The Gallery-You Can't Tell a Book...(1)

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You Can't Tell a Book...(1) by its cover, or at least that's how the old adage goes. It's also true, however, that you can't tell a book by its title, author, or recommendation. Presented here, are a selection of book covers for books that just didn't deliver what was promised-at least in one collector's opinion.
Go watch the 1939 Zoltan Korda film and ignore the book. Almost all the action shown in the movie is described in the book by third parties and Ethne in the book is a royal pain. Tor 2002	Feathered Martians and Earthmen...booooring! Ace 1959 Reprint of the Gnome Press edition	I usually like Bloch, but many of his early efforts in this one read like rehashes of Lovecraft. And what's with the alligator, anyhow? Zebra 1981 (?)
I got this for 25¢ and still overpaid. Not even good "B" movie material by an author who I usually enjoy. Monarch 1963	This is the second of a series of mysteries that feature famous authors solving murders in the midst of historical disasters. The first, Murder on the Titanic was so good, I picked this one up as soon as I saw it. My mistake. Berkley 2000	I bought this bacause a friend said it was a ripping good adventure novel in spite of the cover. I found the contents to be more like the cover. Windmill Press Kingswood, Surrey Hardbound 1952(?)
Oddly enough, the previous owner of my hardback edition had pasted this cover to the flyleaf of the book. Looks a bit more ripping and adventurous to me! Bantam unknown	I usually enjoy Simak, but this novel had no point. The cover seems to agree. Ace Sometime in the 60s Jack Gaughan cover art	I had read about Margaret St. Clair somewhere and her work was recommended. Afraid these stories just didn't make it for me. Ace 1964
The other half of the Ace double. This time a novel that I found uninvolving. Ace 1964	Bought this one because of the author and the cover. Managed to read it all the way through, too. Dopey me! Ace 1963	A great premise that starts poorly and rapidly gets worse. Oddly enough, I've discovered that nearly every used bookstore has at least one copy of this on their shelves. Ace 1965 Gray Morrow cover

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