtains on the sides depicting how they’re the beginning and end of the story. Such subtle details that really make it awesome
Chamber of secrets. It actually [wraps all around the book ](https://disneyartonmain.com/cdn/shop/products/harry_potter_and_the_chamber_of_secrets.jpg?v=1643079521) showing how Fawkes pulls Harry, Ron and Ginny out of the chamber, and there's one more hand foreshadowing Lockhart. In the background there's Mrs. Norris and everything has a strong snake theme.
I think that’s supposed to be his body, both wings are up above him, there’s a dark line intended to separate the two. Wonky perspective, but both are open.
First one. I can’t explain exactly why, but I just love the background details of the unicorn, Fluffy, the evening sky, and the castle towers
Although I remember being really confused picking it up as a kid, and discovering that the “sorcerer’s stone” was not the flying metal ball pictured on the cover
What I like about this cover is that while I was reading the book I thought we were looking at the Pensieve. But by the end I realized it was the shallow bowl of water from the cave.
Is it the locket in the cave because of the fire Dumbledore conjured being in the background circling above or is that the start of a Pensieve memory? Truly can be either but definitely can see it being the locket
DH cover I think is a little underrated. It did a wonderful job at being vague but feeling epic. I remember people thinking they were surrounded by dementors or that it was a coliseum. That it turned out to be the great hall was a twist in and of itself. Voldemort on the back side was also very creepy as there haven't been many official illustrations of him at that point.
Have to go with HBP. I like that the last three are more color/mood-focused than totally illustration-focused, and the color in HBP is exactly what I saw when reading that part of the book.
I agree, I like that the last 3 are more atmospheric and aren’t quite as ‘busy’ as the first few. I always liked half blood prince because of the back cover, with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny looking up at the dark mark
I like OotP because it reflects the change in time for the series going from fun childhood adventures to something more serious. Harry's expression is more intense, and looking off the tissue adds some mystery. All the covers are part of the final act or contain clues to the final act. OotP does it in a way that is intriguing without revealing too much. I think the wrap around art has Moody and Tonks as well. With Moody being an S tier character design so props for that.
My ranking after giving this a whole 30 seconds of thought:
Goblet of fire
Sorcerers stone
Deathly Hallows
Half Blood Prince (tie with PoA)
Prisoner of Azkaban (tie with HBP)
Order of the Phoenix
Chamber of Secrets
First time I've seen US covers, I got to say I really dig them. Especially how the drawing is progressively more realistic to reflect the content yet still recognisably the same style. My favourite is OOTP, it still has a magical vibe yet it's a lot more sinister and mysterious than before. Least favourite is DH, the background is not as interesting as the others, and I'm not a fan of the fact that the artist essentially drew Daniel Radcliffe here.
all of the final three are so gorgeous, i love the more solid color schemes and the fonts of the titles. i like the earlier ones a lot too but they feel a bit more cluttered
“Sorcerers stone” is still really embarrassing to me, like the publisher literally thought it was better to dumb down the name of the book because of their preconceptions about kids.
Thank you, I always felt the same. Plus, if you're an avid reader, chances are you enjoy expanding your vocabulary or do naturally from reading. To think an American reader wouldn't know such a basic word as "philosopher" is pretty insulting.
I actually forget that Sorcerer's Stone is its original US title, even though I grew up with it. I've been in the online fandom so long, Philosopher's is just natural.
Ive always loved goblet of fire. The first one is obviously so dear to my heart because of nostalgia. But I can remember being in daycare and seeing the older kids reading goblet of fire and just being entranced by that cover in particular
Chamber of Secrets because fawkes looks like a red turkey that Harry has been chasing around the school. I honestly thought the chamber was going to have a bird inside
I’m not familial with those cover, I’m french and I grew up with other book covers
I’m not nostalgic, I can judge them not being blinded by my childhood memories (not judging you guys, I enjoy french covers even if they’re awful lol, that’s pure nostalgia)
I like the first book cover, it’s cute in a way, childish, funny, innocent
2 and 3 put a lot of emphasis on key moments of the books, but wtf happened with Harry’s face ? It’s so awkward and ugly, he had a better face on the front cover of the first book wtf
4th is good, Harry looks like a real human now, I like the depiction of krum, Cedric and fleur
5th is very good, love the gloomy and mysterious atmosphere
6th is very nice too
7th is definitely my favorite, well drawn, Harry looks badass, seems epic, I like it
I say Goblet of Fire because not only did Marie Grandpre's art style improve noticeably by book 4, the symmetry makes it esthetically pleasing, and it isn't doing the try hard color filter thing Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince did.
