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Is it just me or others feel the same way too?

To tell you honestly, my first impression with the picture as cover page for the book is not very alluring. I'm not trying to judge the character of the author nor the picture of the man in tattoos, but I find it disturbing to put it on cover page.

First, it scares a lot of people to see someone swallowing a sword, including me.
Second, I don't think this book is intended for kids of all ages.
Third, I would surely not try to read this book.
Lastly, inasmuch as I don't like circus and tattoos, I do hope people would read this book by Gary Robinson.

Thank you for taking time to read my post! Kudos to the author for such bold writing.

It's not just you. My initial reaction to the cover page was similar. I told myself I would never read this book, but life has taught me to be much more open to new challenges and always reinvent myself and see things from a different perspective. I've read the book and I quite enjoyed the first part describing Duke's life. Even if for me or you, the author's writing style may be perhaps too straighforward, this does not mean that others may not like it. You seem like a free thinker too, so, who knows, you might find something to interest you in the book, after all.

The sword swallowing dude on the front cover definitely did not entice me to read the book, but it did not prevent me either.

cristinaro wrote: ↑31 May 2018, 06:21 You seem like a free thinker too, so, who knows, you might find something to interest you in the book, after all.

Thank you for the complement. After hearing your advice, I think I'll take time to read the book then. Hopefully, there will be no more pictures of swallowing swords on the pages. Lol!

lesler wrote: ↑31 May 2018, 18:37 The sword swallowing dude on the front cover definitely did not entice me to read the book, but it did not prevent me either.

Cool, I guess I'll take a peek at the book then. Lol!

Sorry to hear that because I like the revised book cover and find that it matches well with the premise of the story, thus, "the sword swallower".

I think the cover picture accurately shows how shocking Duke is to people in the story. Although that's not the main theme of the book, I think the cover proves true to Duke's character. He was a freak, a misfit, and an outcast as was Gary. I think the cover shows that. I don't know if the cover would've prevented me from looking into the book because I read the description first, but after reading the book, I'd say it's fitting.

I'll admit, when I see this one as the book of the day or in other places, the cover does throw me off a bit. On the one hand, this clearly shows a pretty wild character who can put on a heck of a show since there are people gathered around to watch. On the other hand, I feel like the background could be more interesting - the only sign shown is a Yoga place. I know this is a weird complaint, but it just makes me feel like the dude is gonna go do some yoga after for some odd reason.

Also, without the sword in the image, if the title wasn't there I'd just think he's really good at gargling water. With the title it makes perfect sense though.

This book is a page Turner for real. You might not care for the first part but the second has a sequence that could be on a movie.

I agree, the cover page for this books is not the most alluring. That's not to say that I wouldn't have read it because of it, but sometimes I prefer covers that aren't so literal. Perhaps something that could leave room for interpretation for the audience.

I did not like the title, nor did I like the cover page. My main problem with it was that it looked sloppy and unprofessional.

I agree. I really didn't care much for the cover, either. I do like the color scheme that the cover has, with its reds, grays, and blacks, but the image itself wasn't the best. It also really bothers me that the title of the book covers up most of the sword. Would it really have been hard to move the image down or move the text to a better location? It makes it hard to see what he's actually doing when half the sword he's swallowing is covered up.

yeah, agree with that, it's not immediately obvious what he's doing, at a glance i thought he was just throwing his head back with emotion.
But also, it's been at the side of the page, and whilst i haven't read it yet, it gives the impression of a crap modern retelling of west side story. bit weird that, but something about the cover art is connecting for me.

ValBookReviews wrote: ↑31 May 2018, 22:17 Sorry to hear that because I like the revised book cover and find that it matches well with the premise of the story, thus, "the sword swallower".

I, too, like the revised book cover. I did not like the original. It seemed unprofessional. I don't find the cover scary, although I cannot imagine how on earth someone decided that swallowing a sword was a good idea in the first place. But, as others have said, it does show what, at least in part, the book is about.

I almost bypassed reading the book once I saw the cover. I knew the book was about sword swallowing and the friendship that develops between an older man and a young man struggling with alcoholism. Had I not just gone ahead and opened it, I would have missed out on the start of a very good story. I don’t have a suggestion on how to change the cover, but I truly hope it doesn’t keep people from reading the book.