I think this is a very interesting question to discuss; can you judge a book by its cover?
For me, covers are really important. Now, I don't think an "ugly" cover necessarily mean the book is bad, but I think covers are a good way of knowing if the book is for me or not.
Also, I think it's really interesting to go book shopping with my friends, because sometimes we agree on which cover is the most beautiful, and other times we disagree.
I, personally, like covers that are a little artsy with funky fonts, I like covers with patterns, I like ones that have color on them. I don't really like covers that have photographs of people, but I like the typical historical fiction ones that have a beautiful dress on a body without showing the face. I don't really like the ones with people kissing and a portrait of a person can really throw me off.
I don't really care too much about a cover if I know that the book is generally considered to be a good book, but I really love having beautiful books in my collection, so I hunt for the prettiest one. If there isn't one I like, I'll still read it.
An example for this is when I was going to buy a copy of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I looked at lots of different covers, and picked the one I liked the best.
I picked the last one, because it's shiny, simple, and there are several other books by Fitzgerald with similar covers, meaning they look really good together in my bookshelf.
This particular book, I felt it was worth getting a hardback too, because it's a classic, so I spent a little more to get a nicer version. I also like the first cover, I like the colors and the font.
It's when I don't know anything about a book, going into a bookstore, looking for something to read, that I really judge a book by it's cover. If, for instance, this is what's on a table...
For me, covers are really important. Now, I don't think an "ugly" cover necessarily mean the book is bad, but I think covers are a good way of knowing if the book is for me or not.
Also, I think it's really interesting to go book shopping with my friends, because sometimes we agree on which cover is the most beautiful, and other times we disagree.
I, personally, like covers that are a little artsy with funky fonts, I like covers with patterns, I like ones that have color on them. I don't really like covers that have photographs of people, but I like the typical historical fiction ones that have a beautiful dress on a body without showing the face. I don't really like the ones with people kissing and a portrait of a person can really throw me off.
An example for this is when I was going to buy a copy of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I looked at lots of different covers, and picked the one I liked the best.
I picked the last one, because it's shiny, simple, and there are several other books by Fitzgerald with similar covers, meaning they look really good together in my bookshelf.
This particular book, I felt it was worth getting a hardback too, because it's a classic, so I spent a little more to get a nicer version. I also like the first cover, I like the colors and the font.
I would automatically check out the ones I like the cover of. In this case, I would check out "The Miniaturist" and "Frog Music", just because the covers appeal to me, and they remind me of covers of books I usually enjoy.
This does backfire sometimes though, obviously.
I can feel a tiny bit reluctant to buy a certain book if I can't find a good cover, and I'm not completely sold on whether I want to read it or not.
An example for this is the Vampire Academy series. I want to read this series, but I don't like the covers for the ones I can buy at my local bookstore, or the online shop I usually order from. Which means, if I want the cover I like the most, I'll have to spend a lot more money.
For these, I love the red one with the rose. But I can't find it anywhere, so I've postponed buying these, because I really don't like the other covers.
So, for this series, I'll probably either buy the cheapest paperbacks if I ever get around to reading them, or borrow them from my library if they have it.
And then there are the books that have so many beautiful covers it's hard to choose. I'm currently wanting to buy a set of Jane Austen novels in the same cover series, so I've been searching around.
These are the ones that appeal to me the most. I'm leaning towards the last one, because I've touched them, and they feel really nice. Also, all of the novels each have a beautiful, similar cover, and they have really pretty spines.
Ah, the choices!
I guess the conclusion is that yes, I judge books by its cover, and sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm wrong. And sometimes finding the right cover is a pain, but it's definitely worth it.
Feel free to join the discussion, telling me what you think.