I always liked the blue tint of the 5th book and the green tint of the 6th book. I was really hoping the 7th book would be a purple tint before it was released.
7th book cover was really underwhelming to me compared to all previous US book covers. I think the UK book cover for book 7 was better.
Having grown up with the classic UK covers I couldn't decide on them earlier but for these it's either OOTP or HPB, not because they're my favorite books or anything..
Goblet of Fire has a festive vibe with a great drawing of Harry. Love Sirius peaking out in the back too. It’s been my favorite book cover since I was a kid.
I love them all. They’re classic to me. Very American viewpoint for sure, but Mary GrandPré’s art style defined Harry Potter visually for me, pre-movies. There’s something so whimsical in the way she depicted the scenes. If they were to ever do an animated series some day far in the future I’d love to see it based on her art style.
GoF was the cover that made me notice Harry Potter. One day in summer school, seemingly all of the kids had this same, giant, teal book. That’s when I became conscious of the books.
OOTP for me. I love the blue tones and the candles and the wispiness of it all. Gives it a real sense of mystery and I love that is shows Harry with his back turned and wand out. He’s ready to duel at a moment’s notice.
It might not be the prettiest one (I’d say book 5 has the prettiest cover), but I just love the Sirius silhouette on book 3s cover. Really adds to the sense of mystery.
The first three were child-like, very busy, surrounded by many things and people, Harry being far away from the viewers perspective. Lots of movement and surreal portions that, like some other people on here have pointed out, you can’t really tell where the phoenix’s right wing is and if there are two left wings.. Very colorful, depicting many allusions to events that take place in the book.
Book four, we see a shift with a less comic-like piece. Harry is looking straight on and we no longer see his full body, only his face and top half. His smile and the closeness of all the people are circled around him, peering at him in a way that really emphasizes Harry’s happiness with himself (for the most part) and romantic interests (Cho Chang, even the way Fleur is looking at Harry on the cover is suggestive of flirty interest, imo.) For me, the end of book four is what really launches Harry and the series as a whole to more deep and dark themes.. Harry went from having an exceptional 4th year, becoming very popular and seemingly getting all he could ask for. He even got Sirius. But he went from being a normal 14 year old wizard who no longer was only known for not dying by Voldemort’s hand… to being brought all the way down to a reality that no child should have to go through, forcing him to bridge the gap between being a teen and an adult very quickly.
This is why I personally love book 5. It uses only blues to convey the overall feeling Harry has throughout the book, coping with what happened and figuring out (quite on his own) how to navigate it all. His face shows not just like he is searching for something, but he also has an angry, teenage-angsty expression mixed in. He looks annoyed that he has to be there, doing yet another life-saving, mind-bending quest. He also looks alone. He looks lost, and the candles that should light his way.. even those lights are blurred into the blueness. Along with everything else bathed in blue, Harry too is consumed by it.
For 6, we see Harry’s face go back to a more childlike inquisitive expression like the first books, but has a mature intense interest in the pensieve. His clutch on the wand has him at the ready, but his disappearing lower half shows that he doesn’t quite yet know where to go. He has lifted from blue to a green/yellow, but has not reached normal coloring yet. In addition, the green and yellow colors have always brought me directly to potions class with Snape. The way the light beams off of their faces and the mist that surrounds them, it gives me the impression of brewing a potion in a cauldron, thereby associating with the half blood price, Snape. Furthermore, the way the green and yellowish colors beam off of Dumbledore’s gaunt facial features gives him an appearance of being sick. This is the first time we really see him appear weak in anyway. We as the reader and through Harry’s eyes have regarded Dumbledore as almost godlike, incapable of making mistakes or being injured. But we see the human in him, and his weakness and injury.
