Ironically, the "Don't judge a book by its cover." saying, doesn't apply to books. The cover has the RESPONSIBILITY of making the reader interested in the book it's representing. It's a work of art in itself.
But it does, that’s literally the point. Bad book cover doesn’t make bad writing, therefore, don’t judge the content it before reading what it is. However we all do judge, hence the necessity and creation of the saying. Yes it’s a work of art, but very little correlation with the words inside
It’s the responsibility of the publisher, because authors don’t have control over the cover. Unfortunately, publishers don’t always get it right and may completely misrepresent the book. I rely on recommendations and reviews instead of covers to pick my books.
I've been right most of the time when choosing a book by its cover, if the cover is good so is the book, the exception being Harry Potter which the traditional US additions are horrendous.
Whenever I see videos like these I want to make German vs US/UK covers comparison because I think German covers are usually really pretty and cohesive and not as up and down. So if you want to do something like that is be willing to help :D
I always hear everyone loving the German covers! I would love to own those covers but I don’t love reading in German if it’s originally English unfortunately :/
I'm one of the people who doesn't usually prefer the German covers even though I have to admit that there are a few exceptions. I have to agree that my opinion is probably the more represented one but if there are people who like the German ones more (which there obviously are) then that's great for all of you reading this. :)
@@ebnovels I was just being curious as to why there is such a distasteful attitude among them towards each other but I should have known that a book review channel is probably not the right place to ask. I apologise for being ignorant. I guarantee that I was not trying to cause a ruckus and I'm certainly not accusing you of doing the same, sorry for the misunderstanding
That’s ok. I personally don’t know anyone who has a distaste for British people, and any British person I’ve talked to doesn’t have a problem with Americans. Not to say that’s true of everyone, but maybe media has made it bigger than it is 🤷🏻♀️
I’ve never seen the UK Shadow of the Fox covers before and they’re stunning 😱😍 I also don’t own this series yet so you may have swayed me to buy the UK over the US 😂
Neil Gaiman has the most killer book covers, I still stare at my paper back of The Ocean at the end of the lane and Norse Mythology, decent first reads if you wanna dive in to Gaiman's world and oh yeah......Great vid again Elliot
I tend to like UK covers but I really can't decide for Skyward. My UK edition just arrived this week so now I have both the US and the UK hardcovers. So pretty!
I think it’s interesting how the difference in the covers is somewhat representative of the difference in our cultures. The US covers tend to be very vibrant and loud. Attention grabbing and bombastic. The UK covers are minimalist and understated.
There's a larger edition of The Name of the Wind with the green UK cover. I think that one is the best among all the covers for this book. Even prettier than the normal B format UK green cover. They're basically the same thing but the larger version has more vines around the cover and more mysterious, green tunnel-y vibe.
yes! sometimes when i'm on goodreads checking out other editions there's a really beautiful cover in another language and i just feel like printing it out and changing my cover lol
Yep, looks like the UK comes out on top. 😂 Terry Pratchett's books have a hilarious degree of variation in covers from different countries. They could take up a whole video.
Most of the american covers look like done in sone kind of generator - it may be some psychological thing, mayby people like unity on they bookcases - but personaly I like to proverbialy judge the book by its cover - that is I like to know more or less what the book is about, what to expect, just by looking at it😊 And the beauty at my bookcase is of course a welcome bonus😉...
I loooove the UK covers for Shadow of the Fox! But I haven't been able to get my hands on physical copies of them because we kind of just get whatever we're sent in Australia 😂😅
All UK except for ADSOM. That was a cover buy for me. I saw that minimalistic white, black, and red and nearly broke my neck doing a double-take. I bought it immediately and it became an instant favorite. Covers really do have a lot of influence when it comes to reading/buying books.
