This week’s question comes from Julie, who asks:
While acknowledging that we can’t judge books by their covers, how much does the design of a book affect your reading enjoyment? Hardcover vs. softcover? Trade paperback vs. mass market paperback? Font? Illustrations? Etc.?
Who says we can’t judge books by their covers? How else do we choose books we’ve never heard of except by looking at the title, the cover art, and the blurbs and reviews on the back?
That being said, the whole package is pretty important to me. I believe that books are more than just the texts they contain; the text is the soul but the body also matters. I was just writing about this the other day, in fact — click here for many much more thoughts.
When I was young, I judged books by the inside…if considering whether to get out a particular library book, I would open it randomly and begin reading. (My theory was that first chapters could be deceiving.) Occasionally I got so hooked that I would read to the end, and then have to go back and read what I’d missed at the beginning.
I agree that the whole package is important. It’s like an interview…obviously your qualifications are important, but you still dress nice and put your best foot forward. Books should make sure they’re doing the same!
Interesting point about soul and body. I agree…
Booking through cover