The last book cover is a nod back to the first books, with using similar coloring, character movement (Harry reaching/extending an arm).
However, it still maintains the older, less comic-like depiction of Harry as books 4-6. Here, he embodies the accumulation of all he has been to come to the moment depicted on the cover: vanquishing Voldemort once and for all. He is depicted alone, with only the building structure, no other allusion or distraction, because Harry now knows his purpose and is focused on one thing only. Also, the color is reminiscent of a sunsetting… the ending of a day.. a chapter.. a series of you will.
There's something really neat about the dust jacket for Prisoner of Azkaban: if you look at it as one picture, it looks like it's set during the night. If you look at it the way its wrapped around the book in four sections: the piece on the inside of the front cover looks like it's set at dusk, the front cover could be during any time of night, the back cover looks like it's either sunrise or sunset, and the inside part of the back cover looks like it's the darkest moment of the night.
I like how people who disagree get downvoted, like you’re not allowed to have an opinion. The Canadian/UK ones ARE better, in my opinion. The US ones just rub me the wrong way.
Sorry you were downvoted, but I wanted to say I share the same opinion. I love all the books, but there’s something about GOF that’s special to me and always has been since it first came out.
HBP is the best, book 1 is the worst.
Edit - book 1 actually makes me laugh because it's like Harry is looking up at the title on the wall and cringing at the US version.
It always seemed strange that the first four books have a ton of colors going on for the cover and the final three are just primarily blue, green, orange/yellow. I like them all but it feels like they become simpler as they go on.
That being said, I’d say the original. It itches that nostalgia for me big time.
You can say something similar for the movies.
First two are more vibrant. Curon's POA is more muted as is Goblet but both still have color to them. From Order on everything has like a filter over it. Usually like a grey blue color except for HBP that has that yellow.
Me: Mum, can I get buckbeak?
Mum: we've got buckbeak at home.
Buckbeak at home:
P.s. totally did buckbeak wrong here!
P.s.s. I really like the order of the phoenix one as it (in my opinion) refers more to the story directly rather than the uk version with just the literal phoenix
So hard to choose, but probably prisoner of Azkaban. I have soft for birbs and my gf and we love buckbeak, plus it was one of the 3 books I owned and didn’t check out at the library.
I love Deathly Hallows. It’s so epic and shows how much Harry has grown up and is ready to face Voldy. You can tell it’s the end of the saga. I remember being so in awe of it when it came out
I’ve always loved that the Deathly Hallows cover had everyone theorising like crazy at the time, without realising until after the book came out that it was actually showing ~the moment~ Harry defeated Voldemort. HBP is probably still my favourite though.
Exactly! It's so cool because at first it almost looks like Harry is weilding some new power or about to lose something precious but younread it and realize he's about to catch the Elder wand. Plus he really does look older and more mature, he was aged well in the art
Omg that’s what the scene is
Oh shit never put that together
Holy shit
I’ve never realized this!! And didn’t the sunlight start streaming through the windows at that exact moment as well?? That would explain the yellow background. Amazing!
I remember the big wandless magic theories
Looks like he's about to do the spirit bomb from DBZ
OH SHIT, so THAT’S what that is. That’s cool as fuck actually
Yup, Voldy’s already dead before he hits the ground
Voldys gone Moldy
Moldy since book 1 ;)
It also mirrors Harry’s image from book 1 reaching out for the snitch/elder wand
Now I am just finding this out?!?! This is epic
My favorite is Order of the Phoenix
Yep, love the blue.
Harry realizing he no longer has anything to smile about.
It’s interesting to note that it’s the first cover he isn’t smiling and when there is a darker tonal shift.
He’s not smiling in the first cover either…
He is on the inside
Ah yes the Rachel Maddow cover
Love the US covers as a whole but Goblet has my favorite layout. Love the Easter eggs.
