The Chrysalids by John Wyndham. I love John Wyndham. He wrote these old-style science-fiction novels. My dad owned them all and I read them while in my younger teens. Look at this cover and decide what you think this book is about. Maybe aliens, or mutated people of some kind? This story is actually about a group of children/teens who can communicate with each other telepathically. They aren't green. There are no monsters of this kind in the story. I don't get it. Maybe the cover is trying to say that this is how people perceive the telepaths?
Do you see my point? Book covers are a huge part of what makes me pick up a book, so I get really annoyed when they are off-topic. I may even use the word deceitful. So, if you'd like to suggest any more misleading book covers, I'd be happy to do a post about them. Just leave your suggestion in the comments or send me an email at gypsyrover21 AT yahoo DOT ca
Since I don't have much to say today, I'm going to leave you with a picture of Indy, who is now almost three months old and growing quite literally like a weed. 
13 comments:
I can't say that I've picked up a book, and have its cover represent nothing about it.
That dog is 3 months old? It's bigger than my year old dog! LOL
Love him/her!
I was in the English class whose teacher thought she would deviate from the curriculum and made us read other books so I didn't get to read this one in high school like so many other Engligh Quebecers! But just the cover turns me off. Put teens on it and I might actually pick it up NOW! :)
Wow, what kind of dog is Indy that she's THAT big at 3 months? Do you know how big she should get?
Of course looking back at my photos, I see that my Jinx was similar-sized at 4 months (here) which seems so small compared to now (here). She's a cutie though!!
I hate it when the characters on the cover don't look like how they are described (i.e. the cover has a blonde and the book is about a red-head).
Wow- that cover you picked is SO different than your description!
Ella + Cat: Indy is a standard size labradoodle. He'll be somewhere in the 60-80 pound range when he's all grown up, we think. I can't believe how fast he's growing.. he added 5 lbs in two weeks! It's like he ate a teacup poodle! haha
And Cat, your dogs are adorable!
On the subject of The Chrysalids- I think they should rerelease it with a new cover. I think it's a great book.
I know what you mean! I hate when that happens. Sooo misleading.
Your Indy is SOOOOO cute! Was he (or she) named after Indiana Jones?
Song titles that have nothing to do with the song have always bugged me. Like the Smashing Pumpkins' Bullet w/ Butterfly Wings. WTF is that supposed to mean?
I often pick up books - just because of their cover. Sometimes the cover is the ONLY good thing about it!
I wonder how much say so that the authors have about the choosing of their cover?
Juju- Yes, he is. After all, "We named the dog Indiana." lol
JT- I don't get that either. It's like they're trying to be artsy or something. But that is a good song anyway.
Neas- I think that a lot of authors really don't get much say in how their covers are chosen. Melissa Walker does a feature on her blog about various cover stories, and I always find it interesting.
While I can't name any specific books, I do remember as a teen picking up several books with 'Dragon' in the title or depicting a dragon on the cover - and then discovering no such dragon in the story!
L. Diane Wolfe
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
www.spunkonastick.net
www.thecircleoffriends.net
UGH! That one cover is so deceptive!
I've never presonally experienced a cover as deceptive as that, but a lot of times, a cover will make a book appear more/less childish (especially since I read a lot of MG and YA books). That throws me off. I recently read The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, and felt that it was a bit deceptive--the cover seemed to play off the popularism of vampires, imo.
Ugh! I totally know what you mean! Some have such pretty covers and then you start reading them and think "was the person who chose this cover on something?"! So bizarre to not have a cover match the story, or coordinate at all!
I love John Wyndham and I think that title has been re-issued with a different cover, know what you mean about deceptive covers.
Indy is very cute.
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