We all know the old adage about not judging a book by it’s cover, but just how much sway does a book cover have when it comes to your choice of book – whether buying or borrowing? Are there any books you’ve bought based on the cover alone?
While I try not to be swayed by beautiful covers, sometimes I do succumb. To be honest, who doesn’t like beautiful things? My limit is that the genre of the book, however fabulous and gorgeous the cover might be, has to be of my interest. Last year I bought the entire set of Penguin Great Loves purely based on the gorgeous covers. I thought I could indulge in some of the most inspiring, seductive, and also doomed tales of love like The Kreutzer Sonata, A Mere Interlude, Forbidden Fruit, and The Eaten Heart. Although I am not a huge fan of pocket-size fiction, but I like to collect the Penguin retro editions because of their art-deco or the surreal photography type of covers. These paperbacks are somewhat difficult to come about as the ones in good condition are usually shrink-wrapped and sold at a higher price as collectible. I almost collect Penguin Modern Classics series, both UK and US editions. I think the silver spines look very slick, with the author/title text limited to a narrow silver band on the cover. This meant that the unobstructed cover image took up the majority of the cover–usually rather effectively. In 2007, the UK edition of the Modern Classics series adopted a new look in which the restrained text has turned into huge silver and white lettering which obscures a large chunk of the image.
Filed under: Books, Meme, Personal | Tagged: Books, Meme, Musing Mondays, Personal, Weekly Event
I’m a sucker for a great cover but I always read the back or the first chapter to see if this is a book I want to buy. Now when it comes to checking out lovely covers from the library I’m easily swayed and they end up coming home with me with very few second thoughts!!
Penguin does very well and are very inventive with their covers, in my opinion. I can’t think of a bad cover. Their classics covers, and re-released, are always superb and makes me want to buy the new edition!
I almost bought the Penguin Great Loves set but I didn’t!
I figure I wouldn’t want to waste money on some books that I’ve no interest in so I only picked those I might like to read. So have you read them all? 
This Great Loves series sounds intriguing (and not just because of the covers, which I agree are lovely)…I’ve been reading a collection of love stories put together by Jeffrey Eugenides, “My Mistress’s Sparrow is Dead”. Come to think of it, the cover is what caught my attention for that book! Seems like a lot of the great love stories are not the “they lived happily ever after” kind, are they?
I love those covers! Especially the Changs.
For me, if a book has a stupid cover (high heels, underwear, lipstick, small children becoming airborne) that I think might embarrass me on the metro, or when laid on my desk at work? I probably won’t get it. I don’t care how good it is.
Thanks for posting this!
-Connie
I fall in love with book covers all the time. Just not always the books they contain.
I always get tempted by covers. Sometimes I would hold off on buying a book I want to read just because I don’t like the cover. I will only buy books that I want to read, though, but will choose the cover I like best. I just bought the UK Penguin Modern Classics edition of To The Lighthouse because the cover is super beautiful.
Of the covers you featured on top, I’ve been coveting First Love. I’m not a fan of pocket-sized paperback, either, but recently bought The Great Gatsby Penguin Red Classics, even though it was small, because of the gorgeous cover.
I don’t remember ever being attracted enough to buy solely by cover. I may pay my first piece of attention to the cover, but the decision is always made by:
i) the title (e.g. “Tuva or Bust”, “Song for the Blue Ocean”,
ii) the first line (e.g. “It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured” — Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts)
and / or
iii) the back of the cover
However, I sometimes do become repelled by bad covers!
Thanks!
I can get easily sucked in by a cover, at least initially. It will inspire me to pick up the book and investigate further. But I won’t buy a book on the cover alone. Interesting how this is completely taken out of the equation with my Kindle…
I really appreciate a beautiful cover, too, and try to stay away from movie tie-ins.
I love me some pretty covers. It’s something fantasy literature and certain genre fiction suffers from: the lack of good and mature covers. Still, I don’t know if I would buy a book solely for its cover. I do admit to getting excited about a book I already have because the cover makes me feel all warm and squishy inside, and naturally that must mean it will turn out to be a good book, even when the cover deceives about the quality of the contents.
