Do you judge a book by its cover?

RJ Reviews · Post by **RJ Reviews** » 03 Sep 2023, 05:17

There is an old saying that cautions against judging a book by its cover. But when it actually comes to the question of buying a book, how much does the cover matter to you all? If you take Nimue: Freeing Merlin for example, do you think the cover reflects the genre and theme of the book?

Shirley Ann Riddern Labzentis · 03 Sep 2023, 09:22

Yes, I'm sorry to say that I do. If I am just searching for a book to read and not anything in particular, then I do search by the cover. I see if anything strikes me as interesting, and then I read the book's synopsis. If someone has advised me to read a book because it is a great book, then no, I will just ignore the cover and go right to the synopsis. Nimue: Freeing Merlin was a cover that I did not particularly like, but that is just my preference.

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 03 Sep 2023, 10:06

Nimue has a cover that's really sober and dark, so I wouldn't say that it matches its contents, which bring the reader through quite a journey.

In general, there are covers that catch my eye but I'm not discouraged if they're poor.

Post by **Rupali Mishra** » 03 Sep 2023, 10:16

I wouldn't say that Nimue's cover suits its contents, which take the reader on a long journey yet are very somber and depressing.

Amy Luman · Post by **Amy Luman** » 03 Sep 2023, 12:43

I would say that I try not to with books. I do judge movies somewhat similarly, though. If they are based on a book that I've read, I avoid them. I know they'll be awful.

Christine M. Whitehead · Post by **Cristina Corui Mihailescu** » 03 Sep 2023, 13:49

I rarely do. Covers express the view of someone other than the author of the book, so it is just another opinion, which can be good or bad for the book itself. I prefer to read the blurbs or reviews. in the case of Nimue, I wouldn't have bought the book based on the cover.

Jnapika D · Post by **Jnapika D** » 03 Sep 2023, 15:12

I do judge a book by its cover, and I'm not even ashamed about it. I think when it comes to promoting a book, a film, or anything for that matter, packaging is very important, and for books, it's their cover that the audience or readers see first, so if that is striking and impressive, then the readers will be more inclined towards picking it up and reading the blurb, and then the rest is history. So yeah, I think the covers play an integral part in attracting readers, and I'm more attracted to books with striking covers than those with somber and dull covers. With all that said, this is just my opinion, and I acknowledge that different people have different opinions regarding this.

I think it expresses the genre and theme of the book to some extent. The emblem conveys that it deals with something historical or ancient, and the black background suggests that it is mysterious and eerie. So it does the job for now.

Post by **Leslie Kunde** » 03 Sep 2023, 22:13

I am guilty of cover buying. There are times I have skipped over a book because the cover looked boring. I need to be farther into the book to say if the cover truly fits it. I hope it does. I like the cover.

Anaïs Quesson · Post by **Anaïs Quesson** » 04 Sep 2023, 02:34

I often judge a book by its cover, yes.

I love beautiful books, and I often buy books that normally would not have much interest to me just because they have a pretty cover. I find it great, because it gets me out of my comfort zone and broadens my reading horizons!
On the contrary, there are some covers I hate, for example when there are real people from a film adaptation. In these cases I tend to postpone my purchase until I find an edition with a more neutral cover.

I don't know yet if Nimue's cover matches its story and themes, I'm only about 10% in. However, I can say I love it! This kind of mystic cover would definitely catch my eye on a bookstore!

Omneya Shakeep · Post by **Omneya Shakeep** » 04 Sep 2023, 05:18

Yes, I do. The cover is the first thing that draws me to a book, and then I check the synopsis to see if I would like it. The title is another crucial aspect in picking a book for me, as it usually indicates the author's writing skills. I believe Nimue's cover matches perfectly with the book. The Celtic drawing seems mysterious and holds dark secrets.

Sonia_Gonzalez · Post by **Sonia_Gonzalez** » 05 Sep 2023, 11:27

Covers are the first thing readers see, and because of it, I think we involuntarily judge. Most books fail with their covers, as they do not suit the story, like Nimue, and I think this is a gigantic problem with the editors, publishers, and marketing team because covers can attack or disappoint readers.

Post by **Bertha Jackson** » 07 Sep 2023, 09:11

A book's cover usually grabs my attention first, but I do not base my decisions on the cover. Reading the descriptions and a few pages of the sample usually, tell me if I will enjoy a book or not.

Post by **Donna Walker** » 08 Sep 2023, 20:16

This is an interesting topic. A book's cover is always the first thing to grab my attention, so yes, unfortunately, I do judge most books by their covers. Unless I've been recommended a book by a friend, I normally will not read it, pick it up to check it out, or click on it online if I do not like the cover.

Post by **Donna Walker** » 08 Sep 2023, 20:21

Oh, I should also mention that I love the cover of this book. It is very appealing, and I also really like the title. Anything fantasy always grabs my attention.

Seetha E · Post by **Seetha E** » 09 Sep 2023, 02:24

Although the book's title, writing style, and cover art do tempt me to choose it, I still read the description before deciding whether or not to take it up. If the description of the book meets all of my criteria, I will still choose it despite the unattractive cover, but not the other way around.