Oh my GOD i have a story about desperately needing beautiful UK editions: I’ve been in love with your editions of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series forever and have been trying to get my hands on them forever. I refuse to buy the inferior US editions so I told myself that when I went to Ireland I’d get them all in the proper form. I’m here now and on Saturday I set out to buy the first three in the first era. The bookstore only had 2 and 3 but they said they could order The Final Empire for me no problem. I paid for all three then and there and they said to pop in Wednesday and I’d be all set! My dreams were coming true! So I went home and waited very (im)patiently for Wednesday to arrive. I stopped in as soon as I got back from class, pulled out my ID, and asked for my beautiful book. The bookseller smiled and went to the back to grab my order. But the book she handed me was NOT the book I had ordered. In the days between their first and second orders of the series, the DAMN PUBLISHERS CHANGED THE EDITIONS. The book they gave me had a different font, a blue border over the beautiful cover art, and a totally different spine. UNACCEPTABLE. My heart sunk. I had to be one of those customers. So I pulled up the proper editions on my phone and attempted to explain to the two booksellers in front of me that they had given me two books of one edition and two in another. They couldn’t seem to understand what the difference was and why it was so important to me (AS BOOKSELLERS. THEY DIDNT UNDERSTAND. AS BOOKSELLERS.) so I kept explaining that I needed continuity of series and I had given my money based on an expectation that wasn’t met. As a person with extreme social anxiety who also works in retail, it was agony. I felt so bad for them but, Elliot, I needed it right. I needed those editions I had been desperately pining over for years. LUCKILY a third seller came over and she was the person who had sold me the second and third books on Saturday. I explained to her and showed her the pictures while the other two booksellers looked annoyed and walked off. She (blessedly) gave me a refund of the first book and her assurance that she would refund the second two I had already gotten in case I could only buy a boxed set from somewhere else. I felt horrible but Elliot I NEED those same editions! I got home and immediately bought the first book on Amazon and I am now sitting in wait and desperately hoping the book that arrives is the correct edition. SO NOW I am now on a desperate hunt around Ireland to find the rest of the books in this series in independent bookstores before this new edition ruins all of my hopes and dreams for a perfect-looking shelf of Sanderson’s Cosmere and supporting local stores THE DRAMA.
Oh my gosh, how frustrating!!! I ordered basically all of my UK Sanderson editions at that same time, but they got lost in the mail, and I got sent only one of them out of a bunch 😆 I contacted book depository and they made me wait three months before they would resend the order. When they resent it, they ended up giving me another copy of the one I already had, despite me telling them that one had made it. At least that was all through email. I’d hate to have to deal with that in person and try to explain everything the way you had to 🙈🙈🙈
I went to Italy this summer and they have such beautiful covers. I'm just so jealous. It would be interesting to hear your opinion on different covers for the same book.
I generally prefer UK covers but liked a couple of the US covers you shared. I have seen the two different covers for Abercrombie's 'A little hatred', and ironically the UK cover is brighter than the US one - but I do much prefer the UK cover (the colours are lush and the imagery relevant to the story).
I don't generally like UK covers, but this video... wow............ I have to agree with you on all of these. Shadow of the Fox UK covers are making me cry they're so beautiful I almost wish this series had a manga adaptation it sounds so amazing ;_______;
YES! Do a comparison of book covers around the world too! It will be awesome! Sometimes they are the same but some countries do different ones and it's interesting to see.
What is your opinion? Another series from The Witcher author will be translated into english. www.reddit.com/r/wiedzmin/comments/9p35yu/the_hussite_trilogy_is_getting_an_english/
Schwab always has amazing covers, it's great! For Sanderson's, I prefer the UK one by A Lot, because I usually really dislike covers with people's faces and much more when it's a digital painting like that one - they always look weirdly cheap and generic.
I seriously want to know if it's only me that has this problem. I find that a lot of my UK paperback editions get worn really easily, e.g. my cosmere UK editions. It's usually the plastic layer tearing from the book. But, still, I prefer the UK ones :)
When I was in Ireland, I saw that most of the UK Sanderson books were much taller than the ones I have, and some were even floppy. Maybe that’s what it is? 🤷🏻♀️
Elliot Brooks I have the US paperback of In the Name of the Wind and it’s really tall and floppy, I’m unsure if I like that but I love the cover. It was a gift, so I shouldn’t complain.
