The Stand (1978)

I have this memory of sitting on the floor in front of my dad, who was relaxing in his chair, reading. The picture on the book's dust cover (the book was hardcover) struck me as a scary one. A man dressed in white with blonde hair (I took him to be Luke Skywalker) was confronting a black monster that looked like a giant crow. I remember asking my dad if the book was scary and he said, "Yes." The picture was scary enough for me. I remember sitting and studying him and marveling at how long it took for him to turn the page. I tried to pay attention long enough to see him turn the page again. I remember thinking to myself, "Who would ever want to read a book without any pictures on the inside?"

a book with no pictures inside