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This might be the creepiest book cover you’ll ever see

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So, the interwebz has been in a bit of a frenzy over a re-jacketed version of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - and with very good reason.

The cover is without a doubt one of the creepiest covers we’ve ever seen. We’re not quite sure what the publishers were thinking, but the overall reaction online has been very negative.

According to an article on Buzzfeed, even prominent authors were quick to point out the inappropriateness of the cover, and we couldn’t agree more.

Using creepy, doll-like child models with vapid, blank stares hardly tells the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s more horror than anything else.

Many people visited the Facebook page of Penguin Books, speaking out against the perceived perverse and almost sexualised nature of the new cover.

And that’s not all.  

As part of a campaign to market modern editions to adults, this edition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is set to be released in September - coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the book’s first-ever publication.

Given the amount of negative coverage this has received, Penguin Books quickly and vociferously defended the cover design, stating that the idea behind it was to represent both the lighter and darker aspects of life.

While we know that Dahl didn’t shy away from being subversive in his works, we’re not sure how the cover ties in with this. You can see even more of the new Roald Dahl cover jackets showcased on the Penguin Books' Facebook page, most of which we also find rather disturbing.

One thing I do know is that I, sadly, won’t be purchasing this edition.

But that’s just me.

What do you think of this cover?

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