I noticed the plastic peeling off of my UK Cosmere Final Empire only a month after buying it. Seems like a quality issue. Which is a shame because the covers are sooooooo nice
@@ebnovels I have the standard paperback editions, so I don't think that is the case. :) I have to admit that I don't own a lot of the US editions to compare the quality issue to as they mostly import the UK editions where I'm from. Also, I usually take really good care of my books, so I hope it's not me being the problem, hehe. ;D Or maybe I'm just being picky.
If you ever do a comparison video for Harry Potter covers, I highly recommend having a look at the Swedish hardcover editions. I may be biased, because it's the ones I read growing up, but I think they're beautiful.
I bought the UK editions of Shadow of the Fox and the sequel. I do love the US colors (the deep red is so pretty and the teal and purple are my fave colors) but I do like the style of the UK better and it matches the story. I'm glad the 3rd is also in purple in the UK version!
In general it seems the UK covers have cleaner / less messy covers. Where the art is decisive and bold, yet contains some subtleties to give them beauty.
I've been saying for years that the U.K. covers are stunning and the books themselves are better made . The U.S. covers alot of times are just bland and have no character the books themselves have thinner paper and covers if I have a choice I'll usually pick up a U.K. edition . Love your book reviews 😊
I see you have the old editions of two UK 'Words Of Radiance' parts. The spines don't match, but the updated ones do and it looks far better on the shelf. Just so you know.
I generally prefer the UK covers to a lot of fantasy books but there are quite a few occasions where I've tracked down the US covers (like the Shaes of Magic series) but you have to be so quick to buy the original UK hardcover editions- they go so fast and don't always reprint them (looking at you Nevernight)
I may be biased being from the UK but the covers we get just generally look better. They just seem more pretty and artsy imo. Have to say though the American covers for Mark Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor Trilogy (Red Sister) look far better than the UK ones. Also in regards to Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom series I think the Australian covers are gorgeous!
Honestly I do prefer the original US The Name of the Wind, but that's only because there's symbolism on that cover that isn't present in others. You can hardly tell the first time you look at it, but everything's there for a reason.
Shadow of the Fox was a hard one for me to decide because I like the art style of the UK cover more but I prefer the colour combination of the US cover.
I actually didn't recognise the Nevernight Chronicles in a bookshop the other day because I'm so used to the American covers from watching booktube 😂 Both versions are really nice but I think the UK and Ireland covers are more my taste, I'd love to know which ones you prefer
I live in Canada and find it pretty difficult to get UK books shipped here, which sucks because they’re usually so nice! I really want the UK Nevernight ones.
I almost always lean toward the US covers. For me, Skyward and DSOM are US hands down. Darkdawn’s uk cover is farrrr superior in my opinion, though. And the Thrne of glass series-uk totally wins.
If the author wrote in British English and published the book in Britain first, I will buy the UK cover (example: Harry Potter). Same thing for American English and USA (example: John Green’s books). But if the book isn’t British nor American, I’ll buy the one that match with the first edition cover or comparing my taste over the UK & US cover. As long as it’s not film cover :’)
Usually when it comes to UK hardbacks, they stop selling them after about a year when the paperback comes out. I’m so bad I couldn’t get it, but I have the UK hardback of Muse of Nightmares. It’s beautiful. Edit: also, I am biased when it comes to Charlie Bowater so the US cover of Skyward wins. I find it funny that she’s English and only has that cover for the US. God damn it US. I want it. (I’m in the UK, lucky me.) 😂
What do you think of the US vs UK editions of the Nevernight Chronicles? I personally just struggled with this one 😱 the US editions have nice artwork but the spines of the UK are so stunning to look at next to each other!
The US covers reminds me of Magazines, while UK ones looks more bookish to me. Preferred mostly UK versions except VE Schwab's, I preferred the US one.
Finding hardbacks in the UK is genuinely really difficult. My local Waterstones only stock half a shelf of newly released hardbacks in both the YA section and the adult fantasy section, then they never get re-stocked. A lot of books only get published as paperbacks over here too, like the Scythe series. Book Depository is a lifesaver, unless you're looking for American editions, which are hell, and super expensive to find! I'd kill for a 'half-priced books' shop (or anything of the sort!) in England.
