NEVER judge a book by it's cover - Books gone unknown

[Emilem]

>>>>>>>>--
I know, I know.
So cliche.
EVERYONE has heard this saying, yet over half of the people that read actually do "Judge books by their cover".
Why?

--<<<<<<<<

So, have you ever noticed that most of the popular books really aren't all that great?
Or is it just me?
Take Harry Potter for example.
Can you really say that it's the best book that you have ever read?
There are SO many great books out there that roughly only two hundred people have read.

For instance: "The Eight" -- Katherine Neville
Who has actually heard of it before? (Other than me.)
I have yet to meet one other person that has.

Don't judge a book by it's cover.
Normally, it's used as a life lesson.
But take it literally for a moment here.
When you go to the book store or the library and don't know exactly what you want to get, you look for an interesting cover or title, don't you?
It's an instinct!
So, are there any books that you think go unknown because they don't have an appealing title or book cover?
Or am I just sleep deprived?
><#  

[Cherished Strawberries]

I agree with you totally. I've also found that people judge books by their title. People tend to judge what a book is about by the title. One of the reasons why my titles have absolutely nothing to do with the book...most of the time.  

[Kali Eyad]

Titles and covers catch my attention, but it's the blurb on the back of the book that gets me to read or reject. Also, shopping by publishers helps me along sometimes.

Vivian Vande Velde is an author I don't think I've ever heard someone mention, but I've really enjoyed all of her books that I've read. She has quite a few books, so she must be popular somewhere...

Kate Thompson's series Switchers is something that I read over and over.

Melinda Metz's series Fingerprints was the only thing I have on my bookshelves that I saw and went, "Hey! More people definitely should have checked that out!"

Finally, L.J. Smith! I could go on and on about her books. She seems to have something of a cult following, but I've never met anyone who's read her books. I can find fan sites, and once in a while they reprint her books. She's one of my favorite authors. Maybe even my favorite.

A lot of authors I like and thought not that popular I've heard mentioned around Gaia (and I've spent hours browsing the books forum). These were a few I haven't. They're all YA authors. I've never read an adult book that I was that impressed with.  

[Pure_Sango]

Agreed.

The Harry Potter books, while enjoyable, were a little hollow compared to some titles. Another, I think, is the Lord of the Rings. While it's beautifully written, it felt more like a chore I was forced upon. I can safely say I only enjoyed one chapter, and that was when the Ents were introduced in the Twin Towers; and the only thing they actually did was talk. But, somehow, that was more interesting then Frodo's journey to Mount Doom.

But, The Tale of the Swamp Rat by Carter Crocker has a very childish cover, as it's a children's novel. But once I got through it I was suprised. It's really, really good. Yet no one I've asked, even online, has heard of it. If they did, they haven't read it.  

[Kali Eyad]

I would like to add that I think Anne Rice is overrated. Her books are okay, but nothing that amazing. I'm not sure if I've even managed to completely finish one of her books, although I've tried reading at least 6 different titles. I almost made it through Interview with a Vampire. I was so close.

I never made it through Lord of the Rings, either. I kept getting bored. It made me want to read the parody Bored of the Rings, but I figured it wouldn't be worth it if I'd never finished the actual books.

I don't understand while they spent so much time wandering around in the last Harry Potter book. I mean, I understand they were making a journey, but it seemed a bit unnecessary to put so much detail in some of the parts, when nothing seemed to be happening. The Harry Potter parody Barry Trotter is good. I think I actually laughed out loud while reading that book a few times.

It's like people just wait to hear what the next big thing is, then gravitate to it, not bothering to check out any alternative reads. Sure I read popular series, but I also buy second hand, out of print and random books in order to find new things I enjoy reading.  

[Pure_Sango]

I've never been able to finish anything of Anne Rice, either. Maybe I'm just uninterested in vampires, or her general writing style. I don't know why people make a big fuss about her, it's not all that great.

I feel the same way about Eragon. Sure, it's different (not all that different), but the only reason it's getting so much attention is because it's written by such a young author. Plus, it takes itself way to seriously sometimes.

In bookstores I always look in the discount section, you'll be suprised with what you can find. I found The Tale of the Swamp Rat, the book I mentioned in my previous post, there. Along with The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, and The Sight by Clement Davies, some of my favorites.  

[Kali Eyad]

I love the discount section! It's practically my best friend when buying books... And my worst enemy. I don't know how many times I've just been going to get one or two books, then walked out with a bag or two because I got caught up in the discount sections.

