It's Friday so it's time to link up with Coffee Addicted Writer for Book Blogger Hop, Book Beginnings on Friday hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice.
Book Blogger Hop Question:
How important is a book's cover to your overall impression of it?
My Answer:
The cover has a pretty huge impact on me. If it's a favorite author or a highly recommended book than I barely look at the cover. However, if I'm browsing a bookstore or NetGalley the cover is what draws me in. If the cover doesn't grab me I probably won't stop to see what the premise is. This probably isn't particularly fair to the books but that's what seems to happen! That being said once I've chosen the book the cover generally doesn't affect my overall impression unless it's misleading.
The Beginning:
"No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more."
From page 56 of my Penguin Classics edition:
""At any rate, the older sister died of pneumonia here in the house, with only the little companion to help her - there were stories later of a doctor called too late, of the old lady lying neglected upstairs while the younger woman dallied in the garden with some village lout, "
So would you keep reading?
Thanks for sharing this classic read.
ReplyDeleteMy Friday post: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2014/09/friday-focus-friday-56-book-beginnings.html
I've really been enjoying this one!
DeleteThe cover can make me pick up the book without knowing anything else, just like this one.
ReplyDeletesherry @ My Friday Memes
I do love this cover! The story itself is a good one as well. It's one I always find new details every time I read it.
DeleteI enjoyed both of the movies but never read the book.
ReplyDeleteI'm like Sherry. Good cover art can get me to buy a book, but I do read the blurb and sometimes go check out the star ratings first.Keeps me from buying a zinger. LOL
Here is my 56 - http://fuonlyknew.com/2014/09/19/the-friday-56-37-eating-sarah-by-jaret-martens/
Unless it's a library book I'm pretty careful about the blurb as well. I've ended up with too many bad books!
DeleteI'm pretty impressed with The Haunting of Hill House so far!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed it!
DeleteI am pretty curious about this book....and I love that cover! Very appropriate for the season....thanks for sharing, and thanks for visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely a fun read for the season. Definitely recommend it!
DeleteI have The Haunting of Hill House and The Lottery on my Classics Club list to read. I saw the movie of Hill House years and years ago and remember enjoying it. Glad you are having fun being immersed in Shirley Jackson's world.
ReplyDeleteI vividly remember The Lottery. Jackson's mind worked in some twisted ways. Hill House is definitely worth reading. I've really been enjoying revisiting!
DeleteA book's cover will make me pick it up, but the blurb (or Amazon's "look inside" feature) makes me buy it. Hill House sounds like a good story to read at Halloween!
ReplyDeleteHere's the link to my Friday post: The Merry-Go-Round.
I am careful to read the blurb now! Picking out by cover alone has burned me a few times! Hill House is great for Halloween! Definitely recommend it!
DeleteOh yes, definitely keep reading! In fact, now I want to read this one!
ReplyDeleteThis is a good one! I definitely recommend it!
DeleteTotally agree....the cover pulls me in and then I check out what the book is about. :)
ReplyDeleteThe title is important as well.
The Haunting of Hill House sounds good....thanks for sharing. LOVE the cover. :)
My blog hop link is below.
Happy Hopping!!
Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
My Blog Hop Answer
I really enjoyed Hill House. Definitely a great read this time of year!
DeleteOh interesting quote. This sounds perfect for Fall.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely a perfect for fall kind of book!
DeleteI'm the same way about my favorite authors. It doesn't really matter what the cover looks like for their books because I know it will be good!
ReplyDeleteMy answer here.
Definitely! There's a few authors who I have absolutely no idea what their covers look like because I just automatically buy the book!
DeleteThis 56 makes me kind of want to reread this book.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a pretty good 56!
DeleteLooks like a good spooky story!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend!
It definitely is!
DeleteThis really sounds good. My kind of book. Enjoy! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteYou should give it a try! I really enjoyed it.
DeleteI've seen the movie, but not read the book. Sounds good!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my BB
Definitely read the book! I think the story works better in book form.
DeleteYour choice of book sounds haunting and it's not even October yet! Ha ha! Also, when it comes to Netgally, the book cover is everything for me too :)
ReplyDeleteBook cover is definitely a big thing on NetGalley. There's no telling the books I've passed up because the cover was bad.
DeleteSounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteIt's a really fun read!
DeleteYou've picked one of my favorites. Jackson writes beautifully; her descriptions are classic. I've read the book twice and saw the latest movie version with Liam Neeson. If you like a great creepy read about a haunted house, this is the one book for you.
ReplyDeleteI really loved this one! It's not the first time I've read it but I always find new details.
DeleteI wouldn't keep reading, but that's because It's not my cup of tea - the writing looks really good.
ReplyDeleteBook covers definitely go a long way to make me buy a book. I wouldn't buy a book just because of a pretty cover, but it draws me in and if I really like it I'm much more inclined to find reasons to buy it. :D
I think we're of similar mind when it comes to covers. I do pretty much the same thing.
DeleteNot every book is for everyone so no worries there!
Love the book, its one of my all time favorites. And I love the 1963 movie, deplore the remake.
ReplyDeleteIt's really great. I always enjoy revisiting it. The 63 movie is definitely superior! The remake went off the rails a bit.
DeleteI really want to read this one!! I was going to try it this year for Halloween but didn't get around to getting it. Though I read horror at any time so I might grab it at the beginning of the year. :)
ReplyDeleteSince you read horror regularly I'd be curious to see what you think of this one. I think it's much higher on creepy than actual horror. And yeah - a good ghost story is great all year round!
DeleteI have never read this one, but heard it is great. I'll have to add it to my mountain of a TBR pile.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog on Friday.
I've really enjoyed rereading this one! It's definitely worth the read!
DeleteI think my answer would pretty much be the same about the impression covers can have on my reading. Sometimes I do find myself going back to the cover to see if it did match the book. LOL
ReplyDeleteI've done that! That's one of the advantages of a print book over an ebook!
Delete