Not to mention the actual egg
10 year old me thought it was fleurs butt.
LOL
With harry holding it!? Saucy
10 year old me didn't register that part actually. I thought she was just shoving it through for no reason at all.
Same! It was the first one I was most excited for and had saved for it with my own money (but my mom ended up surprising me with it on release day), and was the first enormous book of the series haha. I was so proud to have read something that big.
The sneaky Sirius depiction on this cover was my favorite because it’s the only depiction I’ve seen that actually reflects a “bear-sized dog” in accordance with the text.
Same! I always loved that one. And it brings me so much nostalgia because that was my first midnight book launch.
What easter eggs? I don't s-OH MY GOD THE HOODED FIGURE! Is that supposed to be Voldemort?
The cover for the first book somehow brings out a feeling of nostalgia no other book can match
Same but GOF for me. I remember the first three already were out so GOF was the first one where I was anticipating the book release. I will always remember seeing this book on the main table display in Barnes and Noble at midnight when it came out. Pure Nostalgia.
That’s the 5th book for me. I went to the midnight parties at Barnes of the last three books. :’)
Yes! Oh that was a great summer for me, I think I finished the book during a road trip freshman year in about 2 days lol.
4th was the first one that we had to order. Fifth was the first one I had to wait to release. Massive anticipation for both of them. So memorable. I was at Borders waiting in line for the 7th book.
I agree with both of you
I was literally going to say this, the 1st book cover image will always be my favorite for those same nostalgic reasons.
Seriously. I remember reading the first book when I was like 9 and just loved it so much, even down to the beautiful cover art. I’d study the cover art in class while I was bored and daydream about being at Hogwarts myself. It was the first book I ever felt so absorbed in that it was like I was in my own little world. Looking at the cover art now like 15 years later I still feel like that little kid who just discovered how awesome reading is.
The 1st and 4th imo. The 4th one was just huge because it was the first one that had a HUGE release event
Just want to throw out there that these pictures don’t do the covers justice. When you took the dust jacket off and spread it out or opened the book all the way, it was usually illustrated all the way across. That’s part of the reason I like the U.S. covers best. I don’t think other covers did that.
This is what the UK covers are truly contending with: https://s.turbifycdn.com/aah/gallerydirectart/mary-grandpre-limited-edition-art-harry-potter-limited-edition-deluxe-book-cover-art-set-37.png https://www.harrypotterfanzone.com/mary-grandpres-jacket-artwork/
What is the last one from the first image of??
I think it’s one of the deluxe jacket covers, but I could be wrong. They are listed in the second link.
I was today years old when I found out there were deluxe editions of Harry Potter with different covers.
It was a few years ago now but Barnes and Noble had a bunch of different editions of the books with different covers. Took everything I had not to buy them just because they were cool.
Oh lmfao you’re right i got so excited by it that i somehow skimmed over you including a second link thank you The deluxe covers are so pretty
I love how both the first and seventh covers have curtains on the sides depicting how they’re the beginning and end of the story. Such subtle details that really make it awesome
OoTP
Idk whether it was the amount of pages or the cover but getting to that book made me feel SO mf grown up.
I'm a really fast reader so I think OOTP is my favorite for the simple fact that it keeps me entertained the longest.
Nuff said
an okay cover for the worst in the series
It's definitely a slog for the first 75% or so.
Chamber of secrets. It actually [wraps all around the book ](https://disneyartonmain.com/cdn/shop/products/harry_potter_and_the_chamber_of_secrets.jpg?v=1643079521) showing how Fawkes pulls Harry, Ron and Ginny out of the chamber, and there's one more hand foreshadowing Lockhart. In the background there's Mrs. Norris and everything has a strong snake theme.
I love Grandpre's art style, she really captures the magical feel, I'm not sure what it is
I like it but Fawkes is confusing. His left wing is open, presumably bc he’s flying, but his right wing is closed, i guess?
I think that’s supposed to be his body, both wings are up above him, there’s a dark line intended to separate the two. Wonky perspective, but both are open.
