How much does reading the blurb affect your book choice?
This question came up in a round-about way while I was writing the 'What I thought of...' post for Fleur McDonald's novel 'Red Dust'. In the post I confessed I hadn't been sticking to any genre lately, in fact I hadn't even been reading blurbs, rather just going with recommendations from other blogger's and author's.
The not-reading of blurbs has been rather liberating. In a way I feel a blurb can sometimes defeat its purpose of hooking me in and instead totally put me off reading a book. The number of times I have put a book back because of the blurb is uncountable. I understand the point is to give us a little glimmer so we can decide in less than 20-seconds of skimming if this book may be the next one to blow our minds.
Haven't you been told to read a book, read the blurb and thought 'Really? This one?' and on the premise of 'Well fine, you're my friend and if you say it's awesome...' you read it, only to actually be thrown for a total loop when it's 20 pages in and you seriously
By the same token, have you read a blurb that sucked you in to discover that it is actually one of the worst pieces of written word you have ever had the bad luck of laying your violated eyes on?
To test this out, I thought I would pick three very random books off my shelf, quote part or all of the blurb (depending on length of course- we are all busy people and my home-made mozzarella and basil pizza is nearly ready!) and work out what part the blurb played in my book-buying decision making.
Okay!
First up we have: 'A kiss of shadows' - Laurell K Hamilton
Meet Meredith Gentry. Exotic, decadent, deadly. Private Investigator, princess-in-hiding. Half human, half faerie.... three years in hiding and it looks like Merry Gentry's secret is out. Can she keep her real identity hidden to live the life she wants to lead? To live full stop?
Hmm, yeah... sounds alright. A little intriguing, there are some faerie's to contend with (a genre I had NEVER read before), and hey it's on special! (Sorry about the buying-while-cheap-as-chips thing but I've found some of my favourite authors [exhibit A] from being adventurous with books on special).
Little did I know about the world of FAERIE PORN. Yes you heard right! It is a term I like to apply to the Merry Gentry series. Faerie. Porn. Oh my GOD! I was consumed by the intense sexual and dangerous liaisons of Merry and her horny magical little ways: bright white light shimmering beneath skin from magical sexual encounters, and knife wielding faerie-guards! WOW! I did NOT get that from the BLURB! This series was a fantastic discovery- I have never read another one of her blurbs but I'm in the middle of the third book! Although to answer the question, I guess that I would say YES, the blurb did help persuade me to buy the book. Otherwise I just look cheap.
Second: 'Three Wishes' - Liane Moriarty
It happens sometimes that you accidentally star in a little public performance, your very own comedy, tragedy or melodrama. So who started it this time? Was it Cat: full of angry hurt passion dating back to the 'night of the spaghetti'? Was it Lyn: serenely successful, at least on the outside? Or was it Gemma: quirky, dreamy and unable to keep a secret, except for the most important one of all? Whoever the culprit, their lives will have all changed dramatically before the next inevitable clash of shared genes and shared childhoods...
What does this blurb tell you? Not much. I bought the book purely because I had read Liane Moriarty's third novel 'What Alice Forgot' which was fantastic, so I decided to read 'Three Wishes' purely because I liked her work. The blurb didn't really pique my interest. What's it saying? Does it tell you that the book is written with humour? With tangible emotion? Twists that I honestly did NOT see coming? I haven't mentioned the story or genre but you know what? NEITHER did the BLURB- and the book was still amazing!
Third: 'Twilight' - Stephanie Meyer
Bella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear.
Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.
Almost five years ago, I was coming home from visiting my cousin's in Sydney ( I live near Brisbane) when one cousin shoved 'Twilight' in my hands as I was getting in the car and with wide eyes said 'Read it!' She and I had always shared a love of books so I took it without question. On the drive to the airport I flipped to the blurb. Vampires? I looked up in confusion and said again to myself: 'Vampires???' At that time, that word was all I read. No I don't read about vampires, I thought. Well needless to say I was heinously wrong! And so were a million other people who saw the word vampires and turned away. Vampires can be intriguing, sure, but it's the story underneath the vampires that holds me to this day.
