The Most Unique Book Covers

Often find yourself gravitating towards the most colourful book on the shelf? We all know that book covers are true works of art in their own right as well as encasing the story within — but let’s face it, how many of us are guilty of judging a book by its book cover? 

Well, shelve that guilt (pun intended) because, in this blog, the Victoria Freudenheim team are asking you to actively judge books by their covers! 

Whether you’re looking to find a new brightly-coloured book to grab the attention of guests from your coffee table or are just as curious as us to discover the most unique book covers of all time, keep on reading to find out our top 5 picks.

1. The Hobbit,  J.R.R. Tolkein (1937)

Starting off strong with one of the most iconic classic novels of the past century: The Hobbit. How many of you recognise The Hobbit by its front cover? The iconic primary colours seem ingrained into our imaginations — from the red circular sun sitting low over the blue snowy mountains, to those spiky green pine trees in the foreground — not to mention the ancient-looking font that draws us in…While we can all conjure up images of that one cover, there have actually been several varying cover versions. Just like the covers, The Hobbit itself offers a captivating journey through a wondrous and timeless fantasy landscape and should definitely be on your list to read if you haven’t already.

2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen (1894)

Second on our list of most unique book covers is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. There have been a number of versions of this famous novel’s cover,  but the one we have in mind — by Hugh Thomson — continues to be the most used and well known version. 

If you aren’t familiar, this classic novel follows the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a rich aristocratic landowner. The novel tracks their love as they overcome the sins of pride and prejudice in order to fall in love and ultimately marry. Thomson’s cover demonstrates this effectively with excessive, gilded detailing in the form of many peacock feathers — a bird known for its prideful vanity.  If you love to delve into the romance novel genre, this one’s for you!

3. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin (2022)

Fast forwarding to a more modern title, we arrive in 2022 at a rainbow-coloured, glossy book cover. There seems to be a common theme with romance novels having the most unique book covers, is this just a coincidence? 

Our next pick is Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. A novel that not many have heard of, but would definitely jump out at you in a bookshop. Sam and Sadie – two college friends, often in love, but never lovers – become creative partners in a dazzling and intricately imagined world of video game design. It is a love story, but not one you have read before – not only does it have a unique cover, but a unique novel itself too!

4. Jaws, Peter Benchley (1974)

We’ve all undoubtedly heard of Jaws by Peter Benchley — especially those two eerie cello notes at the start of the film. But did you know it was originally a book? And, have you seen the original book cover published in 1974? 

The novel tells the story of a series of gruesome shark attacks that strike fear into the locals of the small Long Island resort town, threatening the tourism and life on the island. And, picking up on the chilling atmosphere of the town, Jaws’ book cover is equally as scary. Featuring pitch black water and nothing but the underside of a shark’s body looking up at a swimmer, this novel certainly isn’t one to leave lying face-up at night!

Despite a vast number of versions of this book cover, the original cover is by far the most unique and most memorable of them all.

5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle (1969)

And last, but definitely not least, It wouldn’t be a ‘The most unique book covers’ blog without the mention of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and the iconic book cover itself. Offering a much more light-hearted take on animal fiction than Jaws, The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a children’s book designed to entertain, engage, and amuse children of young ages, drawing them in to what ends up being quite an educational read. 

Not only does the cover give away the central theme of the story – the caterpillar’s hunger and its journey of transformation, but it also features an array of vibrant colours, grabbing the attention of all who see, and by far, one of a kind when it comes to unique book covers on our list! We could definitely draw this one by memory from our childhoods, could you?

Still on the hunt for your next read?

Still hungry for more? If you’re a bit like the Hungry Caterpillar when it comes to reading, Victoria Freudenheim has more than enough tasty book recommendations to fill you up.  Why not visit the top-rated page on our website, and jump right into our recommended reads? Or, for more bookish guidance, be sure to keep up to date with our blog.