Different people look for different things in their books. Personally, the cover (and general design) of the book plays a big part in which edition of a book a buy. If all I can find is something with a terrible cover or a poor design, I’ll get the ebook instead of the physical book so I don’t have to look at it, ha ha!

I think your post title means to say you won’t NOT buy a book because you don’t like the cover.

I hate when they reprint books with images from the movie. Ugliest thing they can do.

I think your post title means to say you will buy a book, regardless of cover*

FTFY

I agree with you. For me the cover is the last thing I look at when I make a decision. I've read the worst book with beautiful cover and the most beautiful book with disgusting cover. So I don't pay attention to it that I know others can look at it different. But covers of "Babel" are not the ugliest I've seen so I don't understand their problem

That fits too. I tried to come up with something catchy

I've bought books because I love th cover, and display the cover on my shelves. Books can be very personal, some people absolutely care about book covers they buy. I see nothing wrong with your idea about what matters about a book or their ideas about what matters.

[removed]

I actually like the cover of the polish translation ones compared to the original!

[removed]

>I can add that they will not buy this book and because of this cover they are not going to support this publishing house which is childish for me in this situation.

People look for different things. I certainly prefer UK covers over US ones 9/10 times. And go out of my way to import those.

Yeah it's still the same language. Your not choosing book in your second language because the cover is prettier than in your language.

Sometimes i have that idea ( few weeks ago I saw beautiful covers of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth) but this isn't why I'm buying books. but I totally understand your idea about covers.

I just don't understand that situation with Babel

I’ll definitely pick up books in stores and look at them based on the cover. And pass them by based on the cover. If you’re unfamiliar with the book, you don’t have anything else to go on, and you can’t look at every book.

Covers do have some affect on me. I went out if my way to collect the original covers of a book series after they redesigned the covers

[removed]

I mostly read on an iPad these days, and this pisses me off even on my digital bookshelf. I’d really rather not have Zendaya on the cover of my copy of Dune.

Sometimes I'm thinking about it, at least

For better or for worse, there is a not insignificant percentage of the book buying public that puts an equal weight on the appearance of a book as on the contents - it not more so. Take, for example, last year's Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. There were at least 4 different special editions in the UK alone, each with cosmetic differences. Some readers purchased all 4 just to have them all. Similarly, bookstagrammers and booktokers are all about aesthetic and some absolutely buy books based entirely on appearance, regardless of content.

Yeah buy different edition of books you already have I get it, I have few different editions.

My problem (or maybe their idk) is fact that that they are refusing to buy the translation because of the cover ( add a little bit of bullying the publishing house, talking shir etc.)

But these are stunning! Someone clearly sees the book as a potential bestseller as a YA novel and has splurged on some pretty, appealing art. I do really like the original covers too, they are what drew my attention to the book in the first place.

To answer your question, I do own some books with ugly covers, mostly because they were cheap or the only option. I even have wrapped one of them with paper to hide the picture, hoping I might draw my own cover someday. I guess there is a limit to how ugly the cover art can be, though, depending on how much I want to read/own the book itself and how expensive it is.

They've published a new translation of Tolkien's LOTR here in Portugal. Firstly, it had Tolkien's own drawings as covers. But now they are releasing them with covers from that abomination that is the Amazon cash-grab fanfic, that is only loosely connected with LOTR. WHY!?

They both look beautiful and intriguing. The kind of cover that calls to you in a book store…

[deleted]

The saying literally is don't judge a book by it's cover.

You're insides are worth more than your outsides.

If it's a good book it's a good book. Some cover art is hideous, but not reading a book over it is just ridiculous.

I don't even know which one is the Polish translation, and I don't really care! They both look fine! Better than fine- they both look cool.

I feel like that's different though. You weren't choosing to boycott the book because of the re-designed cover, you just wanted the original cover, and from what you said it doesn't seem like you made a big fuss over it.

But this is also different. The people making a fuss about these books already know about the book and what it's about, some even having already read it. I do the same thing as you when I go to a library or bookstore, but I'm also not going to not read a book with an ugly cover.

I’m usually getting my books from the library or as a free digital advanced copy so the cover isn’t THAT important. I typically choose based on author or buzz. Ironically, I did pre-order Babel from the UK (I’m in the U.S) which meant I had to pay extra for shipping and the conversion rate because I appreciated the black sprayed edges on Waterstones special edition.

I don't put much stock in covers, but I do get sentimentally attached to what ever edition was my first reading (whether hardback or paperback - it's like I'm emotionally attached to the object itself).

This is not childish behavior. Collectors are picky about what they are going to spend their money on and what editions the want to add to their collections. I personally prefer only original cover art and am not a fan of modernized or movie adaptation covers. I’m not forking over money for just anything and prefer a certain aesthetic.

I'm not at all particular about the cover in paperback books, but if I'm buying a hardback book and spending more money, I will always choose either the first edition (if it's within my budget) or the one with the prettiest cover. The story or information inside a book is always the most important thing, but if I'm spending my money on a hardback book to keep, I also like it to have aesthetic value. (I've never read the book Babel, so these are just general thoughts.)

Ok. After a day I see that I missed some information. They know what this book is about, there is a chance they already read it. They are just making Fuss about it cause it doesn't look like they wanted it to look. So bullying and throwing SHlT on publishing house is childish

I'm a cover lover but it's what's inside the book that ultimately make the book or break it.

Honestly you are the one who is sounding childish. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess you’re not a serious collector.

I am reading books not collecting them. They are meant to be read not to look pretty on the shelf

I assure you my aesthetic is not “pretty”. You seem a little wet behind the ears get back to me when you enter adulthood

The fact that you keep using the phrase “look pretty” is letting me know you definitely don’t get it

I'm just using the same word people are using while describing the original book cover

Here are some other words: unique, interesting, artistic…I don’t care about this particular book, it’s not my thing personally, but some people are more attracted to actual independent art and less attracted to cookie cutter mass published corporate pressed versions of something.

Gross! I would understand a sticker "Basis for a new show/ feature film” but I don't understand the cover change.

Oh, the sticker's there too, don't you worry!

I like both of those covers. I think that they are beautiful.

However, what someone does with their own money shouldn't concern you. I have bought foreign covers before because I thought that they were prettier than the USA edition before. I like pretty books. Sue me? 🤷‍♀️

I have had many foreign people tell me that they prefer to read in English over their native language if English is the original language that the book was published in. If someone can speak more than one language well, why shouldn't they read books in their second language too? It's awesome that we translate books. There are books that I've read that I never would have been able to read if they weren't translated, but things can get lost in translation. Don't shame someone for choosing to read a book in another language, please.

I like Babel cover on the left kind of similar to the American copy.

A beautiful cover is all fine and good but essentially it's the story between the pages that xounts