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Do you read the 'introduction'?


Janet

Do you read the introduction section in a book?  

17 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you read the introduction section in a book?

    • Yes, always
      24
    • No, never
      11
    • Sometimes
      52


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I thought we had a thread on this before but I've searched and I can't find it!

 

Inspired by a couple of comments about The Scarlet Letter, I was wondering - do you read the introduction in a book? These usually (but not always) come in the 'Classics' and are quite often very long!

 

So, do you read or skip?!

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I'm guessing that 'sometimes' will be the most popular answer, but there may be people who always do - or make a point of never reading it!

 

I answered 'sometimes'. It largely depends on how long it is. Usually I skip it because I can't wait to get stuck into the book, but when I was doing A level English, I found the introductions could prove invaluable background reading!

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As INTRODUCTION, never. It's not a stated rule for me, but I prefer generally to read it after I've read the book in question. I want to read the book possibily before anyone told me how he think it is or how I am supposed to read it in order to understand.

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Occasionally I read the introduction - I'm currently reading the intro to A Short History of Nearly Everything, but most times, especially in history books, I skip the introduction

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I used to always read the introductions but I find myself skipping them lately. I tell myself that I'll come back to it later, but by the time I've finished the book, I tend to just want to move on, not go back to the beginning and read another 30 pages or something.

 

The intro to my current book is 47 pages long. Needless to say, I skipped it and went straight into the story. I doubt I'll go back to read the intro, which bothers me a little because if I haven't read everything in the book I feel as though I can't really say that I've read it.

 

And I've read spoilers in intros before, so that puts me off reading them, certainly before I've read the book itself.

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Sometimes for me. It depends on the book, my mood, and the reason I am reading the book.

 

If it's for pleasure, and I want to milk the experience, or I have a particular interest in the author then I will definitely read the introduction. If it's a quick read for pleasure but I want to get straight into the read, or I am not enamoured by the author then it's a big no.

 

Finally, if I'm reading for academic or professional reasons then I will read the lot!

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I think I read the introduction to the Penguin Classics imprint of The War of the Worlds, but as a general rule - if I haven't read a book before - I would skip the intro and then go back and read it afterwards (I prefer to read books without someone elses opinions rolling around in my head!).

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I usually scan it before I read the book then go back and read it properly if I enjoyed he book a whole lot. If I wasn't so bothered about the book, I don't bother with going back to the introduction. So, "sometimes" is my answer.

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I've got to the stage of not reading the introduction to novels like the Penguin Classics and so on, by people who aren't the authors. Because they read more like boring A-level essays.

 

I will, though, almost always read the intro to a non-fiction book, because it's a deliberate scene setting by the author for what's going to follow.

 

Occasionally, if a quick glance suggests it's short and worthwhile, I will read a novel's intro - sometimes it does garner useful information for the stuff to come. But usually it's just very dreary and annoying.

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I let my mood at the time decide this one for me, so I marked "Sometimes".. I don't have a strong aversion to reading intros, nor do I read every one.

 

In a similar vein, my copy of Jane Eyre has a character list at the front, which I was so excited about when I first got the book. Then I sat down to actually read the book, and realized that the "character list" is actually a major spoiler in this book. I am NOT kidding when I say that it listed Mr. Rochester as

Jane's love interest, who secretly is harboring another wife, but finally produces a child with Jane." I mean those weren't the EXACT words, but I don't have the book with me, and that's the exact info it gave me. It TOLD me Rochester and Jane have a child together!

And this was at the FRONT OF THE BOOK! :friends0: Needless to say, after reading that description, I quickly moved past the ever-so-helpful "character list" and angrily started the book. I was tempted to tear it out, but I just couldn't do it to a book.. :lol:

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Bethany: That's so annoying! :lol:

 

Same kind of thing happened to me: When I started reading Anna Karenina I was only too glad to have the character list in the beginning of the book because I was afraid that I wouldn't learn all the Russian names without it. Boy did I change my mind about that when I learned that

there was no Kitty Levin in the beginning, but there was to be one later in the book.

After that I stopped reading intros before reading the actual novel.

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Bethany: That's so annoying! :lol:

 

Same kind of thing happened to me: When I started reading Anna Karenina I was only too glad to have the character list in the beginning of the book because I was afraid that I wouldn't learn all the Russian names without it. Boy did I change my mind about that when I learned that

there was no Kitty Levin in the beginning, but there was to be one later in the book.

After that I stopped reading intros before reading the actual novel.

 

 

I find it annoying even with trailers: I can't stand them making a sort of pr

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I love to read every one more or less, it helps me settle into the book and the atmosphere and such if that makes sense.

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Although I voted "Sometimes", it's really more of an "Occasionally"! I've just read Shakespeare's Wife by Germaine Greer and as it's an academic style book I did start with the introduction, but usually, I'd probably avoid it. I have read a few, but I often find they take enjoyment away from novels, so I don't bother.

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I always read the intro :friends0:. I feel as if I'm missing something if I don't read everything in the book. :lol:

 

I agree Charm, I always read the introduction, my only problem is with the ones that just tend to name and thank everyone involved, i tend to skim over those.

 

Another question, how many people also read all the page footnotes?

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I generally don't read the introduction unless I think it is going to be interesting or written by a person I've actually heard of!

 

Another question, how many people also read all the page footnotes?

 

It depends what sort of subject it is. If I want to know some added information I'll read it but if I don't I won't.

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