"It is not a picture of the object, but the object itself," - Paul Rand.

It's true. What does the object or objects in the book cover say? Do they relate? What do they represent?

The objects on a book cover don't have to be linguistic, but have to be portrayed to be saying something. After all, they are the first words of a book.

But language can also be misspoken. Not only in what is to be said, but how it should be said. The tone of the language is as important as to speak it properly. Respectfully.

If I communicate with someone in an unwilling, rude manner unbeknownst to myself, the other person will react in the same manner.

Book jackets can be misunderstood in the same way. How the pictures or the designs on the cover represent my cover is a mystery to me, but to the designer it must be picture perfect. Just because two artists of different backgrounds put something together, doesn't mean there's collaboration. It doesn't mean there's absolute faith. It doesn't mean there's ultimate understanding.

To me, book jackets have always been sort of a mystery. I think I understand it but it still feels faraway. It doesn't necessarily speak to me the way I understand.

Think of book jackets as Italian. I know just a handful of words. But I do not understand the language. So book covers speak to me in Italian. I know what book covers are in the same way I know what Italian language is. But I don't necessarily fathom what they have to say.

So in easier words, book covers are a foreign language I do not know. Their accent is thick yet humble. Some of them are thought to be "posh" because of their outlook and tone, but you really can't judge a book by it's cover.

But what if books didn't have covers, not like they didn't in the "ancient times". But in a sense, if books didn't have fancy covers? If they only wore a plain jacket of color and names of the book and author? My relationship with the jacket would've been easier and understanding.

But I don't think I can ever look eye to eye with a book cover. Ever.