In keeping with the RWU Lounge motto (No Rules, Just Fun), I've been thinking about book covers and how they can affect so much, like whether I take a closer look at the book, whether I choose to check it out, and my impressions of the story before I even begin.
There's an old saying that we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover. It's good advice for people. For books? I'm not so sure.
The truth is, I judge books by their covers all the time.
Not completely, of course. A beautiful cover won't make me love a bad book, and an ugly cover won't keep me from reading something that's been highly recommended. But covers absolutely influence what catches my eye in the library, what I linger over in a bookstore, and even what I click on when I'm browsing ebooks.
A cover is often my first conversation with a book.
Sometimes it's the colors. Sometimes it's the typography. Sometimes it's an illustration that makes me wonder, What's going on here? Other times it's the opposite; a cover feels so generic that I pass it by without giving it a second thought.
What's interesting is that covers don't just persuade us to pick up a book. They also quietly shape our expectations before we've read a single sentence.
A moody landscape tells me to expect something literary and introspective. Bright illustrated figures make me think the book might be funny or heartwarming. A house in the woods? Probably secrets. Flowers and birds? Maybe historical fiction. Bold block letters? Perhaps nonfiction or a thriller. Whether those assumptions turn out to be right is another matter entirely.
Sometimes a cover prepares me perfectly for what's inside. Other times it feels like it belongs to an entirely different book.
I've also noticed that once I've read a book, I often see the cover differently. An image that seemed ordinary suddenly feels full of meaning because I understand the references. Colors, objects, and little design choices take on significance that I completely missed the first time around.
And then there are those books that get redesigned. Occasionally I love the new edition, but sometimes I find myself strangely loyal to the cover I first encountered. It's as if that's the "real" book in my memory, even though the words inside haven't changed.
It's fascinating to think about how much work a cover has to do. In one image, it has to attract attention, hint at the mood, appeal to the intended audience, and somehow stand out among thousands of other books competing for our attention.
No pressure!
How much do book covers influence your reading?
Have you ever picked up a book because of its cover?
Have you ever avoided one because the cover didn't appeal to you?
Is there a cover you absolutely love, even if the book itself wasn't a favorite?
Have you ever been surprised by how different a book was from what its cover suggested?
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Maybe we aren't supposed to judge books by their covers, but I have a feeling every reader does, at least a little.
Bonus: A little extra story about the cover for John of John by Douglas Stuart.
I can honestly say that I don't ever judge a book by its cover, but that's not to say that I don't sometimes judge the cover of a book! I am always more interested in what's inside the cover, but a great cover can draw me to look at a book when I'm in a store, and there have been occasions when I've been put off by a cover to the point that I don't look into what the book is about because the cover gives me the creeps. I do enjoy it when a cover has a connection to the book (like Whistler, for instance) and isn't just something the publisher has slapped on it, and I think there's been more of an effort to do that in recent years.
ReplyDeleteI don't generally decide to read a book based on its cover, but I do decide to pick them up based on the cover. It's much like shopping for other things. The appearance of the package is important. I generally decide whether to read an unknown book based on what the flyleaf's description says. This, like covers, can be really enticing or incredibly frustrating when you find it is not descriptive of what you are actually reading. I love the beauty of a cover, but I find I am just as or more enticed by a very simple cover that uses only a beautiful and elegant font to identify title and author. I am not someone who seeks adornment.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a younger reader (both as a child and as an adult in the pre-internet days), I was completely drawn in by the covers of books - and often their titles, too. (I'm like that to this day when buying a bottle of wine . . . completely sold by a clever name and a well-designed label . . . ) I still find myself drawn in by certain covers -- and put off by others. I see book covers as . . . art. I really enjoy lovely, artfully designed covers . . . but also highly graphic covers in bright colors with unique/mixed fonts. I especially appreciate unique, clever designs . . . and I find book cover "trends" to be a huge cop-out/turn off for me. (The ones that all use the SAME font, for example. Or the the blobs-of-color designs that were very trendy a couple of years ago.) Anyway. . . I have Opinions about book covers. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI do like looking back at covers after I've read the book. I often find they make much more sense to me then. And I miss the covers when I read e-books or audio versions of books.
A few years ago, when Sharon McMahon (of SharonSaysSo fame) was choosing the cover for her first book, she shared the process with her online book group and showed the various options her publishers were suggesting. It was fascinating! And so many of the suggested covers were truly . . . awful. Especially given the content of her book.
