Judging Books by Their Covers

I heard a story recently about someone who made a New Year’s resolution to only select books based on their covers. As a design student, I found the idea intriguing. Products with nice-looking packaging often grab my attention faster and are easier to remember: books, movies, bottles of wine, cleaning products, etc. It’s only natural for people to be drawn to things that please them visually. This person will certainly encounter some fantastic artwork and potentially lesser-known literature as a result of their resolution.

However, their idea led me to think of all of the books I could have missed out on if I’d only considered the cover art. I’ve read some amazing books with rather unappealing covers, for example:

 


The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb.

I wasn't particularly attracted to any of these cover designs before reading the books and I'm even less attracted after reading the books. Although there's nothing "wrong" with the artwork, for me, the covers don't encapsulate the essence of the books or do the wonderful stories justice.

Which books do you love despite their unattractive cover design? Or which books were you attracted to based on their covers then disappointed in?