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Alright, here’s the deal: you’re *not* supposed to judge a book by its cover, right? But let’s be real, sometimes those covers are *so* bad, they make you wonder what the heck the designer was thinking! We’ve hunted down some of the absolute worst book covers out there. Some are facepalm-worthy, some are hilariously confusing, and all of them scream, "Why?" Get ready for a wild ride through the world of ugly book covers that somehow made it to print!

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#1

Crime And Punishemt - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Crime And Punishemt - Fyodor Dostoevsky

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    #2

    The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka

    The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka

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    #3

    But... You're A Horse - Jon Bon Pony

    But... You're A Horse - Jon Bon Pony

    amazon.com Report

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    Picking a book often means listening to your buddies or spotting something cool online. But if you rely only on the cover, better make it awesome! Turns out, making a cover that actually matches the story *and* looks good is super tricky. If the cover gives off weird vibes, people will be bummed when they open the book.

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    #4

    How To Let Bro Know That You Want To Be More Than Friends - B. J. Nomnom

    How To Let Bro Know That You Want To Be More Than Friends - B. J. Nomnom

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    #5

    The Odyssey - Homer

    The Odyssey - Homer

    roguepandaCO Report

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    #6

    The Annotated Pride And Prejudice - Jane Austen

    The Annotated Pride And Prejudice - Jane Austen

    MisterGravyBoy Report

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    Book cover artists have a tough gig. Imagine a wild party where everyone’s trying to get noticed. That’s what it’s like in a bookstore! If your cover doesn’t pop, it’s basically invisible. Designers have to pull out all the stops to get eyeballs on the book.

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    #7

    La Metamorfosis By Kafka

    La Metamorfosis By Kafka

    Flowesque Report

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    #8

    Gumby 50 Shades Of Clay - Papercut

    Gumby 50 Shades Of Clay - Papercut

    saltyboodles Report

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    #9

    Told My Spouse How Much I Love Terrible Book Covers And He Insisted I Show My Lord Of The Rings Trilogy

    Told My Spouse How Much I Love Terrible Book Covers And He Insisted I Show My Lord Of The Rings Trilogy

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    Writers, heads up: a killer cover can make you look way more professional and even help find your perfect audience. Certain genres have their own styles, so if you want fans to spot your book from a mile away, don’t mess that up!

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    #10

    Loved The Book But Hated This Cover As A Kid

    Loved The Book But Hated This Cover As A Kid

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    #11

    The Master And Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov

    The Master And Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov

    BabaInformatyk Report

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    #12

    A Hero Of Our Time - Mikhail Lermontov

    A Hero Of Our Time - Mikhail Lermontov

    amazon.com Report

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    A good cover isn’t just eye candy — it should match the story’s mood and keep looking good even years later. Oh, and it better look just as cool when shrunk down for your phone. Tech is wild!

    #13

    Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

    Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

    wrycountenance Report

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    #14

    The Iliad - Homer

    The Iliad - Homer

    antilibrarian Report

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    #15

    Do You Want To Play With My Balls? - The Cifaldi Brothers

    Do You Want To Play With My Balls? - The Cifaldi Brothers

    BrainNotRespondin Report

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    Tip for cover makers: check out the hottest books in your genre and see what they’re doing. Copying is a no-no, but it’s smart to spot trends and avoid accidentally freaking out your readers with wild colors or fonts.

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    #17

    The Brothers Karamazon - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

    The Brothers Karamazon - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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    #18

    The Picture Of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

    The Picture Of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

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    Bold color choices and readable fonts are your best friends. But don’t go wild if everyone else is playing it safe in your genre. You want readers to get what they’re in for, not to be confused by your wild design choices.

    #19

    The Pig's Head, Part 1 - Demetri Paul

    The Pig's Head, Part 1 - Demetri Paul

    amazon.com Report

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    #20

    The Dragon With The Girl Tattoo - Adam Roberts

    The Dragon With The Girl Tattoo - Adam Roberts

    mememachine27000 Report

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    #21

    Pride And Prejudice - Jane Austen

    Pride And Prejudice - Jane Austen

    amazon.com Report

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    Lesson learned: sometimes less *is* more. Don’t cram every little thing onto the cover because it’ll get messy when made tiny for phones. Keep it clean and clear so your book doesn’t look like a jumbled mess.

    #22

    Coplete Works Of Oscar Wilde

    Coplete Works Of Oscar Wilde

    Nlearson Report

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    #23

    Anne Frank's Diary - Anne Frank

    Anne Frank's Diary - Anne Frank

    UriahCanaff Report

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    #24

    Time Swirl (Binky Book 1) - John Pirillo

    Time Swirl (Binky Book 1) - John Pirillo

    amazon.com Report

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    Enjoying these epic bad covers? Keep your eyes peeled for the ones that make you crack up the most. Got a terrible cover story of your own? Share it, because misery loves company! And if you’re up for more silliness, stay tuned — there’s plenty where these came from.