Interesting thoughts. I catalogue the books I've read on LibraryThing. One of the features is you choose the cover of the book you've read. In doing so, you get to see all the other covers used in the book's release. Books published in more than one country seldom have the same cover as ones published in the US. It's interesting to see what they think will sell in different markets. The one that immediately comes to mind is Lessons in Chemistry, but there are many more.
ReplyDeleteDo I judge a book by its cover? Maybe. I'm not fond of Matt Haig's writing and his book covers definitely have a brand, so I'll skip things that look like that. The most intriguing cover recently is the choice of the horse on the cover of Ann Patchett's Whistler. But her covers are usually thought provoking (think The Dutch House).
Oh, I love this topic! I do so very much love a good book cover! (even a not so great book cover! haha!) I, like Kym, look at the cover post-reading and often find different nuances I did not notice before reading it! Take Whistler for example, I was going to read it no matter the cover but before opening the book I thought it would be a "western" Hahaha! But post-reading... I see exactly what Patchett was trying to do with that horse on the cover... and it made me love the story even more! The other covers (at least the thumbnail I see on Hoopla) that I really enjoy are Martin Walker's Chief Bruno series covers. They are all brilliantly done! Even from the very start... the cover draws me into the French countryside. I know I am going somewhere else! Two other books whose covers did the same were Pat Conroy's Beach Music and South of Broad... the covers very much complimented the stories!
ReplyDeleteSadly I don't go to book stores often these days. The one local to me is just not very good (personal opinion) and B&N seems more interested in games and journals and pens and toys these days. Sigh...But back in the day when I was buying books ALL THE TIME I definitely was drawn into a book by its cover (similar to how [like Kym] I am drawn to trying a new wine by the label). A cover that I really like is the cover of "Ahab's Wife" by Sena Jeter Naslund (a favorite book!). I can't think of a cover that put me off reading a book (but that has probably happened).
ReplyDeleteI don't like to admit I have preferences for book covers but I just cannot buy a book (or even hold it in my hands) if it has a cartoonish person (a woman usually) or a body without a head. Or, just a head, a creepy head.. Books that have only the title in stylized lettering look boring so I really need a reason to pick one up. Normally I don't see covers as a deterrent but torsos or creepy heads? Just no.
ReplyDeleteI think book covers are definitely a clue into the book. Publishers often package books in similar covers to say "this book is like THAT book." Which is helpful if true. Sometimes this book only WANTS to be like that book, and that's disappointing. For the same reason, I sometimes avoid books because of the implied similarity to a book I wasn't that excited about. I've avoided a book or two because it looked too much in the style of Gone Girl (not my favorite, though an ok book).
ReplyDeleteI don't usually give much thought to the cover until after I've read the book, then I will think about how it relates to what I read. Covers that turn me off of a book would be ones that depict something violent or very creepy.
ReplyDeleteI don't buy very many books, but I tend to look at covers a lot! And I'm with you; I'm never a fan of anything violent or creepy.
DeleteI get very attached to certain book covers and hate when there is a change in the one I'm used to. I never realized how much this happens until I started looking up covers to add to the "Listening To" widget on my blog. There's always several different covers for me to choose from when I am downloading a photo. A lot of the older children's chapter books will get cover changes and even worse....illustration changes. Drives me crazy.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm reading a children's book, I always look for the cover I was familiar with as a child. Don't even get me started on illustration changes. The Boxcar Children was a popular series when my kids were growing up. It was originally published in the 40s but the current versions are far too modern for me.
DeleteOne of the joys of working at a library is unpacking a box of brand new books and admiring all the covers! I've definitely seen trends come and go after doing this for so many years and I think the cover really does (and should) reflect the book.
ReplyDeleteI have definitely picked UP a book because of the cover. But, the inside blurb and reading a few pages in the middle of the book have to grab me too.
ReplyDeleteStephen had some really neat books when he was in elementary school. The Redwall series covers were A-MAZING.
I guess I do judge the covers and it bugs me when they re-release a book with a new cover and then I have bought the same book again. I do like looking at the European covers and sometimes wish I had the cover. A cover won't bother me if it's an Author I love and would buy anyway. I guess if I'm shopping I may overlook a book because of it's cover which is why I enjoy reading what other people are reading as it may be a book I passed by.
ReplyDeleteI also love getting recommendations from what others are reading so I can judge if I might enjoy it also, even if it's not a great cover!
DeleteIf I don't know much about a book, a cover can entice me to pick it up and look at it more closely or conversely decide it's probably not for me. What I'm not crazy about are the covers that mimic each other - font or a particular kind of image. I've also been known to search around for a particular edition if I'm going to purchase a book.
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