Do you read prologues?

[Heather]

I read the prolouges a writer wouldn't write prolouges if they weren't an important part of the story.

[Freewheeling Andy]

I think I just developed a small crush on Andy.

 

Me too.

[Mac]

Me too.

:lol:

[Maggie Dana]

Hahaha oh link that guy to this thread will ya!

 

Believe me, you don't want him here. He has absolutely no sense of irony ... or humor, either. He gets ragged, mercilessly, especially by a Brit writer who hangs out there and who is bloody brilliant with words, yet he never seems to glom onto the fact he's having the Mickey taken.

[Nollaig]

I suppose, he'd probably drive me nuts, and that tends to get me banned

[Maggie Dana]

I suppose, he'd probably drive me nuts, and that tends to get me banned

 

Drive you nuts? That's pretty much guaranteed.

[Guest ii]

I suppose, he'd probably drive me nuts, and that tends to get me banned

 

You don't get banned that easily around here, you just get a group spanking. And yes, a group spanking, as I'd be right there next to you, having a field day on this guys expense.

[Mac]

Drive you nuts? That's pretty much guaranteed.

I woke up one morning after a night out on the tiles to find a steering wheel wedged down the front of my jeans. That drove me nuts...

 

Ha ha ha...don't ban me anyone...

[Charm]

Whoever it is you lot are talking about.... poor guy if he comes here! I'm a member and I'm scared!!!

 

(I'd love to see it though )

 

Personally I always read the prologue. It always gives you some sort of brief insight as to whats in store for you as you read on.

[Maggie Dana]

Not reading a prologue is a slap in the face to the author. If you pick up the book, bring it home, and plan to read it, then ignoring stuff the author's written is not only short-changing the author and his/her book, it's short-changing yourself.

 

But this hatred of prologues isn't just confined to this one guy; some agents and editors don't like them either and they insist on them being changed to 'chapter 1' which is why you don't see as many prologues (in fiction) now compared to, say, 20 to 30 years ago.

Edited April 19, 2009 by Maggie Dana

[chesilbeach]

But this hatred of prologues isn't just confined to this one guy; some agents and editors don't like them either and they insist on them being changed to 'chapter 1' which is why you don't see as many prologues (in fiction) now compared to, say, 20 to 30 years ago.

 

I'm curious to know whether they only object when the author actually calls it a prologue? I've seen some books, for example, where the prologue is simply headed with a date or a year, then when it switches to the next section of the book, it starts with another date or year, or is titled PART ONE, or something similar (sorry if I'm rambling, but I'm finding it difficult to explain!). Would editors and agents also class that as a prologue and have the same objections?

 

Either way, I always read a prologue, and it certainly doesn't bother me it there is one in a book. I'm more often bothered by an epilogue, which I sometimes think are unnecessary, but authors (or maybe even editors/agents) think are required in order to tie up loose ends they haven't managed, or haven't needed, to finish within the main body of the story, but even then, I would still always read them.

[Seiichi]

I'm curious to know whether they only object when the author actually calls it a prologue? I've seen some books, for example, where the prologue is simply headed with a date or a year, then when it switches to the next section of the book, it starts with another date or year, or is titled PART ONE, or something similar (sorry if I'm rambling, but I'm finding it difficult to explain!). Would editors and agents also class that as a prologue and have the same objections?

I've been thinking the same thing, but I suspect the same editors would probably still make the prologue Chapter 1, use the date as a subheading, and continue with the scheme for subsequent chapters.

[Maggie Dana]

I'm curious to know whether they only object when the author actually calls it a prologue?

Yes ... that's pretty much it. If the prologue can be renamed as chapter 1, that's what they often prefer. However, this doesn't always work. In Carrie Kabak's Cover the Butter, the story opens in the present (as a prologue) then jumps back 30 years to when the character is a teen. The story moves forward with her until it meets the scene that was the prologue, then it fleshes out that scene and continues the story for another year or two.

 

And it works, beautifully. If the editor had insisted on the prologue being renamed chapter 1, it would've looked awkward and possibly caused confusion, even though the dates/years are plainly stated at the start of each chapter.

 

As for epilogues, sometimes they're a bit of overkill, as if the author's telling us stuff that he/she was worried we couldn't have figured out on our own; on the other hand, sometimes we need just a bit more information and an epilogue, which takes more of a 'tell' rather than a 'show' stance, is the way to handle it.

 

I have no idea if agents/editors are biased against epilogues.

[Maggie Dana]

A couple of days ago I started a thread called 'Do you read prologues?' that sparked a lively discussion. I just logged onto a blog I read now and then and found a link to this one:

 

http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2009/03/prologues.html

 

If anyone's interested in a literary agent's opinion on prologues, here it is. This agent, based in California, works for Curtis Brown, one of the biggies.

Edited April 20, 2009 by Michelle
threads merged - same subject :)

[Glowmay]

I think prologues are rather important. I once read an Alex Rider book which I could not understand a word of until I went back to the prologue and found out that his father killed a giant spider (or something of the sort) that was on Yassen's face...

 

Never skipped one since.

[Maggie Dana]

I think prologues are rather important. I once read an Alex Rider book which I could not understand a word of until I went back to the prologue and found out that his father killed a giant spider (or something of the sort) that was on Yassen's face...

Sheesh, I'd have been glad to have skipped that prologue given the spider. I'm beyond phobic about them. Can't even look at pictures of them, and I had to call in a neighbor last year to rescue me from a wolf spider trapped in my sink. The wretched thing was big enough to rattle spoons.

[Nollaig]

I've had wolf spider families living in my house

[Rawr]

WTH x_x

[Nollaig]

Tom you're such a girl.

 

Don't worry, I'll protect you.

[Rawr]

I just have issues with spiders, i lived in a pub for ten years i should be used to them really. What has this got to do with prologues? I think prologues are an integral part of a story, why else would one include it?

[MissWhitlock]

Prologues are important of course. They make me wanna read the book. It's stupid how one doesn't read them just because it's called a prologue. That's just weird.

[BrainFreeze]

Not really sure why anyone would not read something based purely on what it's called. Each to their own though eh?

 

Personally I always read prologues - in the same way I always read epilogues. I'd feel like I've not properly read the whole book if I missed either out.

[Chrissy]

Not really sure why anyone would not read something based purely on what it's called.

That's where I'm baffled.

 

I will read whatever forms a part of the story.

[Maggie Dana]

... I always read prologues - in the same way I always read epilogues. I'd feel like I've not properly read the whole book if I missed either out.

 

Perfectly and succinctly put.

[NiceguyEddie]

I haven't read the whole thread, so maybe someone else mentioned this, but could he have meant "foreword" rather than "prologue"?