Image from Kentram.org
That saying has been around so long and has become such an everyday expression in our society that I think the meaning has been lost. I think most folks interpret this as meaning that even if a book has a crappy cover, the inside may be a delight. Well, I guess I won’t argue that too much. It could certainly be the case after all. These days though, there could be a flip-side meaning.
Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you know that self publishing – either electronically or through DIY publishers - is on the rise. As a writer I can see distinct advantages to this. As a reader, it makes my job a tough one indeed. I recently got a hold of a book that professed brilliance prose, filled with delightful and well true to life characters. The back cover contained quips from other authors raving, raving, raving. I was excited to start reading the book. A few chapters into it and I’m less than impressed. The characters are flat and in one case I just wasn’t able to get a visual on a particular character. I went back over what I had already read and the reason became clear. This character who holds a primary spot in the cast has not been physically described. I don’t need to know nose hair color but a generalphysical helps to visualize who this person is.
The point here is that if I was in a bookstore and purchased this based on the cover info I would have been duped. Since I obtained the book through other means, this ended up a non-dupe situation.
When I worked at the library, I processed the new books coming through. Hundreds a month, so I was exposed to a lot of salesmanship vis-a-vis crafty covers. I ended up checking out a stinker or two based on cover info.
Today, I can purchase a book for download straight to my Kindle from the Amazon site. Aha, you say. Problem solved. No cover material to sway me. Dang. Not true at all, and possibly worse than just a book cover to make my judgment. Do I believe the description provided by the author or publisher? Hee-hee. That’s a good one. Oh, how about the blurb from Publisher’s Weekly? Okay, there is a bit more credibility there. However, it is still written by a critic. Any of you head for the hills when you hear a movie is “critically acclaimed?” Yup. me too.
As well, I generally don’t trust the book reviews that are on the Amazon page. Unless there are hundreds of reviews that are all 5 star and I’m still a bit suspicious of those. I (tried to) read a book that was lauded with 5 star paragraphs for its brilliant pov. It sucked and was totally unbelievable. 5 year olds don’t relate to things the way this book would have you believe.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not a naysayer who thinks that everything sucks. In fact, I have a tendency to “5 star” stuff that I read if I even remotely like it.
So where do readers go to get accurate and objective information about what is out there to read? One of the places I’ve found that seems to be growing in popularity is Goodreads. I’ve found the reviews there to be generally thoughtful and accurate. I highly recommend checking it out and signing up.
Readers these days have more options than ever. In some ways the many options have made our life more difficult in terms of not taking a stinker home.
As a reader, how do you determine what to read?
Thank you, George.
You are correct. Many jazzy book covers belie disappointing content. I liken this to the listings in the newspaper about the most “popular” movies on DVD for the past week.
From my own personal “man on the street” people-watching at the video store, many, if not most potential buyers have no clue what they want to watch, so they just read the liner notes or buy based on the cool graphic on the outside.
I choose to look for reviews of films and books from respected sources, especially from reviewers in the film or literary genre that I most enjoy, that being the emerging talents of indie filmmakers and indie writers who are sweeping the ebook world.
It is in this “indie” arena that some of the most cutting-edge art can and will be found. There you will find the home of the brave. It may not have big box-office stars or explosions or vampires but I can guarantee you that it will have a dynamic plot and a real story arc filled with powerful word-pictures that will give your mind something to write home about.
I just joined Goodreads today and will be interested to see how it lives up to its own “cover.”
Wayne C. Long
Ebook author of “Stories from the Edges”
George,
I love Goodreads and many–perhaps most–of the reviews are helpful. But it depends on who’s writing the review. When I get an update email I skim through it and look first at who the review or rating is from. Then I decide whether or not to read the review. In one case, the “reviewer” is a company that writers pay for reviews, and every single book they “review” gets 5 stars. In other cases, the reviews may be good, but I’ve learned that my tastes don’t match those of the reviewer. So if Reviewer A liked the book, there’s a good chance I won’t like it. The review is still helpful to me even if I just skim it, because I’ve learned not to read to that book.
I read every review from other reviewers because I trust their honesty and know that I will get a fair evaluation of the book.
You BET I judge a book by it’s cover! If it doesn’t look exciting enough to pick up, there’s no next step: checking the story line and reviews on the back. Having arrived at Step 2, I do look for professional testimonials, like Publishers Weekly or a newspaper critic. But the comments I actually believe are those by authors of the same genre, misc. celebs, or regular readers. The way I figure it, no one’s investing in amazing art if the story isn’t amazing. And unpaid accodades are nearly always more reliable and descriptive than presswriter hype.
There’s a glaring exception. And it’s only happened once. I ordered a book sight unseen because of a fantastic article, “Better Late Than Early” (that had no bearing on the book) by Elle Newmark. I mean, the woman can write. The Book of Unholy Mischief duly arrived sans jacket BUT the plain hardcover binding was imbued with a haunting, incense-like fragrance that filled the room right out of the box. It’s still quite noticeable within 3 feet. No one has an answer for it; not the author, publisher, Amazon, bookseller, shipper, or post office. The mystery remains. But be it known that the book is every bit as good as it smells!
Hi Mary,
Well, that sure is an intriguing mystery about the book smell. bet that would never happen with an ebook.
George
I actually pay more attention to the four-star reviews on Amazon. They’re the ones most likely to be genuine.
3-star reviews often focus on problems with the text, which can be helpful, especially with political/philosophical/scientific essays.
For the most part I ignore the 1-star reviews.
Much like you, when a book is praised by a deluge of 5-star reviews, I get suspicious.
Bell,
Yep. Through out the top and the bottom and what you’re left with is probably the most accurate. Although I put down “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” after 100 pages. Couldn’t make it through the rest – and that sucker had stellar reviews all over the place!
George