The Witcher series is my biggest example of US vs UK. The UK has these cool, darker covers with just a character on the front, but they seem magical and fitting. The US covers? Fucking video game screen shots.
With you on the Shadow of the fox one, UK cover is gorgeous - but the special edition Name of the Wind one wins one for US. In general I like the UK covers better, but covers don't matter enough to me to special order or anything 😅
I own and love the UK Shadow of the fox edition (live in europe so yeah xD) but it's only in paperback so I'm thinking of getting the US cover so that I have it in hardback too, which is easier for re-reading xD
I mainly enjoy the UK editions. I dont know what the American book cover artist are taught to appeal to the American masses, but they are usually a huge miss for me. They just tend to look either tacky, outdated ( I tend to hate covers that have the aesthetic that books from the 80's had), or generic to where it seems the cover artist didnt even attempt to know how to make the cover reflect the contents of the book. Whereas UK editions tend to reflect the content of the book in a more subtle way, and is far more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. P.S. I love the 10th Anniversary edition of 'The Name of the Wind'. I dont like either of the original covers from the US or UK. I think the small details added are stunning and reflect the novel well, and I love the little secret on the front cover beneath the dust cover, and the end pages too.. its just an all around win for me, LoL.
I VERY rarely find that I like US editions more. Especially when it comes to fantasy! Unfortunately I have to shop online for UK editions and sometimes I’d rather support my local indie bookstores. It’s a struggle! I wish US covers would stop looking so mass market & have similar designs (or the same) as the UK.
Ohh dang these comments came in fast early this morning Elliot. I'm just now getting up lol 😂. As for the video i do think UK have the best cover art for some adult fantasy novels. Mainly the books that have two versions, the UK ones always have more creativity behind them. Mistborn series, the witcher books, heck any of sanderson work for that matter. Now there are some books who have the same versions all around like most of Kiersten White books, the Elementals Ice Wolves & Elementals Scorch Dragons series by Amie Kaufman. Of course it's all preference. But this was a fun lil chat. Hope everyone be nice in the comment section 😂. Have a lovely Thorsday 💫❤
Not being able to get my hands on the UK cover of Strange the Dreamer is one of my biggest regrets and failures (and I haven't even read the book!). I don't get why they didn't conti that cover, even the US one is gorgeous. But the one I have is nice but very lacking from these covers
I took Hannah Kent's Burial Rites with me to Iceland when I went back last month, and I ended up buying a UK edition of it while I was there. The US cover is fine-- a blurry photograph-- but it looks half-hearted compared to the beautiful blue UK version.
@@ebnovels Huh! I've only seen the photographic cover in bookshops around here. If Barnes and Noble had had the blue one, I would have gotten it instead! The blue one I bought in Reykjavik had blurbs from UK sources, so I assumed it was a UK edition.
I like the UK cover of Skyward better, but my US cover is signed, so I'm committed to that edition for the series. Luckily I don't hate the US cover, so it's not a terrible thing.
Other than a Darker Shade of Magic I prefer the UK covers overall. The Name of the Wind covers are all 3 kinda generic but if I had to choose one it would be the UK one.
Listen. Every single version of Strange the Dreamer has at least one moth on the cover so they are all equally 1/10 for me 😅 . I legitimately cannot pick this book up because moths freak me out so bad.
Not only are UK covers often better, but I can't believe how many times original titles get changed when they come to the states. I will always call it Northern Lights and not Golden Compass. Also Philosopher's Stone sounds so much better.
I love the UK covers of Shadow of the Fox. I saw the cover for book 3 only yesterday and I'm so excited. It's so pretty. I love how they made the covers inspired by Japanese art for these Japanese inspired story. Agreed about the US covers...they feel American, somehow. It doesn't fit the books.
Yeah, exactly! Although sometimes I wonder...would someone in Japan think the cover looks more Japanese, or is it just me being a clueless American? 😮😮😮
Super unpopular from what I can tell, but i dont really like either of the darker shade of magic covers. I keep hearing about it all over booktube and when i found it at the library the cover is what made not not really want to pick it up. Idk, something about the US edition really just turns me off the book.
