“Never judge a book by its cover”: this well-worn cliché has caused stigma about book-buying for years, yet what if a book's appearance is all you have to go on? The recent surge in ‘faux books’ (the French adjective attempting to add a touch of sophistication) has given new meaning to this phrase. Commercial markets are forcing us to do exactly what we are told not to. 

As university students across the country move into their new rooms, books undoubtedly appear on many shelves. As an English student, I often feel pressure to have a ‘good’ selection of books on show, frequently scattering in a couple of volumes I never have, and probably never will, read. And of course colour coordination is paramount – the books must be aesthetically pleasing. What is the difference then, between using ‘real’ books for room décor, or ‘faux’ ones? 

"The paranoia of being caught out would be too much for me personally to handle"

It is unsurprising that I am not particularly onboard with the idea of buying items that pretend to be books. But it would be hypocritical of me to preach that we should completely ignore books’ aesthetic potential. I do get excited when a book I want to read also has a beautiful cover. When we intend to read the book, it seems harmless to also appreciate its cover. So why shouldn’t we buy faux books for room décor? The aesthetic possibilities are endless, and we’ve all added books to our rooms for decoration.  

One set of faux books I discovered included Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and Melville’s Moby Dick. While the set is beautiful, if the purpose of having these books is intellectual posturing, wouldn’t it be embarrassing if a guest picked one up only to realise that it is not in fact a real book? Buying faux books is often cheaper, and so I can understand the appeal. Yet the paranoia of being caught out would be too much for me personally to handle. 

Impressions aside, the surge of faux books could have a harmful effect on literature. The death of the novel has been discussed since the 20th century. The current reduction of books into decorative commodities is no doubt accelerating fears of the decline of the novel. We are already facing a generation less inclined to read, particularly in the face of modern technology, and the emergence of faux books will only exacerbate this decreasing appreciation of novels’ creative and literary value, while making the already highly competitive publishing market even harder to navigate.  

"Books do have an aesthetic impact; however, we should not allow this to supersede the primary reason for their existence: reading"

While I, like any book-buyer, appreciate their aesthetic value, faux books are not just harmless room décor. Their emergence risks accelerating the devaluation of novels’ literary importance, creating a culture of solely judging books by their covers. Books do have an aesthetic impact; however, we should not allow this to supersede the primary reason for their existence: reading. Even if I have not read every book on my shelf, they are real, giving them the potential to be picked up and enjoyed. So, if you’re contemplating adding books to your room as decoration, I urge you to go for ‘real’ ones – they’re worth the investment.