The blurb on the back of a book can make or break my decision to buy it. If it gets me excited, its a keeper. If I promptly forgot about it when I put it down on the shelf, then it's not worth buying. At least not right then.
But I wish books came with something else on the back. Something that would help me gauge my future reading enjoyment.
I wish some books came with disclaimers. Maybe something like this:
This book's ending:
___ will make you smile and know all is right with the world. good times ahead!
___ will make you bawl and feel depressed for days. sorry.
___ will not answer any of the questions raised in the book. feel free to pull out your hair.
___ is merely a setup for the next book in the series. please buy the next book too.
Any thoughts on this system? Additional warnings you wish you'd known ahead of time?
39 comments:
Great idea!
Ahead of time warnings I'd like? Perms ~ not a good choice for me.
-will be a waste of your valuable time
Of all the ending disclaimers, I'd want to know if the book is the first in a series. Even if it could stand alone. If the author's agent had sold it as a series, I want to know! But then, I suppose they don't say that up front for fear of losing potential readers/ buyers. That's how I've been caught into series before.
Yes! Especially that last one. You should start working on implementing this idea right away. I think it would help immensely.
"Best read when suitably inebriated".
:-)
Take care
x
Good idea. To my own books, I'd add:
Good beach reading.
At least, that's what many readers have told me after spending a weekend at their local shore lost in my story.
Hard to say because I can't tell you how many times someone has said 'I love this novel' and, when I read it? not so much, you know? or, visa versa ... I'll love a novel and be so surprised when some others don't connect to it in the same way.
So, while a disclaimer might be nice, I'd be afraid to miss out on a great book.
Tess, I know what you mean about being recommended a book and not enjoying it. It happens all the time! (both ways)
But sometimes I really, really wish I knew if something was going to be a super sad ending. I don't like endings where everyone dies and we're supposed to learn a lesson about loving while yuo can. I hate that!
And I'd love to know when a book is the first in the series, because I might choose to wait until the whole series comes out so I can read them back to back.
I would never expect a disclaimer from publishers, but sometimes it'd be nice :)
I'd like a dead dog warning. I guess that could be covered under your "will make you bawl" warning, but sometimes dead dog books still have what publishers consider happy endings.
Haha, this is great!
Let me know if you convince anyone to start doing it. Or maybe you could just print off a bunch and leave them in books at the library and the person who read it before you could fill it out. Yea? Yea. That'd be cool.
Old Kitty, YES. Hahaha.
_will make you want to throw the book at the wall in frustration.
_has a misleading blurb
Now that is a great idea.
I'd like a "Moronic Storyline Free" label or something. I remember reading a mystery and about quarter-the-way into the book, one of the main characters began the romantic pursuit of his sister. I did not finish that one.
Slamdunk, that's so gross! Yuck. Yuck. Yuck.
Honesty like that would be great for US, the readers, but of course it would not sell more books so unfortunately it probably will not ever happen. Too bad.
I'll take the first one.
Yes! I can't tell you how many times I've read a book and loved it all the way through only to be SO DISAPPOINTED by the ending. And by then it's too late, you've already invested the time.
Some of these would be great!
I liked the book Beautiful Creatures, but I did feel the ending was just to set up for another book. No real closure.
I have so many books that are recommended by blogs, that I haven't even looked at the blurb on the jacket in a few years. I just go to the next on my list! And it's a long list...
LOL, so true.
This, perhaps, would be a spoiler. But if there is a love triangle, I'd like to know ahead who the girl/boy ends up with. Because nothing frustrates me more than cheering for the wrong love interest through an entire book (or worse, three). (HUNGER GAMES, I'm looking at you.)
I really like this idea. I must admit, I am prone to skipping to the end of the book because I just have to know, and then regretting it. A disclaimer of this type could prevent my spoiled endings while satisfying my need to emotionally prepare myself!
All of those would be great to know up front! Especially the second one...can't take those kind of books on certain days.
I think there should be a "you will sleep with your light on for a week" disclaimers. I wish there were series warnings because let me tell ya, lately, I keep accidentally picking up series and it's ticking me right off.
What a fabulous idea!! I think someone should implement that, there are days were I do feel like balling my eyes out, but one a day that I don't I would like the book to warn me so that I save it for a day when I'm feeling it. Every women has several different emotions in a month so it's not like we won't eventually get around to them all!
I'd like a warning about Mary Sue characters...
LOL! I love it. How about...will cause you to fight with your kids over who gets to read it first. :-)
The last one is good!
How about "This book may cause insomnia?"
"This book will describe every little action in vivid, unnecessary detail. Feel free to skim."
i dunno. i kinda like the surprise...
I read a whole series of books hoping for a happy ending. It totally didn't have one! What a waste of my time. *sigh*
LOL! How about:
You've read this book before only it was with different characters in a different setting.
Haha, yeah, those would be helpful. Especially the "please buy the next book too." :)
I like those. How about:
"Ignore any hint of foreshadowing because this totally ignores that so that the story can have a cliche ending"
Are you saying you are one of those people who would skip to the last chapter before you finish a book?
(She asks with a guiltily red face)
Oh yes, I definitely want the disclaimer! Then I could breathe between cliff-hangers and, who knows?, maybe my fingernails would stay longer.
They should definitely do that! They should also add whether your character's rude and nasty or not-I hate opening a book and being unable to relate to the character for that reason.
I sometimes find myself suffering from the opposite problem: jacket copy or back covers that give *too much* away.
A recent example is THE MAGICIANS by Lev Grossman. Great book -- wish I hadn't been spoiled for the ENTIRE STORY in the inside jacket.
LOL at #3. That pisses me off!
I'd like a warning that says WARNING: once you start reading this book you're not going to accomplish anything else...
-is not as satisfying a read as the project you are currently working on...therefore please return book to shelf and get busy:)
I like the "will not answer any questions" oh hate!
"By the end of this book you will have thought up multiple and creative ways of killing each and every character. Enjoy your stay in the padded room."
I think that's a very needed one.
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