Catcher in the Rye

[TehTaterSalad]

Ok so for one of my courses a project is to re-design a cover for a given book. I chose The Catcher in the Rye. This is still a work in progress and I wanted to see what anybody here thought. If you haven't read the book there is a reason for what is there. The red hat is the hat that the main character always wears. The hotel is a setting in the book. The reason for it being so dark and contrasty is the book is somewhat about the evils of adulthood, so I will be trying to make the hotel look somewhat evil, but this is where it is at for now. What do you guys think? (PS. any suggestions on the text are really appreciated, I'm really no good with text yet.)

Its kinda big so I'll just link to it.

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/7438/bookcoverworking.jpg

Edited Version (10/12/2010)

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/7438/bookcoverworking.jpg

[kidmed]

I believe the book was not about the evils of adulthood, but about how the main character experiences losing his innocence as he moves towards adulthood. With that in mind, I would personally go for a lower contrast image. Gray & white instead of black & white. Either way I think the contrast is a bit high as it is.

The hat doesn't look like a hat to me, but maybe it's just me.

I would keep the text simple and formal, at the bottom, and not highly saturated. That way you draw attention to the rest of the image.

Interested in seeing where you go with this!

[TehTaterSalad]

I've never actually read the book. That is just what I gathered from Wiki (terrible of me for doing that but whatever). I took your suggestions and I decreased contrast and changed the text. You were right, I think it looks alot better, I edited my post above and added it in there. Thanks KidMed.

[Xelo]

dunno the book, just lookin' at the two tag's. no 2 deffo better... still the actual pic could do with some ps work... lol.