Writing a book is no small accomplishment. After countless “final final” drafts, edits, and rewrites, finally holding your manuscript—printed, bound, covered—has to feel pretty much fantastic. The work is done. Now it’s up to the reader to pick it off the shelf or stop their scroll and hit “add to cart.” That’s where words take a back seat to images. Before anyone reads the first sentence you no doubt pored over, they see the cover—and that first impression can make or break everything that came before it.
A well-designed cover might draw someone in and earn a long-term place on a bookshelf or coffee table. A terrible one? Well, it turns out there’s a place for those too. Reddit’s r/TerribleBookCovers is dedicated to sharing some of the weirdest, funniest, and most atrocious examples out there. We’ve stacked a few of our best (worst?) ones for you to check out below.
#1 The Most Unhinged Cover Of The Odyssey I’ve Ever Seen – Found In The Wild In Arkansas
Image source: roguepandaCO
#2 For Your Consideration “Bilbo Le Hobbit!”
Image source: anon
#3 Agatha Christie – Poirot’s Early Cases
Image source: Date-Impossible
#4 Ulysses By James Joyce. A Cover That Is As Hard To Look At As The Book Is Hard To Read
Image source: Ok_Dimension_4707
#5 Bosnian Covers Of Harry Potter Books
Image source: Deadlef_
#6 Third Girl By Agatha Christie
Image source: inadequatepockets
#7 Jane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte
Image source: shugiisugar
#8 Told My Spouse How Much I Love Terrible Book Covers And He Insisted I Show Y’all My Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
Image source: maj–decoverley
#9 The Great Pantyhose Crafts Book
Image source: CityRhymez
#10 Mr Sweet Potatoes – Unknown Author
Image source: OkiDokiPanic
#11 Doctor Who Mad Dogs And Englishman
Image source: Dolamieu
#12 The Shadow Over Innsmouth
Image source: MrAppleSpiceMan
#13 Living With Men
Image source: Independent-Rip-2304
#14 The Giant Rat Of Sumatra
Image source: fauna_appreciator
#15 Charlie And The Chocolate Factory By Roald Dahl (50th Anniversary Edition)
Image source: gokart_racer
#16 The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You By Harry Harrison
Image source: OlivineQuartz
#17 Brave New World By Aldous Huxley
Image source: IWannaCorn
#18 Some More Covers Of Classic Books, From The ‘Infamous’, “Editora Rideel”
Image source: GenghisKhan290904
#19 Romancing My Werebeast By Violet Ofcourse
Image source: teruteru-fan-sam
#20 Beauty And The Beast (French Edition)
Image source: StevenTheWicked
#21 A J Ayer – The Central Questions Of Philosophy [doggo Was Removed From Newer Edition’s Cover]
Image source: ArthurBurbridge
#22 All That The Rain Promises And More: A Hip Pocket Guide To Western Mushrooms By David Arora
Image source: TheologyAndTrains
#23 Skeleton Trail (2021)
Image source: Viaren
#24 Emma By Jane Austen (Adapted Version In Chinese)
Image source: LuciaOlivera_2
#25 How To Keep Your Husband Happy By Dr. William W. Orr
Image source: Baby-Soapy
#26 Against That Day By Rae Simons
Image source: Baby-Soapy
#27 Om Illustrated Classics
Image source: Consistent-Fail-6034
#28 Dining Delightfully: Tested Recipes From Adventist Hospital Chefs
Image source: Baby-Soapy
#29 Tortoise Tango By Mary Wine
Image source: Throwawaytomt1234
#30 Forgiving Yourself – Bernard Bangley
Image source: tezetaremember
#31 Wuthering Heights
Image source: wasdfan
#32 How To Be A Reasonably Thin Teenage Girl
Image source: Specific_Moment_1227
#33 Stop The Thyroid Madness!
Image source: grayzzz_illustrate
#34 Nerd In Shining Armor By Vicki Lewis Thompson
Image source: messedeminuit
#35 “Cold Comfort Farm”… Are They Okay? Maybe They Should See A Doctor???
Image source: GentleCritter
#36 The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn
Image source: PatientClient3803
#37 The One And Only Empress Theresa
Image source: ProblemLongjumping12
#38 Apoca Lips By Piers Anthony
Image source: Lobsterhasspoken
#39 Bo-Peep Has Gone Too Far
Image source: changelingcd
#40 Pigsty Princess By Nancy S. Brandt
Image source: My_Poor_Nerves
#41 White Rabbits Can’t Jump
Image source: anon
#42 Cool Cat Stops Bullying By Derek Savage
Image source: Electrical_Elk_5451
#43 The Confessions Of Saint Augustine
Image source: NoooooooooooAAA
#44 The Adventures Of Rush Revere Middle School Series
Image source: Lobsterhasspoken
#45 The Complete Works Of Jane Austen
Image source: cheerylittlebottom84
#46 “Pride And Prejudice” By Jane Austen
Image source: Adept-Difficulty9533
#47 “The Fading”. Life’s Treasures Indeed
Image source: WigglyLimpo
#48 How To Make Applehead Dolls By Drena Dotson
Image source: Baby-Soapy
#49 The Metamorphosis, By Franz Kafka
Image source: MutantFire
#50 The Gaean Enchantment, T. Jackson King
Image source: MutantFire
#51 Quite Possibly The Worst Cover The Could Have Picked. Meditations By Marcus Aurelius
Image source: Mesoda
#52 “The Iceman Cometh” Is About A Bar Full Of People Waiting For A Patron Nicknamed “The Iceman”, It’s Not About A Literal Delivery Of Ice
Image source: Letatetet
#53 Kissing The Corona Virus By M. J Edwards
Image source: Feeling-Sign-9146
#54 The Above Ground Pool Done Blowed Up
Image source: betteimages
#55 Lorilee In Moira’s Footsteps By Lawrence Ambrose
Image source: Feeling-Sign-9146
#56 Puppets Go To Church By Wilma Perry And Earl Perry
Image source: Baby-Soapy
#57 The Girl Next Door
Image source: Away-Broccoli-406
#58 How To Contact Space People By Ted Owens
Image source: Dry-Impression-2403
#59 Animal Farm By George Orwell
Image source: Bossanova98
#60 The Portrait Of Dorian Gray (Brazilian Edition)
Image source: Yeet-Absolution-4066
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