Lord of the Flies
Dust Cover Design
This classic debut novel from William Golding follows a group of English schoolchildren stranded on a deserted island following the crash of their airplane. First published in 1954, Lord of the Flies has dazzled readers for decades. Readers are quickly drawn into the boys' increasingly brutal world as they become divided in a bitter power struggle that exposes the darkest elements of human nature. Masterfully written, this adventure novel imparts valuable lessons about how easily society can slide into barbarism.
OBJECTIVE
To create a fresh design for a classic novel that communicates the essence of the novel or an aspect of the novel, (themes, symbols, etc.). This cover was created for my experimental typography class, therefore, the approach needed to be heavily typographic. I wanted to communicate one or more of the themes through the typography. This resulted in a visual metaphor for the decay of the young boys' civility in the novel expressed through typography.
PROCESS
I am inspired by this version of the book. This was the version that I read in high-school and I remember a few of the copies looking deteriorated through years of use like the image to the right. These additions from the students create a different tone that serves the themes within the novel. It resembles the mental and physical state of the characters by the end of the novel; even more so than the original.
