Pleasant shivers of the unknown

I admit I often judge a book by its cover. It’s not the graphics that draw my attention, though. It’s the text, lack of it or its contents. Unless a book is recommended to me by a trusted friend, I almost universally decline to pick it up if it features blurb, this enthusiastic endorsement from peers and VIPs.

Why?

Simply put: blurb does not deliver. Far too often those one-sentence praises are not representative of the contents. Sometimes I get the feeling that some folks make it their living to provide blurb, or there exists a central repository, sort of a stock of ready made blurb that anyone can download and affix to their product book. I got an inkling into this practice following the publication of my first novel, which led to some brusque requests from soon-to-be-published authors to “submit blurb” in exchange for a free copy of a book, or even for a reciprocal praise. Meaningless few words.

I wonder whether blurb works for readers? Am I in the minority, perhaps a lone freak? Perhaps. A quick visit to my local bookstore confirms that readers appreciate this form of praise, their eyes gobble up the back flap before they even open a book. But, whereas some appear to be interested in a book following a quick scan of VIPS’ comments, others seem to be entirely satisfied with just the blurb, and I get the feeling from the way they put books down that for them  blurb or a short synopsis is the book. “I think I might’ve read it… or something similar…” Says a guy across the table, drops the book he just fondled, picks up another and scans the blurb again, frowns and puts it down too. Makes me wonder… can blurb be responsible for unsold books?

I recall a time, in another World, when books had no information on the covers, none, not even a description of what they are about, or who the author is. Yet books were flying off the shelves. Readers seemed to know what they were after. I have a huge stack of such books, and I must say that I am strangely drawn toward them. When it’s time to pick a new book my first steps are to that section of my private library that shelters the unknown. Sometimes I can spend hours just leafing through the pages, savoring them passage after passage. There is certain pleasure about the unknown book that makes me shiver…