"The End": Cover on New York Times Book Review

[Deleted]

whats that other thing by olaf's uncoverd foot? a roulette table?

[Antenora]

It looks to me like a wheel of some sort, and I'd assume it's part of the ship. And the thing just behind Violet does look like a birdcage, and there appears to be something in it, but I can't tell what. Possibly a snake.

[Jacques the Environmentalist]

That'd be interesting. It'd be so nice if we knew at what point in the novel the cover is from, but that'd definitely be asking too much. I'm grateful we have the cover at all remembering last year.

[Dante]

It looks a bit like a traditional ship's steering wheel, although there's more stuff behind it and a weird black-and-white thing that I can barely make out. Could be a magpie, but it'd be weird to tie in more birds to the series at this point, particularly when crows will do the job anyway. *shrug* I don't think it's actually that, that's just what the blur looks a little like when I look closely.

[Antenora]

Here's a close-up showing the background and the strange things in it.


The black-and-white thing on the far right does look like a magpie, or some kind of bird. It could also be a fish leaping into the air. And I think the plank to the left of Sunny's arm is just general shipwreck debris.

[Ennui]

VIOLET: Right. Well at least we're on a nice, stable boat, actually going somewhere, right? In control of our own destinies?

(The boat wrecks.)

KLAUS: Yeah right.

SUNNY: Jose.

OLAF: (floating, semi-submerged, singing raucously) A piiiiraaate's liiife for meee...

[Hooky]

Wow, after reading through this thread, I am amazed. This is the first time I have seen this thread. That's no surprise, as I haven't been on 667 as much lately. I don't remember them ever releasing a cover this early. But maybe it is that time again.

As for the cover, I am already fond of it. It doesn't have that sense of finality, but it is all I really expected. ( I don't think this has been mentioned, but the "Quagmires" in the clouds look like letters from the other side of the newspaper page).

I agree with others on the matter that Olaf is somehow incapacitated and the Baudelaires are on their own temporarily. But considering how the Bauds have been leaning toward more villainy lately, I wouldn't be too surprised if they didn't care that Olaf was helpless. This is being typed pretty fast (so forgive me if something doesn't make sense), but in short I am pleased with the cover.

I am dissappointed with the "title" though. I think they may still change it so it fits. But after reading evidence toward the contrary, my hope is waning.

Still, a nice cover that fulfills my expectations.

EDIT: "THE END" title looks like it's pasted over the real title to me. But you have to look at the texture really closely to see it.

[The World Is Quiet Here]

The strange brown object looks like some kind of African Tribal Mask to me but that doesn't really fit in to the books.
I definately think the object between Sunny & Violet is an empty cage.
Olaf is merely unconscious, I heartily disagree with both the "Olaf is dead" & "Olaf is relaxing in the water" theories though I'll happily admit to being wrong if they're correct.
The clothing appears to be some crazy pintstripe suit, which Olaf was wearing on the teaser pic in TPP.

[jonnyboy11]

I'm so glad we actually do have the cover, too. It sucks that we have to survive al l summer, and part of the fall without getting to read any of the book. Hey, that does remind me: does anyone know where we can read the first chapter online somewhere?

[Gigi]

IF they release the first chapter early, it probably wouldn't be until about a week before the release of the book.

[jman]

Completely awesome! What a turn of events! The cover months early? Whoulda thunk it? And I love the cover too!

You guys think that the feet belong to Olaf because of the pants, right?

[LargeManFeOrMale]

I';d say it's almost definetly Olaf. . . . . or TMWBBNH

[Jacques the Environmentalist]

Definitely Olaf. And I don't think he even has to be unconscious, he could just be temporarily knocked over from shipwreck or tripping while doing some dance steps of triumph. You never know.
Also, if you look at the cover a certain way it looks like Violet is actually holding the birdcage or whatever it is. Does anyone else see what I'm getting at?

[Page Turner]

mynamesjacques said:

Definitely Olaf. And I don't think he even has to be unconscious, he could just be temporarily knocked over from shipwreck or tripping while doing some dance steps of triumph. You never know.
Also, if you look at the cover a certain way it looks like Violet is actually holding the birdcage or whatever it is. Does anyone else see what I'm getting at?

It also might be olaf because the feet have no socks on them. That is Olaf's idiosyncrasy.
No, I don't agree that she is holding the birdcage. I can see the ends of her fingers, and they are clearly in the front of the "birdcage", though I'm not sure that is what it is. And if she was holding the birdcage, I still don't understand what you are getting at. Could you elaboarate?

[Wizz]

hooky said:

EDIT: "THE END" title looks like it's pasted over the real title to me. But you have to look at the texture really closely to see it.

I agree, if you put it into paint and zoom in on it you can see a major differnce between the texture below the letters and the texture of the rest of the cover. Could it be another mystery for us to solve?