Please, Judge the Book by Its Cover

1950 edition of 1984 by George Orwell
(Published by Signet Books, New York)

In this case I say do judge the book by its cover since I'm taking a look at some vintage book covers.  These are all classic books published at least 40 or more years ago, and I was curious to see the early renditions of their book covers compared to the book covers you might find today if you purchased the book online or at a book store. 

Starting with The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (published 1951)

Early cover and the cover most widely available today:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (published 1925)

Early cover and a more contemporary cover:

    

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (published 1936)

Early cover and a more contemporary cover:

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (published 1963)

Early cover and a more contemporary cover:

 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (published 1960)

Early cover and a more contemporary cover

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (published 1962)

Early cover and a more contemporary cover:

 

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (published 1967)

First cover and a more contemporary cover:

 

Also, check out these limited edition posters inspired by classic book covers:

http://flavorwire.com/172650/artists-remix-classic-book-covers

All images of book covers from Goodreads.com