Giraffes? Giraffes! and Your Disgusting Head are really funny, and I found those in the discount section. Animals of the Ocean, in Particular the Giant Squid is also by Doris and Benny Haggis-on-Whey, though I haven't read it yet. Each book appears to be factual, until you start reading it. They actually contain hilarious made up facts about each subject, as well as random unrelated jokes.  

[super sweet happy lemon]

Yes, books do get judged by their covers and titles to often.

The most "popular" book I've ever read that I've loved is East by Edith Pattou. Some of my favorites are Celine by Brock Cole, and Black Unicorn by Tanith Lee, and no one seems to have heard of them. When I tell people about Black Unicorn, they always grimace, and I have to tell them "No, it's not a children's picturebook."

Is it really that hard to believe the popular books aren't always the great ones?

Even the so-called "Classics" aren't that great, in my opinion. You have to admit, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was a modern book written by some one who wasn't very famous, no one would consider that story anything special. [I apologize to anyone who loves that book.]  

[sayaandtenshi]

I hate to admit it but I do judge them by their covers. Harry Potter though was certainly not the best book (or series for that matter) that I have ever read.

I don't know if anyone here has heard of the book "Hawksong" or it's follow up book (second book in series) "Snakecharm"  

[Annikaya]

I've read Black Unicorn! How exciting!

My favorite book of all time though is a book that my mom picked up at a garage sale. I tried to talk her out of it because I thought the blurb on the back looked bad and the book looked like it was about a million years old. My whole family loved it and when I went away to college my sister tried to get her own copy of the book on Amazon. Turned out it had been published in 1995, was already out of print, and was running for $85 used. I would guess based on the price that there were a few fellow fans that also thought it was worth reading... Oh, it's called Villians by Necessity by Eve Forward in case anyone wants to check their local library for it.  

[roseshavethorns]

sayaandtenshi

I hate to admit it but I do judge them by their covers. Harry Potter though was certainly not the best book (or series for that matter) that I have ever read.

I don't know if anyone here has heard of the book "Hawksong" or it's follow up book (second book in series) "Snakecharm"

I think I've read both of the books a year or two back, I don't remember though. It could have been a book with a similar title.

Has anyone read "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury?  

[Chocolatepanacea]

One of my favourite books gone unknown is The Abarat, by Clive Barker. Normally, then, I the rest of my remaining time explain that this book is not zombie porn, just really dark. It is not the best book, but it is really interesting, original, and like mind candy.

One noted problem I have is that I like Sherlock Holmes. EVERYONE's head of him, and only a few people have actually read his mysteries, and no one appreciates Watson. sad

(P.S. I love the people in this Guild. This thread made my day.)  

[Annikaya]

Yeah, it really bugs me when people think they "know" Sherlock Holmes or something like it when they've never read the book. I'm a big fan of Frankenstein and it kills me to see everyone referring to the creature as "Frankenstein" or "the monster". Victor Frankenstein was the one who created the creature and the irony of the book lay in the fact that Victor was the true monster, not the monstrous looking thing he created. People really need to sit down and read the original books and not rely on second hand information that often comes from third rate movies.  

[Jasmine Snape]

I absolutely agree with you. Just because the book is not well known, does not make it a bad book. There are several wonderfully written masterpieces out there that are just waiting to be discovered.
I must admit though that I do enjoy the Harry Potter series very much, it is one of my favorite series. They are a famous set of books, yes, but they are wonderfully well written and have an interesting plotline.
The important part of a book is not that it is famous or well-known. The important part of a book is that it captures your attention and draws you into the story. A goo book is a book you find hard to put down. It's a book that amazes you because of the good storyline and beautifully written.
Don't pick up a book just because it is famous, but on the other hand don't not pick up a book just because it is either. To find those literary masterpieces of our time, you really need to keep your eyes open. There are so many out there that are just waiting to be discovered.  

[chaoticpoetry]

I'm going to throw some book name out; please respond if you have read them. ^^

Playing in Traffic
Ophelia
Crank
Burned
Impulse
Glass
As Simple As Snow (my very favorite*)
A Handmaid's Tale
So Lyrical
Never Alone (also very good)
Twilight (very mainstream, as are:
New Moon and
Eclipse, but they're very good)

After (if) I get some responses, I'll tell you all the author's names, so you can find these lavashing books. 3nodding