The influence of film adaptations on book cover design : a qualitative study on readers and non-readers

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between film adaptations and book cover design, to address how film imagery influences the perceptions readers and non-readers have of the original literary works. It takes a look at Frankenstein (1818), Dracula (1897), and The Phantom of the Opera (1909)—three frequently adapted novels—in order to confirm whether visual changes made from book to screen have been conflated with what was originally written. It also addresses how these visual changes printed on book covers affects consumer expectations and purchasing behaviour. Qualitative methods were used, including a semiotic analysis on some of the OFCs (outer front covers) belonging to the aforementioned novels; and focus groups divided between readers and non-readers. The semiotic analysis guided the selection of covers presented in the focus groups, which allowed the participants to engage with the discourse surrounding book cover design, and to gain a deeper insight into their thoughts and opinions. This helped to establish the symbiotic relationship shared between film and book cover design; and how certain imagery impacts recognition, perceived accuracy, and purchase appeal. The results indicate that both reader and non-reader perception of the novels is notably influenced by film imagery; and that the most significant difference between the two groups is in their book cover design preferences: although both favoured accuracy, the reader group preferred having a vague representation of a book’s content. However, design was noticeably favoured to accuracy on a case-by-case basis, even though what they often all considered to be accurate was also what they thought had the best design. This could provide a reason for why film imagery continues to be reused in both new film and TV adaptations, and on book covers, in spite of its tentative connection to the original work.