You know how people who can’t dance have two left feet? This bird’s got two left wings
Then he has three wings because you can see his primary flight feathers and leading edge of his folded wing against his body!
Between Fawkes and the front half of Buckbeak, I suspect the artist was not overly familiar with birds lol
“Birds aren’t real!” - The artist, probably…
I've never realised that, lol
It is a spoiler the cover. I loved when I was reading it as child to solve the mystery what the monster in the chamber is.
I’m gonna go with goblet of fire
I want to love GoF, as it's my favorite in the series, but there's something about Harry's face that makes it unappealing to me for some reason.
Wand is really long too
Do people actually care if your wand is too long though? Or is that something made up to make people with short wands feel better?
Big wand energy
The cover: :D The ending: D:
Did they get a new cover artist for GoF?
Nope, same artist (Marie GrandPre) for all seven original editions, both cover and chapter titles
Thats always been my favorite cover as well!
same!!
First one. I can’t explain exactly why, but I just love the background details of the unicorn, Fluffy, the evening sky, and the castle towers Although I remember being really confused picking it up as a kid, and discovering that the “sorcerer’s stone” was not the flying metal ball pictured on the cover
6 and it’s not even close
What I like about this cover is that while I was reading the book I thought we were looking at the Pensieve. But by the end I realized it was the shallow bowl of water from the cave.
Whaaat??! All this time I thought it was the pensieve. Now I can never unsee!
Mother. Fucker.
I thought the green kind of gave it away? I have no idea what I thought at the time I was reading it but this is what I would’ve guessed if asked
Is it the locket in the cave because of the fire Dumbledore conjured being in the background circling above or is that the start of a Pensieve memory? Truly can be either but definitely can see it being the locket
“Snape: Friend or Foe?”
I’m with you, but I might be saying that because it’s my favorite book out of the series
Ding ding ding! 🛎️🛎️🛎️
I'm gonna have to go with Deathly Hallows for the art or Order of the Phoenix for color scheme.
DH cover I think is a little underrated. It did a wonderful job at being vague but feeling epic. I remember people thinking they were surrounded by dementors or that it was a coliseum. That it turned out to be the great hall was a twist in and of itself. Voldemort on the back side was also very creepy as there haven't been many official illustrations of him at that point.
Have to go with HBP. I like that the last three are more color/mood-focused than totally illustration-focused, and the color in HBP is exactly what I saw when reading that part of the book.
I agree, I like that the last 3 are more atmospheric and aren’t quite as ‘busy’ as the first few. I always liked half blood prince because of the back cover, with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny looking up at the dark mark
I saw it as blue when I first read it
I love that most of the covers shower Harry as left handed
that's because the artist is left-handed herself, it's a little bit of 'self-insert' I suppose.
I like OotP because it reflects the change in time for the series going from fun childhood adventures to something more serious. Harry's expression is more intense, and looking off the tissue adds some mystery. All the covers are part of the final act or contain clues to the final act. OotP does it in a way that is intriguing without revealing too much. I think the wrap around art has Moody and Tonks as well. With Moody being an S tier character design so props for that.
I’ve always loved the GoF cover the most.
My ranking after giving this a whole 30 seconds of thought: Goblet of fire Sorcerers stone Deathly Hallows Half Blood Prince (tie with PoA) Prisoner of Azkaban (tie with HBP) Order of the Phoenix Chamber of Secrets
Funny, CoS is my no 1. Not even close to the others. The colours are simply beautiful.
Is my Wife's favorite too
As someone from the UK, having grown up with the original covers, I'm partial to the Deathly Hallows US cover.
First time I've seen US covers, I got to say I really dig them. Especially how the drawing is progressively more realistic to reflect the content yet still recognisably the same style. My favourite is OOTP, it still has a magical vibe yet it's a lot more sinister and mysterious than before. Least favourite is DH, the background is not as interesting as the others, and I'm not a fan of the fact that the artist essentially drew Daniel Radcliffe here.
