Shopping Basket

Behind-The-Books Blog

Wednesday Cover Story: Don’t read this book if you’re stupid

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

I bought this collection of short stories by Tibor Fischer, some years ago and must admit, purchased it solely on the basis of the title – the most blatant and yet brilliant marketing ploy I’ve ever seen. It’s a challenge, encouraging you to think: ‘well, I’ll prove to you I’m not stupid by reading it!’. The utterly mundane cover further adds to the arrogance of the title – it makes no effort to entice you in any other way. It doesn’t need to. The title does all the work.

Of course, the fact that I actually fell for this marketing ploy, and bought the book to read it, would suggest that I am indeed, in my effort to prove otherwise, very stupid. However, in my defense, it did also occur to me that if the author had come up with this title (again, perhaps I’m naive in thinking it was the author and not the marketing team at his publishers) then perhaps the content would be just a clever or original as the packaging – as I’m not sure you’d find a book cover that looks quite as deliberately dull as this.

I’ve not read enough of the book yet to offer a verdict, but will let you know in due course (check the Currently We Are Reading post, to the right, later this week.)

Chiara Priorelli, Publicity & Marketing Manager

Leave a Comment

  • Currently we are...

  • …Liking

    Lesley: This charming blog by a Penguin book collector, A Prenguin a Week.

  • …Reading

    Going Too Far, by Catherine Alliott. Susie: I rarely read 'girly' books but came across Alliott a few years ago. I've read 3 of her books thus far, and was delighted to spot this one for 30p in a charity shop. I've not opened it as yet but am hoping for another witty, grown-up, middle-class romcom, with lots of 4x4s and country houses!

  • …Tweeting