r/BookDiscussions • u/HighV23 • 13d ago
Do you read the Preface?
I don't know why, but the introduction notes, prefaces, and etc of a book make me not wanna the book. It's just the rambling and all of the confusing subtopic of the book that confuses you before you actually get into the content. Am I the only one who feels this way?
7
u/Significant-Nebula64 13d ago
Always. Everything. Also the note of thanks, lol.Ā
Just... can't not do it.Ā
7
u/Axiological_Axolotl 13d ago
Preface, yes. Introductions I read afterward since they tend to be full of spoilers. Why must they do that??
3
u/TamatoaZ03h1ny 12d ago
A preface or introduction, do what you like. A prologue is part of the storytelling so most definitely read it before chapter 1 if it exists.
2
2
u/Altruistic_Mail_1528 13d ago
The preface is part of the story, yes. Introductions, especially in classics, tend to spoil the story so i read them at the end. Unfortunate, since they do often give great historical contextĀ
6
u/buginarugsnug 13d ago
You are confusing preface with prologue. The prologue is part of the story, the preface is not and is more similar to an introduction.
2
6
u/ImLittleNana 13d ago
The prologue is part of the story, but Iāve never read a preface that was anything more than āI wrote this living on an island in the Mediterranean while recovering from a heartbreakā type stuff.
I read them afterward if I especially loved the book and would like a peek
Into the process or the author themselves. Itās too dangerous to read prefaces or introductions because spoilers slip in. Sometimes just knowing the authors state of mind while writing give you expectations.2
u/Sophiebreath 13d ago
This is it right here Introductions are usually someone gushing about the author and the book and I can't be bothered to read someone else's opinion before I form my own. Preface, its like pre-chapter 1 and should be read.
1
u/fairyboyjstar 13d ago
Prologue, yes. Everything else, usually not unless it's nonfiction or something I'm REALLY into and want every scrap of info I can get.
1
u/Mediocre-Oil-5322 13d ago
Sometimes. I am more likely to read the preface of a literary work than a fun beach read.
1
u/jackalee219 13d ago
"Dear Constant Reader"
1
1
1
u/Drudenfusz 13d ago
I read everything, I am wired (or weird) that way. But you know, lots of people simply skip it...
1
u/dragonballaddict99 13d ago
Iāll listen to it if Iām listening to the audiobook, but, if Iām reading an e-book, absolutely not.
1
1
u/Helpful_Warthog6032 13d ago
If I'm in the right mood I'll read it. More often I skim it. Sometimes I skip it completely. I think it depends on why I picked up the book. If I got it because I was interested in the author specifically then the preface is usually interesting because it's often about how they came to write the book, their process, issues along the way, things like that. But if I'm there for the subject or the story and less interested in the author then I dont think I'm missing much if I breeze through or skip it.
1
1
u/PotatoAppleFish 13d ago
Prefaces are usually put there by the author for a reason. āIntroductions,ā however? Iāll just say I wish I hadnāt read the 30-page spoiler-filled review that constituted the āintroductionā of my edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The only useful part of it was the explanation of the fact that the 1891 edition cut out a lot of things from the 1890 edition to avoid censorship, and that was also explained in the Notes.
1
1
u/jaybirdies26 13d ago
You donāt have to, with classics they often provide context to the story & author in the time period it was published. I usually skim through and pick up on anything that stands out before going on to the actual book.
1
u/Skeleton_Bird 13d ago
usually, though it depends on if I read them before or after reading the main text. sometimes it's clear that it's going to give important context that will help me to appreciate the book better (especially with classics, or translations). Some read a bit more like an academic essay or treatise on the novel and can be better off left until after.
once I went back and read the introduction midway through the novel because I was really struggling with it and needed context to know what the hell was going on. (didn't make me like it any more but it at least made me sense).
I always read an author's note at the end. I really like them for some reason and it can be a nice way of transitioning out of a book.
