You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, and with e-books, that’s not a problem. There are no covers!
In today’s New York Times, there’s an interesting article about how, with the rise of Kindles, Nooks and — in a few days –iPads, it will be increasingly difficult to find out what people around you are reading. The days may soon disappear where you can lean over in an airplane, on the subway, or on the sidelines of your kid’s soccer practice, take a look at the book the guy or gal next to you is reading, and then quietly judge them.
For some, that’s a good thing. Many consumers of romance novels don’t appreciate getting disapproving looks because their book happens to have a shirtless man and scantily clad woman embracing on the front. Some don’t want to read the latest best-seller or buzzworthy work just to fit in. For others, though, examining the reading materials of strangers is part of the fabric of their day. They can see if multiple people are reading the same book, what authors have new releases out, and what just looks interesting because of its neon-hued or graphically clever cover.
A lot of magnificent works are hidden behind boring covers (go to Barnes and Noble’s website, type in “classics,” and be prepared to fall asleep while looking at the thumbnails of the results), so perhaps with e-readers, people will focus more on descriptions of books, rather than covers. My favorite covers are the bright, intricately designed ones from books I read as a child (Nancy Drew’s The Mystery of the Fire Dragon comes to mind), but I would still only actually purchase them if I liked the summary. Books are expensive, and just because the cover’s glitzy, I won’t be buying it if it’s going to cost me $20 and I’m not sold on the plot.
So while I am generally a pretty nosy person, I’m OK with the fact that I won’t be able to tell what you’re reading on your Nook. I’m just glad you’re reading something. Besides, when I’m on the subway, the last thing I care about is what someone’s reading. I’m more interested in when I’m going to get a seat and how soon I can use my hand sanitizer after holding onto the fingerprint smeared pole.
What do you think? Will you start asking strangers what’s on their e-reader? Come on, admit it, do you judge people based on the books they read?
When I checked my favorite book of all time, Ordinary People out of my high school’s library it’s cover only had the title. I just checked it out because I liked the title.
Oh, honey, I assure you if someone’s sitting there reading a Nook – or, groan, an iPad – I am way past judging them.
Oh, Crispy….
I agree with Crispy. If they have a Nook, Kindle, or iMaxiPad, I have already judged them.
Why does everything have to be electronic? Let me just read A BOOK. You know, the ones with paper and ink?
I love judging books by their covers! That’s exactly how I decide which books to pick up and turn over to see the summaries on the back cover when I’m browsing in the book store. Sure, the summary is the clincher, but the cover is the all-important first impression.
I also like to check out what other people are reading. Whether on a plane, or public transportation, I think it’s a great conversation starter! (Although, I’ll admit that I live in Utah, and a conversation with a stranger here is a much different prospect than on the subway of a huge city…) I will also admit to being careful about what I choose to read in public for fear of the silent judgment of strangers! (Don’t know why I care, but I do).
Lastly, let’s give a shout to all the artists who are going to lose work as coverless, digital books become the norm.
I must admit, when I am on a train or plane, there is something so unsatisfying about seeing a person using an e-reader. I like being able to see the covers of what people are reading. Not because I want to judge them based on their reading choices (okay, maybe a little), but it just adds something to the travel experience. Just as a person’s outfit or accessories adds to the environment they’re in, so does the book s/he reads; a book cover can be like a picture on a wall: it can spark discussion, disgust, happiness, or just be something to look at. A bunch of e-readers grouped together just seems to sterilize the environment.
I have to admit the covers of the books are what attracts me first to take a look. Then I will read the summaries and if I like it , I will buy the book. I also like to see what other people are reading. I agree with Samaritan, it is a great conversation starter.
Message Boards? Word of Mouth? I’m always posting on boards and emailing my friends books that I enjoy and such. It’s much better than waiting for people to walk by me and look at the cover I’m reading. Plus, there are some books that I don’t want people to know that I’m reading
I hope to never find a reason to own an e-reader. Those things seem to suck the life out of reading a good book, one important part of which is obviously the cover! I was shopping for Jane Austen books recently, and I specifically looked for the ones with the old-timey-portrait covers because I refuse to buy the ones with the brightly colored modern covers with pictures of high heels on them – or worse, the Pride and Prejudice with the black/red/white cover that is clearly supposed to resemble the Twilight covers (ugh). I totally judge books by their covers. Not enough to prevent the somewhat cheesy covers to turn me off of David B. Coe’s fabulous Winds of the Forelands series, for example, but enough that the cover dictates what version of a book I buy. (You will never catch me reading the “adult cover” or ugly UK cover versions of any Harry Potter book!)
I love book cover art and more times than not I have been compelled to pick up a book simply from the cover art. I hope ebooks will find a way to incorporate them into the book…the ipad should since it features color.
I dont make judgments on people based on the covers of the books they read – but i wonder if even the Kindle people check out the covers somewhere as part of their decision making process. Some covers are really works of art .
But book covers are so useful! I have a copy of “Trainspotting” with skulls on the cover and funny, when I read it on pretty much any kind of mass transit, no one ever talked to me or sat next to me. It was a great way to get space and privacy in a packed area.
I tend to be more judgmental about people with Kindles on the train. It’s like they’re rubbing it in your face that you don’t have one. Reminds me of when iPods came out and people would exclusively wear white ear buds.
Still, you’re right to say it’s good that they’re reading something.
Working at library, we choose a lot of books to feature on the ends of the rows of the stacks by their covers. The artwork draws people in, and more often than not, a book that has been out of circulation for a year or more but has an attractive cover will get checked out because it was somewhere people could see it. People are too busy, or too hurried, or just too lazy to browse the stacks anymore. Cover art is a great way to discover new books that you would otherwise completely ignore.
I have to agree with some of the others–I tend to judge people more with Kindles, Nooks, and now the dreaded iPad than the type of book I see them reading on the train or bus. I can understand using one for travel, but I’m just old-fashioned enough to love the feeling of a book in my hands: the weight of it, the smell of the paper. Ridiculous, maybe, but I won’t be investing in electronic reader technology anytime soon.
It’s actually very rarely that I read a book because of it’s cover. Which is probably why I sometimes spend hours in my local bookstore – I turn every book in the right genre (whatever I’m in the mood for) and read the summary.
I also look for recomendations on the internet, and then I make a list of the books I want, crossing them out once I buy them.
Okay, if I go shopping for books online and get to choose between two editions of the same book, I pick the one with the best-looking cover, regardless of price. But it is more the lettering I care about, actually.
E-books make me sad. There’s nothing like holding a new book in your hands. And, more than anything, E-books are a sign that computers are slowly replacing everything else.
Whenever I see someone reading a book, I don’t think about the cover, I look at the title of the book to see if i recognise it, and if not, I try to figure out the genre out of pure curiousity – of course, people aren’t defined by what they read, but it still gives me a picture. Does that mean I’m obsessed with books? D*** straight!
I don’t just love reading, I love books. I love alfabetizing them and go find out about and buy new ones. And then I don’t really care what they look like to me, or to other people.
E-books do have covers. Folks around you may not be able to see it because of the orientation of the ereader, but ebooks do have covers and I know cover artists who work exclusively for epublishers
Please, plaese go to Good Show Sir to see ‘Trumps of Doom’ for yourself…Jane, you’ve provided me with the most hilarious half hour I’ve had in a long time. Thank you!
i ALWAYS judge books by their covers.
thats why i know soooo many good books.and i dont know why the heck anybody would want to read from an ipad or kindle or whatever else is out there.
im outta here.i need 2 go read a ink and paper book.