Book covers nowadays are just ruining the whole experience for me. Take “Sharp Objects,” for instance. I’m trying to immerse myself in the story, but all I can see is Amy Adams plastered on the cover. How am I supposed to conjure up my own image of the main character when the cover already decides for me?
And don’t even get me started on the trend of slapping real-life photos on book covers. It’s like they’re saying, “Here’s what the characters look like, in case your imagination isn’t up to par.” Where’s the mystery? Where’s the creativity?
Honestly, the current state of book covers is downright shameful. It’s either cookie-cutter Photoshop jobs or shameless promotions for movie adaptations. Can’t we get back to the days when book covers were works of art in themselves, sparking curiosity and leaving something to the imagination?
by boojbok
9 Comments
Sure, just for you.
So totally agree with you on the insanely terribly visual design that goes into book covers now. I recall back in the early 2000s with Oprah’s Book Club and you’d go into a bookstore and see a huge stack of, say, *A Million Little Pieces* with these stickers stuck on them, and then they just started printing those medallions directly on the covers–
(True story, learned during grad school and teaching this book: Toni Morrison’s *Paradise* was initially titled *War* and was meant to come out about 6 to 12 months later than it did, but her publisher wanted it out in time for Christmas and objected to the title and–yes, that book appeared with an Oprah’s Book Club medallion embedded on its cover.)
However: a lot of books that aren’t mainstream fiction (so sci-fi, fantasy, even romance) feature some really amazing art design. They’re far from immune from the whole “This book reminds me of this!” and “XXXXX—Stephen King” thing, but they do tend to have at least some intelligence behind the designs.
Totally agree. Absolutely hate movie tie in books, however from a selling point I’m sure it boosts sales.
Yea, also super annoying when a movie is released and so audible replaces your nice normal cover with whatever garish poster has been developed 5 years after you bought the dang book.
who fucking cares my god
They’ve been doing that since forever.
Personal pet hate is seeing Ruby slippers on the cover of a Wizard of Oz book.
Its normal while the movie is in the culture, but give it time and it will go back to a non-movie cover. Second hand bookshops are fun to find previous editions.
Hear! Hear! I won’t buy a book with pictures from the movie on the cover.