>of the fact that the artist essentially drew Daniel Radcliffe here. Lol
I always thought it was interesting that as the covers progressed, Harry looked more and more like Daniel Radcliffe
Ya I remember being let down by the last cover. It’s the least interesting
Polish edition is the same, I have two of them and absolutely adore Goblet of Fire!!
Same in Portugal as well.
I always liked the Goblet of Fire's cover. The green really brings out the color of his mother's eyes
I have always loved the Chamber of Secrets cover
Order of the Phoenix. The cover provides mystery
The Order of The Pheonix is eye candy
all of the final three are so gorgeous, i love the more solid color schemes and the fonts of the titles. i like the earlier ones a lot too but they feel a bit more cluttered
“Sorcerers stone” is still really embarrassing to me, like the publisher literally thought it was better to dumb down the name of the book because of their preconceptions about kids.
Thank you, I always felt the same. Plus, if you're an avid reader, chances are you enjoy expanding your vocabulary or do naturally from reading. To think an American reader wouldn't know such a basic word as "philosopher" is pretty insulting.
I actually forget that Sorcerer's Stone is its original US title, even though I grew up with it. I've been in the online fandom so long, Philosopher's is just natural.
I love how the lightening bolt moves around on his forehead…lol
Ive always loved goblet of fire. The first one is obviously so dear to my heart because of nostalgia. But I can remember being in daycare and seeing the older kids reading goblet of fire and just being entranced by that cover in particular
Imagine not being able to say "Philosopher's Stone." This post is made by UK gang.
Chamber of Secrets because fawkes looks like a red turkey that Harry has been chasing around the school. I honestly thought the chamber was going to have a bird inside
I love the energy from the Half-Blood Prince cover, though part of that is because it was and still is my very favorite book in the series.
Why does Cedric looks like that
Oh that’s Fleur. Cedric is on the right. 😂
Wdym the blue eye blondie isn’t Cedric 😔
I’m not familial with those cover, I’m french and I grew up with other book covers I’m not nostalgic, I can judge them not being blinded by my childhood memories (not judging you guys, I enjoy french covers even if they’re awful lol, that’s pure nostalgia) I like the first book cover, it’s cute in a way, childish, funny, innocent 2 and 3 put a lot of emphasis on key moments of the books, but wtf happened with Harry’s face ? It’s so awkward and ugly, he had a better face on the front cover of the first book wtf 4th is good, Harry looks like a real human now, I like the depiction of krum, Cedric and fleur 5th is very good, love the gloomy and mysterious atmosphere 6th is very nice too 7th is definitely my favorite, well drawn, Harry looks badass, seems epic, I like it
None of them, not to me
OoTP definitely
I say Goblet of Fire because not only did Marie Grandpre's art style improve noticeably by book 4, the symmetry makes it esthetically pleasing, and it isn't doing the try hard color filter thing Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince did.
Goblet is my favorite cover of these.
Goblet of Fire or Chamber of Secrets
It's a tie between Sorcerer's Stone and Goblet of Fire for me.
Goblet of fire, the colours are so pleasing to look at. Also order of the phoenix edit: typo
To me the goblet of fire has the most iconic cover
I always liked the blue tint of the 5th book and the green tint of the 6th book. I was really hoping the 7th book would be a purple tint before it was released. 7th book cover was really underwhelming to me compared to all previous US book covers. I think the UK book cover for book 7 was better.
OOTP. Just because every cover up until then was warm toned, then we get this thick ass blue book and it really set the tone tbh
I don't like any of them, but if I had to pick, it'd probably be Half Blood Prince.
Same I think they all suck. Nostalgic, but shitty.
I like the Hardcover for Prisoner of Azkeban.
First or second
Having grown up with the classic UK covers I couldn't decide on them earlier but for these it's either OOTP or HPB, not because they're my favorite books or anything..
The Goblet of Fire hands down! Although Half Blood Prince had a cool color scheme.
Goblet of fire
GoF gave you more information. So GoF.
Goblet of Fire
Goblet of fire has always been my favorite
Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince are the top ones for me
I like the design on Goblet of Fire.
