Judging a Book by Its Cover: My Favorite Cover Art

A few days ago, I wrote a post about my favorite album covers (from an artistic perspective). Writing that piece got me thinking about other forms of art that are often overlooked, such as book covers. Cover art for books (in the modern sense) is a relatively recent innovation in the history of books. For most of their history, books had simple cloth or leather covers printed with the text’s name.

Based on my research, cover art first began to gain popularity in the 1920s (although cover art certainly existed before that time), as the book industry began to expand and become more competitive. Booksellers increasingly looked for ways to market their books to the general public, sparking rapid advancements in cover art after World War I. Technological innovation also increased during this time, eventually allowing for the easy and affordable printing of more complex and colorful images.

Personally, I think the development of cover art has probably enriched many lives in incalculable ways. In general, I’m in favor of more art in everyone’s lives, so I think the little splashes of color and fun that book covers introduce to our homes can only be a good thing.

So, should you judge a book by its cover? Probably not. However, I’m not ashamed to say that I’m far more likely to take a second look at a book with an eye-catching cover than otherwise. However, it’s equally true that some of my favorite books have atrocious cover art. I’ve also seen lots of books with excellent cover art that ended up being very dull once I had read a page or two. So, you should probably keep an open mind and judge a book by its contents.

That being said, today I want to show you (in no particular order) some of my favorite pieces of book cover art. I hope you enjoy.

1. The Night Gwen Stacy Died by Sarah Bruni - I read this book years ago and liked it very much; however, I was first drawn to it by the cover. In my opinion, it’s a pop art masterpiece, triumphing in its simplicity and clear, sharp contrast while also highlighting the two main characters (their faces can be seen in the eyes of the coyote). It’s a wonderfully imaginative piece.

The Night Gwen Stacy Died

2. An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard - Elegant is the word I would use to describe this cover. The book itself was just fine in my opinion, but the cover art is excellent (although it doesn’t have much to do with the narrative itself). It’s white on white, with a white tree and branches set upon a white background. It has a very modern aspect and was clearly executed with great imagination.

An Unkindness of Magicians

3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit has had dozens of cover designs over the years. Some designs are good and some are bad, but my favorites are the 1937 and 2012 editions are my favorites. The simplicity of the cover drawings is both charming and beautiful. These designs capture the imagination.

The Hobbit (2012)

The Hobbit (1937)

4. The Harry Potter Books by J.K. Rowling - Since I started reading the books as a child, I’ve always loved the cover art of the Harry Potter books. I can recall eagerly waiting to see what the next cover would look like and wondering what the images referred to as I read the book. The style of the cover art—illustrated by Mary GrandPré—is highly original and imaginative, appropriate for stories of magic.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

5. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - Things Fall Apart is one of the most interesting and thought provoking books I’ve ever read. It tells the story of a family in Nigeria and explores their experiences as Europeans arrive and set up a colonial government. The cover reflects the conflicts within the book with elegant simplicity.

Things Fall Apart