    #25

    Texting Mr. Right - Diane Dean White

    Texting Mr. Right - Diane Dean White

    amazon.com Report

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    #26

    The Girl Next Door - Jack Ketchum

    The Girl Next Door - Jack Ketchum

    Away-Broccoli-406 Report

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    #27

    Frankenstein: Or The Modern Prometheus - Mary Shelley

    Frankenstein: Or The Modern Prometheus - Mary Shelley

    amazon.com Report

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    #28

    How To Contact Space People - Ted Owens

    How To Contact Space People - Ted Owens

    Dry-Impression-2403 Report

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    #29

    Answer To Job - Carl Jung

    Answer To Job - Carl Jung

    meta_nomad Report

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    #30

    The Age Of Innocence - Edith Wharton

    The Age Of Innocence - Edith Wharton

    amazon.com Report

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    #31

    On Wheels - John Jakes

    On Wheels - John Jakes

    silveragecollector Report

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    #32

    Firestarter - Stephen King

    Firestarter - Stephen King

    M1ldr Report

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    #33

    Children Of The Lambs: An Old Myth Brought To Life By Rogue Science! - John Aalborg

    Children Of The Lambs: An Old Myth Brought To Life By Rogue Science! - John Aalborg

    amazon.com Report

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    #34

    Sportin’ A ‘Tude - Patsy Clairmont

    Sportin’ A ‘Tude - Patsy Clairmont

    sparrowhawkward Report

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    #35

    Adolf - Osamu Tezuka

    Adolf - Osamu Tezuka

    Open-Sky-2392 Report

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    #36

    A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

    A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

    amazon.com Report

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    #38

    That Is Some Cover

    That Is Some Cover

    Trummors Report

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    #39

    Demons - Fyodor Dostoevsky

    Demons - Fyodor Dostoevsky

    Howlingmutant0 Report

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    #40

    Frankenstein, Or The Modern Prometheus - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

    Frankenstein, Or The Modern Prometheus - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

    BookMansion Report

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    #41

    Eagle Bird One (The Voyage To Save The Earth) - Charles Hinton

    Eagle Bird One (The Voyage To Save The Earth) - Charles Hinton

    amazon.com Report

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    #42

    Daughter Of Smoke & Bone - Laini Taylor

    Daughter Of Smoke & Bone - Laini Taylor

    amazon.com Report

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    #43

    Romeo And Juliet - William Shakespeare

    Romeo And Juliet - William Shakespeare

    amazon.com Report

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    #44

    All Change: Winston Can Hardly Wait For Puberty - Roger Day

    All Change: Winston Can Hardly Wait For Puberty - Roger Day

    CryptographerKey2847 Report

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    #45

    The Grooming Of Alice - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

    The Grooming Of Alice - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

    GentlemanlyMeadow Report

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    #46

    Gabi, A Girl In Pieces - Isabel Quintero

    Gabi, A Girl In Pieces - Isabel Quintero

    amazon.com Report

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    #47

    Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk

    Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk

    Away_Housing4314 Report

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    #48

    The Portrait Of Dorian Gray (Brazilian Edition)

    The Portrait Of Dorian Gray (Brazilian Edition)

    Yeet-Absolution-4066 Report

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    #49

    Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

    Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

    Kriocxjo Report

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    #50

    The Demon's Lexicon - Sarah Rees Brennan

    The Demon's Lexicon - Sarah Rees Brennan

    amazon.com Report

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    #51

    La Morte Sous Les Glycines - Harry Street

    La Morte Sous Les Glycines - Harry Street

    65daysofsuffering Report

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    #52

    Little Friend - Tartt Donna

    Little Friend - Tartt Donna

    amazon.ca Report

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    #53

    This Gives Me Nightmares

    This Gives Me Nightmares

    Nabla_Mat Report

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    #54

    Isis: The Beauty Myth - Shawn James

    Isis: The Beauty Myth - Shawn James

    amazon.com Report

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    #55

    Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

    Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

    Organic-Luck2344 Report

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    #56

    The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

    The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

    amazon.com Report

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    #57

    Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street - George Dibdin Pitt

    Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street - George Dibdin Pitt

    amazon.com Report

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    #58

    Boy Wonder: My Life In Tights - Burt Ward

    Boy Wonder: My Life In Tights - Burt Ward

    amazon.com Report

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    #59

    Blood Meridian - Cormac Mccarthy

    Blood Meridian - Cormac Mccarthy

    AmericanGwyn Report

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