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Post by bookaddict on Oct 16, 2006 16:00:57 GMT -5
Do you usually read the introductions or skip them? i usually skip them, because I don't want the book to be spoiled. So sometimes i'll read them after.
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Post by Dominique on Oct 16, 2006 16:33:36 GMT -5
that's so weird, i was just thinking about starting a thread on that! Sometimes I think introductions should go at the end, because often if you read them before you read the book they spoil it for you. That happened with Anne Frank and Madame Bovary to me.
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Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."
Posts: 7,214
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Post by Kristie on Oct 16, 2006 16:39:06 GMT -5
yeah, i usually don't read them because i know that it's just about what the book will be and that could 1) spoil it and 2) give me no need to read it, if i already know what's supposed to happen
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Isa
Administrator
Posts: 6,995
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Post by Isa on Oct 16, 2006 19:19:59 GMT -5
I might read the first few pages of the intro, when it gives you info on the author's background and the general context in which the book was published, but I usually wait until I've read the entire novel before I read the rest of the intro.
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katiaisme
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
Posts: 960
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Post by katiaisme on Oct 16, 2006 20:50:27 GMT -5
I do what Jefie does.
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Post by bookaddict on Oct 16, 2006 20:52:27 GMT -5
They should put them at the back of the book...
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Post by Dominique on Oct 17, 2006 5:40:34 GMT -5
Maybe they should have like the stuff useful to know before reading but nothing to revealing in the introduction, like author's experiences and context and major influences on the text etc, but then have an endnote at the end where they can run wild and free with their spoilers.
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Post by bookaddict on Oct 17, 2006 14:20:36 GMT -5
Maybe they should have like the stuff useful to know before reading but nothing to revealing in the introduction, like author's experiences and context and major influences on the text etc, but then have an endnote at the end where they can run wild and free with their spoilers. I completely agree. Sometimes when there are a lot of characters...i'll make a character list to remember until i get use to the characters. They should have a character list. I use sparknotes for that sometimes.
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carl3y24
First poem written for Mother’s Day
Posts: 17
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Post by carl3y24 on Oct 17, 2006 15:55:33 GMT -5
Maybe they should have like the stuff useful to know before reading but nothing to revealing in the introduction, like author's experiences and context and major influences on the text etc, but then have an endnote at the end where they can run wild and free with their spoilers. I completely agree. Sometimes when there are a lot of characters...i'll make a character list to remember until i get use to the characters. They should have a character list. I use sparknotes for that sometimes. I agree with both of you, I read the first few pages of the introduction then stop usually because I want to get to the book but they should have a charater list because sometimes I get confused who's who, ill try sparknotes I didn't think of that haha thanks.
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holliday
First poem written for Mother’s Day
Posts: 38
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Post by holliday on Oct 17, 2006 11:51:53 GMT -5
It depends on how long it is, and mainly what it talks about. Some basically tell you the whole story, I hate that. But others are just info about the author or how they came up with the story, or if it's a classic book it'll say how they got from the original version to this version, which is interesting sometimes.
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czarval
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
Posts: 607
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Post by czarval on Oct 17, 2006 12:21:02 GMT -5
I read part of it first, and the rest of it after I'm finished the book. Sometimes they have interesting bits that help to understand the book. Just as long as I remember to stop before they start spoiling it.
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zeldafitzgerald
Collection of short stories bought by Random House
ancora imparo
Posts: 1,948
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Post by zeldafitzgerald on Oct 24, 2006 6:51:13 GMT -5
I usually intend to read the introduction, but usually just want to jump right into the book. I try to go back and read them at the end. The difference between introductions and author's notes is interesting, because I've read two books where if you dont read the Author's note you'll be totally lost thoughout the book...because they are actually part of it. (The two books were Life of Pi and From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler).
I agree that any spoilers should be at the end, where you can read more information if you'd like, especially for classics.
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Lu
Administrator
Posts: 5,469
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Post by Lu on Jan 8, 2007 6:29:17 GMT -5
I usually read the introduction when I've finished reading the book. I always go back to read the introduction if I can't understand something which I'm reading.
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bookworm148
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
"Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of a sky of a tree called life."
Posts: 671
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Post by bookworm148 on Jan 31, 2007 11:01:07 GMT -5
I read them after if I'm in the mood. Sometimes they spoil part of the plot.
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Post by gilmoreren on Jan 31, 2007 15:49:30 GMT -5
Depends if they're academic introductions or not.
Some introductions are supposed to help set the scene and others are there to talk about the whole work.
Usually I will read them last.
I did find, with reading 1984 to refer to the back of the book (appendices on NewSpeak etc) helped my reading of it and having a map in my 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' meant I could keep a track on which family member was which whilst reading.
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