I will admit my not reading this for 3 years had more to do with my ignorant idea of the genre that the word 'vampire' implied than the actual blurb itself... so maybe this one is the product of my own ignorant predispositions than any error with the actual blurb....
Do your predispositions ruin a perfectly good blurb?
After all that, I still have not formed a strong opinion. I'm leaning toward word of mouth being one of my strongest deciding factors, while blurbs are more of a chance encounter in a bookstore when I don't know what I want but have to buy something (apparently cheap) kind-of-thing.
So what do you think? That is, if you managed to get through this humongous post (thanks for sticking to the end by the way). To blurb or not to blurb? What makes you cross the line from browse to buy?
Ok. I'm a total blurb-reader. A blurbaholic. If I don't have the blurb, I can't buy the book. I'm sorry. I just can't. I think its a sickness. Even if the blurb doesn't always give us a good idea of what the book's about, I need to have SOME idea. Call it my control freak nature. When I walk into a bookstore (although it's been a while since I've actually bought books IN a bookstore) I go by 1. Mood- what am I in the mood for? Funny chicklit? Romance? Suspense? Paranormal? YA? Once I decide what mood I'm in I go look at #2- Genre. Then it comes down to 3. Cover art. The flashiest one, funniest one, scariest one, friendliest one wins. Last but not least there's .4-Blurb. Does the story sound intriguing enough? Is there an excerpt? Does the main character sound worth knowing? The stakes high enough? I'll usually flip through the pages just a little to see what the chapters look like that that's that!
ReplyDeleteTo blurb definetly! What maked me cross the line? The blurb, title, cover and first chapter. If I´m hooked by all of these, I buy the book =)
ReplyDeletewow thanks for the quick comments guys :) and you got to the end! it's my longest ever i think! i love you guys for taking the time to read and comment.
ReplyDeletei smile imagining you guys going through the whole process to choose a book- it's a respect and credit to the author's that you take your time and end up choosing them.
so my method must drive you crazy? (esp. you creepy lol)
I don't read blurb's only the story summary on the back of the book because I just don't really but a lot of my friends do, and yes they judge a book by the first couple of pages but I always tell them to keep reading and they will love it, and usually they do!
ReplyDeleteAlso most of my friends think I'm crazy because I will cyber stalk author if I liked there book, i mean like join fan sites read up about them. Then when I finish another good book I will go off, and stalk them! It is insane!
I love a good blurb, less is more for me. Ally Condie's book Matched gives a very small blurb and there is so much missing you're dying to open the story and figure out what's up inside!
ReplyDeleteI like blurbs. Normally I buy a book by an author I already like. If it's an unknown type thing, I'm big on blurbs. If I like the blurb, I might buy the book (I tend to read a few pages first to make sure it doesn't totally suck). So, to blurb to me!
ReplyDelete~JD
I love blurbs, but I don't always buy a book because of it. Sometimes I read the first line to get a feel for it. It depends on the mood I'm in. :)
ReplyDeleteThe blurb is everything for me. If it doesn't capture my interest, I'll put it back. UNLESS I have the personal recommendation of someone whose taste I trust.
ReplyDeleteHmmm an interesting question. I have to admit that I read a blurb and decide from there unless I've heard from multiple sources that it's a great book. Even then, the blurb can change my mind.
ReplyDeleteThis is really funny, though, because the last time that I was at the book store I overheard these two pre-teen girls talking about how you had to read the first page to know if you would like the book or not. I laughed a little, but I saw their reason.
Still, a blurb can make or break a book. At least I think so.
Thanks for all your thoughts and comments everyone! it seems blurbs play a massive role for a lot of you, and encourage you to check out the first page, or even purchase on the blurb alone! thanks everyone!
ReplyDelete