August 10, 2005 | I get worked up about inconsequential things.
So let's say someone writes a book. And it's a good book, that a lot of people are reading. After a little while, this book will come out on paperback, with a cover that, for the most part, resembles the same cover as the hardback edition. But during this time, let's say the book becomes SO outrageously popular, that it's adapted for the big screen. Yay for the author of the book!
Bummer for the cover of the book. It now MUST have a cover depicting the famous actors who are in the movie. Because, gosh, I'm not going to be able to find it by looking up the title or the author of the book. I'm going to aimlessly walk through the aisles of MEGA BOOKSTORE looking for John Cusack's smiling face.
What spurred this rather silly diatribe about book covers? I read a little blurb about the book Must Love Dogs and how the movie was coming out soon. This prompted a decision that I'd like to read that book. So I went searching for it yesterday at my local bookshop, only to find that it is now adorned with the actors from the movie.
My copy of High Fidelity has John Cusack on it. My copy of Animal Husbandry has Ashley Judd on it (the movie was called "Someone Like You"). My copy of Sense and Sensibility has Emma Thompson on it. All books that I would have bought had the cover simply been black with white text stating the title and author's name.
I have a brain. I use it (most of the time). I have the tools to find the book that the movie was based on. I don't need a shiny, glossy new cover. I don't WANT a shiny, glossy new cover. So when I found Must Love Dogs last night, and picked it up off the shelf, I put it right back. The first thing I did when I got home was order a used copy from Powell's Books. As much as I want to read it, I just can't bring myself to buy the version with the movie tie-in cover. Especially since I think the original cover suited the book just fine.
And how. Movie-cover books suck. They just scream "I loved this movie so much I had to go back and buy the book, even though I hate reading." Three cheers for making the extra effort to earn the "I liked this book before it was cool" cred, even if we'd never heard of the book before the movie.
this has been a complaint of mine for years. whenever possible i avoid buying a book that has the glossy movie covers. i had to give in when buying Frida because I just couldn't find an original anywhere.
the other thing that kills me is the oprah seal of approval on a book. i appreciate that she's gotten people reading, but seeing the little gold seal on a cover makes me put the book back and dig deeper for older copies.
*sigh* I'm sorry, did you say something? *john cusack*
*sigh* (birds twittering about)
I'm so glad I have comments now. I feel completely okay about my loathing of movie tie-in book covers! Thanks everyone. :)
I think I'm like you, except sometimes I just won't read the book. I'm such a cover whore, I don't need celebs on my books too - I got that covered with my US WEEKLY subscription :)
I totally agree with you on this. To me, it is crucial that I adore the cover design of each book I buy, and those lousy book-turned-movie covers just annoy the heck out of me!
Oh my gosh! It's like I wrote this post myself. I do that SOO often, gripe when a book comes out with the movie cover on it and then try to find it second hand. Thing is, if they're hoping to sell more books based on the fact that it's now a movie I get that. But, what's the matter with still leaving the old cover available to those that don't want the movie cover? Surely the bookstores don't HAVE those old ones kicking around. Leave me both options thank you very much.
Hi Chair - it's my first time here, and I'm so with you on this! I didn't think anyone else paid attention to covers!
Amen, sister!!
~ DAWN
I feel the same way. When I was looking for Under The Tuscan Sun, it was just before the movie was coming out and I felt relieved to be able to find a copy of the book with out the actors' faces all over it.
A couple of years ago, I remember seeing a biography of Frida Kahlo with Salma Hayek's face on the cover. Given her iconic self-portraits, it just seemed horribly, horribly wrong.
I agree 100%, both on buying from Powell's and the phenomenon itself. The only way I'd be willing to buy a book with a movie cover would be if it were cheaper. But sadly, that is never the case, is it?
1) I love that you ordered from Powell's. Go you!
2) This phenomenon is something that has irked me in the past, as well. Book covers are a tricky business; often it seems (I've noticed it especially in Young Adult fiction) that the cover has no relation to, nor concept of the book or its readers, and what they might find appealing.
Bravo!