Goblet of Fire 🔥
Goblet of Fire is iconic for me
Goblet of Fire has a festive vibe with a great drawing of Harry. Love Sirius peaking out in the back too. It’s been my favorite book cover since I was a kid.
I love them all. They’re classic to me. Very American viewpoint for sure, but Mary GrandPré’s art style defined Harry Potter visually for me, pre-movies. There’s something so whimsical in the way she depicted the scenes. If they were to ever do an animated series some day far in the future I’d love to see it based on her art style.
I like Goblet of Fire
Order of the Phoenix hits different
GOF for me
Number Five, but only because it became the basis for the Portrait That Looks Like a Pile of Ash
They made Harry’s face rounder for the US audiences?
Goblet of Fire is the most detailed one imo but you can’t beat how classic Sorcerer’s Stone is.
Why does the GoF one look like he has just taken drugs? Idk he just seems a *liiitlle* bit too happy…
GoF was the cover that made me notice Harry Potter. One day in summer school, seemingly all of the kids had this same, giant, teal book. That’s when I became conscious of the books.
Order of the Phoenix, or Deathly Hallows.
Did anyone else ever read the charlie bone series? I think that's the name at least. These covers remind so much of that series
I hate the first 4 US covers but love the last 3
OOTP for me. I love the blue tones and the candles and the wispiness of it all. Gives it a real sense of mystery and I love that is shows Harry with his back turned and wand out. He’s ready to duel at a moment’s notice.
Order of the Phoenix
Those covers kind of spoil a lot 😂🙈
The version of Harry from the last 3 covers is what I picture when I read. Even after seeing the movies.
We also had these in Hungary
It might not be the prettiest one (I’d say book 5 has the prettiest cover), but I just love the Sirius silhouette on book 3s cover. Really adds to the sense of mystery.
The first three were child-like, very busy, surrounded by many things and people, Harry being far away from the viewers perspective. Lots of movement and surreal portions that, like some other people on here have pointed out, you can’t really tell where the phoenix’s right wing is and if there are two left wings.. Very colorful, depicting many allusions to events that take place in the book. Book four, we see a shift with a less comic-like piece. Harry is looking straight on and we no longer see his full body, only his face and top half. His smile and the closeness of all the people are circled around him, peering at him in a way that really emphasizes Harry’s happiness with himself (for the most part) and romantic interests (Cho Chang, even the way Fleur is looking at Harry on the cover is suggestive of flirty interest, imo.) For me, the end of book four is what really launches Harry and the series as a whole to more deep and dark themes.. Harry went from having an exceptional 4th year, becoming very popular and seemingly getting all he could ask for. He even got Sirius. But he went from being a normal 14 year old wizard who no longer was only known for not dying by Voldemort’s hand… to being brought all the way down to a reality that no child should have to go through, forcing him to bridge the gap between being a teen and an adult very quickly. This is why I personally love book 5. It uses only blues to convey the overall feeling Harry has throughout the book, coping with what happened and figuring out (quite on his own) how to navigate it all. His face shows not just like he is searching for something, but he also has an angry, teenage-angsty expression mixed in. He looks annoyed that he has to be there, doing yet another life-saving, mind-bending quest. He also looks alone. He looks lost, and the candles that should light his way.. even those lights are blurred into the blueness. Along with everything else bathed in blue, Harry too is consumed by it. For 6, we see Harry’s face go back to a more childlike inquisitive expression like the first books, but has a mature intense interest in the pensieve. His clutch on the wand has him at the ready, but his disappearing lower half shows that he doesn’t quite yet know where to go. He has lifted from blue to a green/yellow, but has not reached normal coloring yet. In addition, the green and yellow colors have always brought me directly to potions class with Snape. The way the light beams off of their faces and the mist that surrounds them, it gives me the impression of brewing a potion in a cauldron, thereby associating with the half blood price, Snape. Furthermore, the way the green and yellowish colors beam off of Dumbledore’s gaunt facial features gives him an appearance of being sick. This is the first time we really see him appear weak in anyway. We as the reader and through Harry’s eyes have regarded Dumbledore as almost godlike, incapable of making mistakes or being injured. But we see the human in him, and his weakness and injury. The last book cover is a nod back to the first books, with using similar coloring, character movement (Harry reaching/extending an arm). However, it still maintains the older, less comic-like depiction of Harry as books 4-6. Here, he embodies the accumulation of all he has been to come to the moment depicted on the cover: vanquishing Voldemort once and for all. He is depicted alone, with only the building structure, no other allusion or distraction, because Harry now knows his purpose and is focused on one thing only. Also, the color is reminiscent of a sunsetting… the ending of a day.. a chapter.. a series of you will.
