Ban introductions

What is the book? The suspense is killing me.....this thread is a real page turner!

I was wondering that too Sparklefizz!

It’s often interesting or enlightening to read them after you’ve finished the book. I don’t think I’ve ever bothered beforehand, unless perhaps it was a set book. I do tend to read very fast, though, so an introduction may highlight aspects I’d skimmed over the first time.
Among others, most (maybe all) of Barbara Pym’s have an introduction by somebody well known.
(I’ve been re reading many of hers lately.)

hollysteers What was the "marvellous book"?

like a companion book ...a book to explain the book .. along with a workbook ...and another companion book to read after completing the main body of work .. which sometimes leave you wondering if you read the same story they did!

You're right - Sometimes the blurbs and intros kind of spoil the read with almost a foreshadowing of what's to come in the story- Or the writers "voice" in the intro is significantly different than the rest of the book, as if they could be two completely different people-

Then there's the exhaustive intros .. the ones where they have to explain half the book in advance so that you can understand what they're talking about, some so darn long they could actually be a separate book altogether ..