Am I the only one.....?

Question

...who judges books by their covers? If you don't, then how can you tell what the book is going to be about? The back typically doesn't give enough description, but you can get a better idea on what the book's about by looking at the conveniently placed picture and title on the front.

Answer 1

The cover of a book has nothing to do with the content, for the most part.
Every paperback has a short summary of what the book is about on the back, and hardcovers have the same information, within the first few pages, inside the front cover.

Answer 2

A lot of books have no picture at all on the front cover, like the book Go Ask Alice. And it's impossible to tell the full story and plot from one title, especially when most titles are kept below five words. The back isn't a description, it's a summary, a synopsis meant to intrigue you enough to purchase and then read the book.

Answer 3

No you don't. What's on the cover could be just a simple scene from the book, it could be of a character or characters that appear in the book, or it could have nothing to do with the book at all. Take this image of one of the various covers that have been done for "The Lord of the Rings" http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/45/Cover_lotr_green_gandalf.jpg for example. According to what you said, anyone who has absolutely no knowledge of the book beyond having just heard of it (clearly they've never read it and they've never seen the movies or the commercials for the movies, nor have they played the games) would look at this picture and believe the book is about Gandalf. And what would people think of this cover to "The Last of the Mohicans" http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/Largemohicanpenguin.jpg? It's all scenery, nothing about the story is given away. This image of an early cover of Irving's "The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon," http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ILHjFUX4L._SS500_.jpg, would have one believe the book might be about genies due to the lamp.

The description on the back gives you a much better idea, but it is just enough to tease you into reading it.

Answer 4

I like to judge books by their covers. Usually the picture on the cover entices me or interests me. I like covers that are colorful and off the wall. I can usually tell if I will like a book based on the cover. There are certain colors and images that draw me in. I also read a lot of book reviews as well, but the covers are what really does it for me. I scan words in the jacket but I don't read them b/c I'd rather be totally suprised. A lot of times the jackety gives away a crucial part of the story, like someones death, relocation, downfall, etc.

Here are a few books that I chose based on the cover and loved:

Paint it Black
Free Food For Millionaires
Divisadero
Snowflower and the Secret Fan
The Blood of Flowers
The Professor's Daughter
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
The Thirteenth Tale

Answer 5

I look at the synopsis in the back and if I like it, I read the book. Sometimes I also read it if I like the cover. Not all the time, though. And there are also times when I'm just bored and start reading any book no matter what the books look like and some have turned out to be pretty good.

Answer 6

Actually many covers have erroneous pictures on them. Often times a writer presents an idea for a book to the editor, who then uses their own words to convey their own idea of what the cover picture should look like to an artist/graphic designer who then interprets that in their own way to make the picture-giving you 2 extra layers of distortion. The summary on the back is so much easier......

Answer 7

Actually, I look at the cover. Then, if it looks interesting, I read the LAST page of the book. If I like how the book ends, I typically read the first ten pages, and see the who, what, when, where, why and how?

If, after all that, I still find the book interesting, I'll read it.

That's how I realized that I liked the first HP book, but not the sixth.

Answer 8

I judge all books by their cover you see the cover tells me who wrote it, and the little preview on the back of the cover gives me insight and the picture gives me a clear view of what the back was trying to say(and maybe what the characters on the back look like). Wow you brought out a really good point of a cliche' and i am admitting i am a hipocrite cuz i always said i didn't and yet i have all along! Thanks

Answer 9

i used to constantly look at the title.
one day, i decide, "eh, ill try this." the cover was dull and colorless, with a photo of a young girl.
im not the type to read a book like that EVER in my life, but i did.
it was one of the best books ever.
other ways you can look is flip into the middle of the book, and read 3 random sentences. if they appeal to you, consider it. if they dont appeal to you, forget it. another way is chapter names. if they grasp you, read it. if not, dont.
finding the right book is like finding the right bff, or the right guy. look twice. you might be surprised.

Answer 10

actually I judge a book by its Title then by it Cover and finally then the back of it