When a book enters the public domain, that means anyone can publish it. This had led to many classic works being issued with bizarre covers that have little or nothing to do with their subject matter. This list is for the most hilarious examples that make you wonder just what the publisher was thinking.
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24

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4.23 avg rating — 258,515 ratings
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3.52 avg rating — 48,680 ratings
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3.91 avg rating — 305,378 ratings
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3.68 avg rating — 331,482 ratings
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3.88 avg rating — 71,006 ratings
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4.10 avg rating — 931,951 ratings
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3.71 avg rating — 374,993 ratings
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4.29 avg rating — 1,081,246 ratings
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48

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3.87 avg rating — 574 ratings
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4.32 avg rating — 1,024,007 ratings
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50

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3.92 avg rating — 472,699 ratings
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51

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3.58 avg rating — 24,899 ratings
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52

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4.17 avg rating — 405,759 ratings
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53

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3.67 avg rating — 9,864 ratings
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3.84 avg rating — 3,268 ratings
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3.88 avg rating — 178,126 ratings
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3.38 avg rating — 180,236 ratings
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58 books · 9 voters · list created February 2nd, 2018 by Patricia Robinson (votes) .
4 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


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Comments Showing 1-5 of 5 (5 new)

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BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Whoever created the covers for the many Pride and Prejudice editions really need to have their heads examined 😃 (or maybe they should just read the book, because judging from the covers, I doubt very much they have done that 😉)


message 2: by lethe (new)

lethe Booklovinglady wrote: "Whoever created the covers for the many Pride and Prejudice editions really need to have their heads examined 😃 (or maybe they should just read the book, because judging from the covers, I doubt ve..."

Crazy, aren't they? My personal favourite is the one where they're lugging a laundry basket (currently @ #6) 😃


BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) lethe wrote: "Crazy, aren't they? My personal favourite is the one where they're lugging a laundry basket (currently @ #6) 😃 ..."

How about the current #7 (Pride and Prejudice), the one with the yoga posture 🤣


message 4: by lethe (last edited Aug 05, 2019 01:30AM) (new)

lethe Booklovinglady wrote: "How about the current #7 (Pride and Prejudice), th..."

I know! That was my second favourite. Most of those P&P covers were added by me :-)

But my all-time favourite public-domain cover must be Slash from Guns 'n Roses appearing on Wessex Tales by Thomas Hardy (currently #31). Whyyyyyyyy...

ETA For more Tutis goodness, see here: https://causticcovercritic.blogspot.c...


message 5: by Jamie (new)

Jamie This list is great, thank you for making it!


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