Opinion: Harry Potter Gets a Makeover in the UK

And we're a bit fired up about it.

Posted by Leah Singerman

It's official. For the first time in my twenty-two years on this planet, I feel old. 

Why?

Because the Harry Potter books apparently need redesigned covers for the NEW GENERATION. That's right, those of us who grew up with Harry are now the "old generation" and the covers that worked on us just aren't acceptable anymore so they have to be updated. I don't know about you guys, but my decisions about whether or not to read the Harry Potter books were, like, 99% based on what the covers looked like.

OH WAIT NO THEY WEREN'T BECAUSE I DIDN'T CARE.

Let me do a quick disclaimer: most of my unwarranted rage here is just personal. Like most Potterheads, I know any HP news is good news. And seeing a new artist's take on the series is super fun. I guess it's just the principle behind the idea that a new generation won't like the books with their outdated cover art. The truth is that the "old" cover art doesn't start to look outdated until you put it up against the new stuff. That's just how these things work. 

So here's what the new covers, designed by Jonny Duddle (a perfectly named Harry Potter artist if there ever was one), look like:

They're a bit more whimsical, with younger-looking characters and more of a fantasy vibe, if you ask me. And just like the books, these covers are chronologically symmetrical: book 4 sticks out as the oddball color-wise, 1 and 7 have similar dark schemes, 2 and 6 both have a swirling, circular quality, and 3 and 5 are each pretty monochromatic with a huge animal. Yeah, I can flex my art critic muscles a bit every now and then. Be impressed. 

The whole redesign also has me wondering how Harry Potter will stand the test of a new generation—the kids who are just now starting to pick up these books are more or less the ones who decide whether it truly becomes a classic. I'm not a betting woman, but I'd like to think that these kids are gonna love what they see. In my perfect world, JKR becomes the new Shakespeare and HP sticks around for at least a few hundred more years. Gotta dream big, right?

What are your thoughts on the new covers and what they mean for the HP legacy? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @DweebCast. We'll see ya next time!

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.

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