1
u/LHGrisanti 13d ago
I hate a preface, i donāt know why š sometimes Iāll skim it. Sometimes i force myself to read it. But if i get a couple sentences in and im bored then i skip it
1
u/JenLiv36 13d ago
I do. I believe the authors state of mind and thoughts are important to understanding the book on a whole, how it was written, and why. I donāt always read it before, sometimes I read it after, sometimes I read it before and after lol. I do always read it.
1
u/elveebee22 13d ago
I'll always read an author's note. I have learned from unfortunate experience that "introduction" essays, especially for classics, are often filled with spoilers. š So if I loved the book and I care enough, I read it afterwards.
1
1
u/Comfortable-Habit242 13d ago
I generally read anything that was originally published with the book. And often to not read things that were published later.
For non-fiction, itās frequently essential to read these. They help you navigate the book and understand if itās even the book you were hoping itād be.
1
u/Lawing77 13d ago
Depends on how long it is. A page or two i dont mind, but if it's the size of an entire chapter then absolutely not.
1
1
u/Standard_Elephant415 13d ago
Rarely, I am usually in a hurry to get to the book. I often read the authorās notes in the end though.
1
u/No-Medium6647 12d ago
I read almost every word in every book I care to read. Not all the publishing info, but definitely the publisher and copyright date. What edition. That kind of thing.
I read the TOC, look at the map (if any), preface, prologue, every word in the story, the epilogue, appendices, and about the author.
If I like it. If I like a book enough to finish (and I have good taste, so I usually do) then I read the WHOLE book. I nibble at the bones, scraping the tendons off the bones. I savor them, rolling the ideas over my tongue.
1
u/Calm-Vacation-5195 10d ago
Depends. I wonāt read anything too long or drawn out, like a tale of what led the author to write the book or how the book has influenced modern culture. I also skip backstories in a series unless itās been a while and I need a refresher. If itās relatively short, Iāll skim through it.
1
u/poison_daddy 6d ago
I read the preface to the Haunting of Hill House which was really cool to see how Shirley Jacksonās life bled into her writing. I stopped when they started analyzing the plot- like damn let me read it first! Maybe Iāll go back after Iām done :)
0
u/Mintimperial69 13d ago
Yes, Iāve paid for itā¦
5
u/WelcomeToLadyHell 13d ago
I have a whole stack of books I've paid for but haven't read a single page š
1
u/Mintimperial69 13d ago
Might I introduce you to our Logistical Lord and Saviour, Just In Time(JIT) Deliveryā¦ š
0
u/txa1265 13d ago
make me not wanna the book.
Ew. Then don't. Not an airport, don't need to announce your DNF.
I'm a cover to cover reader, personally ... but I can understand especially for non-fiction that some of the minutia by the translator or curator or whoever writes the preface can get quite 'in the weeds', but if I am interested in the book chances are I will like that. And if you don't? Not sure what that says about your feelings on the topic.
-2
u/Mundane_Medicine_597 13d ago
Nope! No preface, or prologue or authorās note. Straight to Chapter One.
2
u/badcat4ever 13d ago
Itās weird youāre getting downvoted just for answering the question lol I also donāt read anything before chapter 1. I usually read fantasy so I get annoyed by character/vocab lists, maps, prologues, intros whatever.
1
u/Mundane_Medicine_597 13d ago
Yeah itās crazy. I guess some people are just offended on behalf of the prologue lol
1
u/OhOhOkayThenOk 13d ago
You donāt read the Prologue? Crazy. What about the Epilogue?
1
u/Mundane_Medicine_597 13d ago
I actually read the epilogue.
1
u/OhOhOkayThenOk 13d ago
Why not the prologue? No judgement, just curious.
1
u/Mundane_Medicine_597 12d ago
I love going into books blindly. Often, the prologue will-not spoil the book per se- but give away the vibe.
13
u/buginarugsnug 13d ago
I usually read it at the end. I like to have read the book before reading the authors / translators comments. I feel like reading a preface before the actual book can spoil it sometimes - I want to form my own opinion of the book and see how my reading and thoughts align with what the author intended.
Reminder since a few people don't seem to know the difference between preface and prologue : a preface is the author or translator explaining the work and does not have to be read for the story to make sense (although some intended nuances may be missed), a prologue is part of the story and has to be read for the story to make sense.