Which Adventure Series Book - Unfamiliar Cover

[Anita Bensoussane]

Any comments on this unique cover? Layout/Font/Overall style etc?

That cover is too modern and too bland for me. It fails to give a "flavour" of the story (which is sublime - one of Enid Blyton's best!)

[IceMaiden]

It looks more age appropriate than that first one but it doesn't say "Enid Blyton" to me. It looks more like an advertising promotional still from some new BBC teen drama.

(Behind Dinah there appears to be a shadowy image of a woman wearing a black vest top, can anyone else see it?)

[Daisy]

I think it's two gulls - if I'd seen them on the original picture which had the title chopped off, I might have guessed "Sea".

[Lucky Star]

I agree it's a very bland picture giving no flavour of the sublime story within. As Anita said earlier it could have sufficed for any of the eight books. Maybe the character on the right is meant to be Horace Tipperlong.

[pete9012S]

It seems to be a universal thumbs down for that modern cover then!
(Fair point Daisy, But I can't make this quiz too easy with the brains knocking about on these forums!)


Before we shortly move on, here are a few more covers for the same book that may possibly be unfamiliar.
Comments welcome. My least favourite cover is the first, and I think I like the last cover above best - how about you?

[Anita Bensoussane]

An interesting selection of covers, Pete.

I don't mind the first one as the gulls and puffin give it an "arty" feel. The second one with the boy on the cliffs (striped sweater) is wooden and sad-looking and doesn't appeal. I don't like the dark, smudgy-looking children on the third cover either. Those two covers are definitely the ones I like least. The fourth is "flat" but the quirky touches enliven it, e.g. the army of puffins and the reflection of the rocks in the water.

The record sleeve at the bottom left and the book cover at the bottom right are my favourites as they're attractive and colourful and show that the story is one of suspense and exploration.

[Daisy]

I quite like most of them but the least realistic from the point of view of the story must be the colony of puffins marching up towards the children and their tents! Of course to me none of them look like the Trents and Mannerings whom I first met in the hard backs.

[pete9012S]

Here's the next pic to guess that has been cropped.

[Lucky Star]

Valley? I think that's Philip posing as a statue as the baddies enter the caves.

[shadow]

I'd guess at James Herbert The Fog

[pete9012S]

2000 Macmillan, not illustrated, cover by Larry Ronstant

Well spotted John - I didn't think the Larry Ronstant cover would fool you for long!

I'd guess at James Herbert The Fog

Yes, it is a rather sinister cover for a children's book!


Wraparound dustwrapper from the Thames 1960 reprint, illustrated by Stuart Tresilian

A quick reminder of another of Stuart Tresilian's excellent covers from the cave before we move on.

[Courtenay]

Ooh, that's one of my favourites, Pete.

[pete9012S]

Just going back a little, I had never seen this cover of The Castle Of Adventure before. Very dramatic.
Any thoughts?


Hard to believe this cover depicts the same book - almost pastoral in tone.



Any comments on this rather unique cover??

[Anita Bensoussane]

The top one is dramatic but ugly in my opinion. Jack looks positively evil and the eagle is huge and hideous and appears to be carrying off a dog - or maybe it's Button the fox cub!

The second one does feel pastoral as you say, Pete. It's a beautiful piece of artwork but has an air of sadness about it, perhaps because Philip (if that's who the blond boy is!) looks to have been excluded from the group!

The third one leaves me speechless. It may well be the worst Enid Blyton book cover I've ever seen!

[Fiona1986]

At least Dinah can't see how ugly it is with that fringe in her eyes!