Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

                                                         

Two books with the same author, storyline and happy ending - yet the way they first engage the reader is entirely different.

I have a bit of a soft spot for pretty books. Seriously; if I'm bored out of my mind and book-less, the first book I'll pick off a library shelf is a pretty one. And in modern literature we frequently see that authors use the covers to sell the book.

Imagine for a moment, that Twilight was a Penguin Classic. Would you be as willing to pick it off a shelf with that awful orangutan-orange colour? Not likely; though with that contrast of black and bright red apple and pale skin - also the symbolism of the image strikes up curiosity in the viewer - you are willing to pay $20. 

I think that the Penguin Books are a smart way of differentiating the timeless books from the now ones. 'Pride and Prejudice','Great Gatsby', 'Wuthering Heights', 'The Clockwork Orange' (no idea what THAT one's about!) and the rest are classics in every sense of the word - books that need nothing more than their title and the author's name to sell.

But as well as cover, the blurb is important too. There is nothing that annoys me more than wanting to see what a book has to offer, turning to the back and seeing "Lost myself in this wonderful fantasy adventure! - Stephanie Meyer" on the back. Thank you, Stephanie for your words of wisdom but WHERE IS THE BLURB?! Turns out, some books either don't have one, of its on the inside cover. 

Its not only annoying, but frankly its dangerous for business. When people are scanning the shelves in a rush and picking out books at random (been there, done that!), they're not about to go on a Easter Blurb Hunt. Further more, why does ever book in existence need Stephanie Meyer's recommendation on the front, back, side - or on all three - to make it sell? I mean, I loved 'The Hunger Games' trilogy and NOT because Stephanie did too.

But there's nothing wrong with a nice cover on a book - nice covers can give insight into the storyline and sometimes, are better than any blurb.

So next time you pick up a book, I want you to ask yourself: Are you reading it because of the COVER, the PRAISE or because of the STORYLINE?

You know, come to think of it (just to confuse you some more!), not all blurbs are accurate judges of a book's potential. I mean, glancing at 'A Dog in the Nighttime' my first thoughts were "Weird." After glancing at the blurb my thoughts were, "Weird and possibly not my thing". After reading a little of it and hearing more about it, I began to think "Maybe I could read this." Sometimes, we need to put as much research into the books we read as we do for History assignments and our mum's do for grocery shopping. 

Here are a few variations of Stephanie Meyer's praise for Hunger Games ALONE (just for fun!)

• "Stunning. You won't sleep when you're reading this one."
• "I was so obsessed with this book I had to take it with me out to dinner and hide it under the edge of the table so I wouldn't have to stop reading. The story kept me up for several nights in a row, because even after I was finished, I just lay in bed wide awake thinking about it. I've been recommending it to total strangers in Target." (That's a tad bit weird, don't you think?)
• "The Hunger Games is amazing"

So technically the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" has some merit. Yeah, don't JUST judge a book by its cover, but by its content. Push yourself, test your limits and learn that there is a world of fantastic literature out there for you to explore if you would only look for it.

What are you still doing here?! Go and seek a book this instant!

Happy Reading!

Love Cool Beans

         

A Few Funny Pictures

The eternal debate - Harry Potter or Twilight? Here are a few images to help you in your decision...

I hope I haven't made it too difficult to choose! So now the question: Harry Potter or Twilight? The difference between life and death - literally! (LOL)

Cool Beans

World Booklovers Day!

For those who either live under a rock or didn't know, today - the 9th of August - is World Booklovers Day. Take the chance to convince your parents to let you go on the book spree of a lifetime - or even go out with your friends and support the authors and bookshops that make our lives liveable . But, if you're like me and have smart parents or you're just plain lazy, simply curl up with your favourite book; maybe with a mug of hot chocolate or a slice of cheesecake on the side. 

So Happy World Booklovers Day!

The Bookshelvers!
:)

Lost in Austen?

I think it's safe to say that the day Jane Austen penned Mr. Darcy was the beginning of an era - an era of swooning girls, half of which wished for Lizzy to simply contract pneumonia and die and the other half wishing to find that perfect Mr. Darcy. This wish (the latter) is reflected in the types of books available on the market nowadays; books centred around a vaguely pretty (and sometimes even intelligent) heroine, who eventually either finds the perfect guy or goes off with her flawed but slightly good-looking best friend. 

How long did you stare for? The truth!

And whilst I too love that brooding man with the sideburns and, let's face it, absurdly tight pants, I can't help but wonder...why? Cherry Potter (no, she's not related to Harry) wrote in her article Why do we still fall for Mr. Darcy? some interesting points.

" According to a recent poll conducted by the Orange Prize for Fiction, 1,900 women across the generations voted for Mr Darcy as the man they would most like to go on a date with...what she (Austen) does provide is a perfect blank screen on to which Darcy's admirers, by identifying with Elizabeth Bennet, can project that most archetypal of all female fantasies - that they will be the one and only woman to discover the key to unlocking a man's tortured soul, thus setting free his hidden passions."


When reading an article like the above, you have to ask yourself what these 1,900 - and counting - women see in the tortured character of William Darcy. According to Cherry:


"What message is this Darcy fixation sending to men? On the one hand, women say they want men who are emotionally intelligent, sensitive, flexible, who enjoy sharing equally and are fun to be with. But these same women are swooning over a fictional character who is the epitome of the dominant patriarchal male. No wonder men are confused." 


Women feel drawn to this idea of the perfect guy - one who is hard to get, yet when attained will be everything we ever wanted. And it shows in the writings of female authors. These women create in their brains and dreams the 'perfect' guy - be it Edward Cullen, Jace Wayland, Daniel Grigori, Ash and so many more - and these books are targeted at other young women. These young women base their ideals on these characters - sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly; the way they treat women, the way they woo them, the way their eyes sparkle...but the truth is, these guys aren't real. And odds are, when the real life hits home, girls are going to be left disappointed if their boyfriend doesn't live in Pemberley. 


That leads me to a rather ironic, and hilarious, book - Austenland by Shannon Hale.



Jane Hayes love life is likened to a game of dominoes - just when things look good, they all tip over and its time to start again...and all because of her never-ending obsession with Mr. Darcy.
When Jane gets given the chance of a lifetime - a trip to an English resort catering to 'Austen-obsessed women' Jane sees this as the answer to her troubles; a chance to be free of Mr. Darcy forever. But as the fantasy becomes more real and the lure towards Austenland more than she can take, will Jane kick her Austen-obsession for good? Or could Mr. Darcy be real after all?


As soon as I started this book my thoughts were, "Gees - I wonder how this is going to end?!" But I was pleasantly surprised with the reasoning behind Jane's action, her thoughts and the way she views the future. How she views past mistakes not as dominoes - one falling after the other, leading from disaster to disaster - but as lessons to be learnt from. That there is the chance that the last domino will remain standing.


After reading many 'Austen inspired' novels, as well as Austen's, I have come to the conclusion that it's hard to define when the Darcy obsession has gone overboard. I mean, is it bad to look for good qualities in real-life guys? Is it wrong for girls to have ideals? I don't necessarily think it is. 


So how 'bout it - are you lost in Austen?