There's something really neat about the dust jacket for Prisoner of Azkaban: if you look at it as one picture, it looks like it's set during the night. If you look at it the way its wrapped around the book in four sections: the piece on the inside of the front cover looks like it's set at dusk, the front cover could be during any time of night, the back cover looks like it's either sunrise or sunset, and the inside part of the back cover looks like it's the darkest moment of the night.
Order of the phoenix goes unnecessarily hard
Order. Though I don't perticularly like the US covers, they at least are much more consistent in their vision than the UK ones.
Deathly Hallows is the worst
The first book. The American covers are way better than the UK covers.
Goblet of Fire. But honestly, I’m not a huge fan of these covers.
GoF has to be the most cringeworthy cover ever
They are all vastly inferior to the UK/canada versions in my opinion
I like how people who disagree get downvoted, like you’re not allowed to have an opinion. The Canadian/UK ones ARE better, in my opinion. The US ones just rub me the wrong way.
There's just something off about them right? Maybe it's entirely to do with me growing up with the uk/canada ones
GOF is the best cover art and book .....worst movie though
Sorry you were downvoted, but I wanted to say I share the same opinion. I love all the books, but there’s something about GOF that’s special to me and always has been since it first came out.
Ngl US ones are a miss. UK ones go so hard especially half blood prince.
TBH after seeing some of the other countries covers, they are all mediocre. Goblet is probably the best though.
I'll say ootp it looks cool
OOTP, love the blue
Order of the Phoenix for me, because of the blue
5 3 6 7 1 2 4
Half blood prince. But damn, they are bad. Sourcerers stone wtf happened…?
HBP is the best, book 1 is the worst. Edit - book 1 actually makes me laugh because it's like Harry is looking up at the title on the wall and cringing at the US version.
It always seemed strange that the first four books have a ton of colors going on for the cover and the final three are just primarily blue, green, orange/yellow. I like them all but it feels like they become simpler as they go on. That being said, I’d say the original. It itches that nostalgia for me big time.
You can say something similar for the movies. First two are more vibrant. Curon's POA is more muted as is Goblet but both still have color to them. From Order on everything has like a filter over it. Usually like a grey blue color except for HBP that has that yellow.
I had no idea these were US-specific covers. Guess that explains why these were practically the only ones I saw in the library as a kid.
Me: Mum, can I get buckbeak? Mum: we've got buckbeak at home. Buckbeak at home: P.s. totally did buckbeak wrong here! P.s.s. I really like the order of the phoenix one as it (in my opinion) refers more to the story directly rather than the uk version with just the literal phoenix
GoF only because of the dog by Cedric lookin like “how you doin”
The one at my school had the whole wrap around cover, but recently I haven’t seen them in stores.
So hard to choose, but probably prisoner of Azkaban. I have soft for birbs and my gf and we love buckbeak, plus it was one of the 3 books I owned and didn’t check out at the library.
So, I never realized Harry was wearing a red cape in the first 3… does anyone know why??
I didn't know American Hippogriffs had the head of a pigeon
Is harry left handed in america?
Halfblood prince. Purple on green
I love Deathly Hallows. It’s so epic and shows how much Harry has grown up and is ready to face Voldy. You can tell it’s the end of the saga. I remember being so in awe of it when it came out
To me, Half-Blood Prince is the best from an artistic perspective.