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While acknowledging that we can’t judge books by their covers, how much does the design of a book affect your reading enjoyment? Hardcover vs. softcover? Trade paperback vs. mass market paperback? Font? Illustrations? Etc.?
Those things will definitely have an impact on my browsing. I'd rather have a new book than an old or used one. I am nearly neurotic about the condition of my personal collection. I closely examine copies I'm thinking about buying for nicks and scratches and bends. I prefer trade paperbacks to hardcovers or mass market paperbacks. I pick up books with interesting-looking covers. I'll read the backs of books with covers I think are ugly just out of curiosity. But as for affecting my actual reading enjoyment, it doesn't change a thing. My final opinion of a book rests with what is written on the pages, corners bent or not.
Play along with Booking Through Thursday here.
Lezlie
11 comments:
Your post made me realise that I'm fussy about the condition of a book as well. If there are multiple copies on the shelf then I will look for the one without the bent corners of the wrinkled spine. I wasn't really conscious of that before, now I will be hyper self-conscious about it!
Table Talk ~ Me, too! In fact I just did that last night picking out my copy of "Arrow of God". When Peter came to find me I was frowning at a line of three copies, all with nicked spines, trying to decide between the lesser of three evils, because, of course, I had to have the book "right now". :-)
Lezlie
I'm with you. I like the books that I buy to be new, because if I like it, I want it to go in my personal collection (which is not very large, despite the fact that I've read quite a bit in my life...moving all those books makes you rethink your collection!).
Trish ~ I shudder to even consider having to move my collection! When we moved into our house, I did donate hundreds of books to the library and to a local used books store, so I totally understand. According to Peter, it's time to pack up some more donation bags. Unfortunately, I think he's right. . . :-)
Lezlie
I do buy secondhand books, but really I prefer new ones. I'm fussy too about the condition of a book when I'm buying it - I got one cheaper recently as it was damaged and the only copy left in the shop, but somehow it still jarred that it wasn't a perfect copy. I'll always try to take one from the back of the shelf, that hasn't been thumbed through by anyone. But like you it doesn't affect my reading enjoyment if the book is good.
I've become wary of buying (or getting for swap) books online because I like to hold them in my hands, see if they're soiled, judge the quality of the binding, even how nice they smell! It's as much a physical quality thing to me as the text inside, if I'm going to own it...
Books Please & Jeane ~ I'll have to let Peter know I'm not crazy. I'm going to show him all these comments to prove I'm not the only one! :-)
Lezlie
I *can* be flexible about a book's condition, unless it shows some kind of liquid stain, or seems to have "stuff" on the pages - you know, stuck on but not able to be easily identifiable ...
Bridget ~ Oh, yeah. Those are deal breakers, for sure! :-)
Lezlie
I buy mostly second-hand, here in Belgium new books in English are really expensive, no discount stores or anything like that (although I'm addicted to amazon...) Maybe I learned not to be fussy, now I don't mind about bent corners all that, I consider it part of the book's history. Only for used books though - if I buy new I'm totally anal about it being in perfect condition! :-)
Joanna ~ Having the opportunity o read blogs from readers all over the world, I'm learning that I'm very lucky to have literally dozens of both new and used bookstores to choose from within a short drive. I would probably be more forgiving of a book's condition if my choices were more limited. I do count my lucky stars that we have so many great stores to browse around in!
Lezlie
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