A vintage edition of Cranford, by Elizabeth Gaskell has a more elaborate cover than many of my vintage classics on the shelf.
Republications of classics include pictures, etc., but in the long run are rather boring to look at. This is a Pride and Prejudice edition from a few years back.
And the current editions....this one has a depiction of Elizabeth and Darcy on the cover - leaving you to turn to the cover when wondering what she looked like during your favorite scenes.I think this current trend of putting posed people (have you noticed they always look much better looking than you remember being as a teenager?) on the cover ruins a bit of the imagination process, and yet - it sells. So here's the paradox. The saying 'Don't judge a book by it's cover' has started to lose a following, as teen after teen picks up the pretty book over the ugly one.
So, as an adult reader who spent her childhood/high school years picking up books whether their cover was pretty or not, I find myself falling into this pit because a) the publishers are, realizing if they have that type of cover a teen is that much more likely to pick it up and therefore spend the money to do so, and b) it works. I seriously have picked up books strictly based on the cover to find gems. That said, don't knock the ugly books - you may find there's so much more to them than their cover.
Any favorite covers out there? Any favorite books out there that have ugly covers? Any thoughts on having posed teenagers on covers that look 25 and gorgeous? :)
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By the way, I've added a new feature to my reviews - I have started posting what ages I feel the book is most appropriate for, and while I typically mention swearing, sex, violence, etc., I'll try to be as specific as possible so you know whether or not this is appropriate for your children, your classroom, or even yourself.
2 comments:
I liked Shannon Hale's Bayern book covers. They have redone them with people on the cover and I don't like that Forest Born is different from my other books and I don't like people on my book covers. I actually don't notice the cover first, it goes title, description, author info and then the cover.
When I am browsing in the bookstore and the library, the book covers really do make a difference in whether I'd pick up the book to read the back/inside flaps to learn more about the book. Recently, I read 2 books where the covers really deceived me and consequently, affected how I liked the books - will link my reviews here:
31 hours:
http://mentalfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/01/book-review-31-hours-novel-by-masha.html
The Recipe Club:
http://mentalfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/01/book-review-recipe-club-tale-of-food.html
I can't think of my favorite cover right now, or favorite book with an ugly cover... will have to think more about it :)
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