It’s funny how art can be evocative–I hadn’t heard of either of those Eileen Chang novels, but the font instantaneously put me in mind of BRIDESHEAD REVISITED.
LOL Mae! Do you secretly work for Penguin? (I’m kidding, I too love their covers.) their modern classics cover of on the road has this gorgeous pic of neal cassady and jack kerouac that screams “READ ME!”
I have bought many books because of their covers. Though their price also plays a big part in this decision. Sometimes I love them, sometimes I don’t . One has to take chances in life.
Hmm, I don’t think I’ve bought a book just on the cover alone but certainly book covers are what first attract me to a book! What I really like is collecting certain editions and then having those on my shelves together – they look so nice. Viragos, Persephones, NYRB Books, etc.
I do love beautiful illustrations on the covers of books. I try not to let that affect whether I purchase the book, but quite honestly, I can’t rule out that I’m not influenced. When I have a choice between two different editions of the same book, I will usually spring for the one that seems more attractive. The size of the book and quality of the printing and paper can also affect a purchase. Back in my L. P. collecting days when I was trying to decide between two different recordings of the same work, I’m sure that more than once I was seduced by beautiful cover art. Once shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I’m only human.
Great collectibles you have! And I do have to admit liking pocket size books. Not because they are cute or precious but because they are convenient and different. And as you suggest, everyone likes beautiful things. Having worked in the book arts before, I am very appreciative of good design. And you don not even have to choose that carefully in the store. Publishers know what material they put out is deserving of the best production values.
Book covers do sometimes sway me as to which version to buy although it is also price dependent. However, I totally hate books, which have been made into films & then they use a still from the film as their book cover – yuk!
Staci:
I have to know if the book is up my alley. Content is what matters.
Mae:
Penguin is always very artsy. A re-release means a new cover, and not to mention the different designs for US and UK editions…
Melody:
I read about half of them. The collection is sitting on my other desk. They are all very slim so I can while away an afternoon with one.
Valerie:
Speaking of Jeffrey Eugenides, I still haven’t read Middlesex! I need to get on that. Penguin has published it under Modern Classics series.
Connie:
I love Penguin covers regardless of the editions and the series.
Are you talking about The Devil Wears Prada?! LOL
lena:
I love cookbook covers but does that mean I’ll have to buy them all? LOL Just a thought. Normally I would pick up a book with beautiful cover and see if I’m interested in the story.
claire:
If I have a choice of different editions, I would pick the most beautiful, most artsy covers. usually Penguin Modern Classics and the Classics series have the best covers. They know how to strike that balance between abstractness and reality.
rhodoraonline:
I do not like movie tie-in covers. I tend not to buy them.
Sandy:
Does Kindle show you the book cover? I do not judge the book alone on the cover, the content has to intrigue me.
JoAnn:
Movie tie-ins can be beautiful but only on a rare occasion. I always feel that a movie tie-in cover on the book is disrespectful to the author.
Eric:
Sometimes beautiful covers would mean that the book is not for me. I look for certain objects on the cover that would tell me whether the book is for me or not. High heels, cigaretts, shopping bags, lacy dresses are the ones to keep away from!
Literature Crazy:
I need to read Evelyn Waugh!
Elena:
Penguins rules!
cbjames:
My biggest pee peeve with re-releases, despite a new cover and binding, is the raise in price. The new edition of The Master and Margarita is $1.25 more! *sigh*
iliana:
Independent/small presses have done a great job designing the book covers, and I have to give them credit. They often publish more obscure titles that a beautiful cover might push sales.
Greg S:
I always go for the beautiful cover when deciding which editions to buy. Of course for foreign literature the specific translation matters.
Frances:
I do see more pocket size books now. They seem to have a comeback. My only complaint is that you have to be gentle with the spine, which cracks easily.
cheeky angel:
Movie tie-in covers to me is an act of disrespect to the author of the book. I’ll avoid them at all cost.
I hadn’t really thought about it when I was responding to this question, but when given a choice between covers of a book I want, I’ll usually go for the one I like most, regardless of cost. And then, of course, there’s my aversion to movie related covers. Regardless, while a cover may catch my attention, I have to be interested in what’s inside before I’ll consider reading it.