Ban introductions

German books often have a Nachwort - Afterword - at the end instead of a Vorwort - introduction. It sometimes helps to read it first!

Baggs

Since one can ignore introductions, there is no need to ban them. By not reading them one has effectively suppressed them for one's own purposes while still allowing others the same freedom of choice.

A good post.??
I always read them.Depending on who they were written by, they can be entertaining as well as informative and perceptive and generally helpful.

Unless it's a very short book, that's exactly what I do nort. And for the same reason. Otherwise, if I like the book , I can't stop reading it.

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*How odd Ive not met a single person who didn’t love the book !*
check out Goodreads, there are a few of us. Not many though.

Oh yes I wasn’t doubting you, just surprised !

I know this is perverse ... soon after I start a book, I read the last few pages.

It means I don’t get too caught up in the tension and I relax and enjoy it much more.

How odd Ive not met a single person who didn’t love the book !
check out Goodreads, there are a few of us. Not many though.

I wish I could commute with seagulls, soaring above the rooftops. Maybe there's a book in that....

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I always read the introduction after the book. A well written one adds to my enjoyment.
My bete noir is the list of questions for your book group to use in discussing the book. Like your about 13 years old.
I've just read On Chapel Sands with my book group. Excellent. Everyone enjoyed it, which is unusual.
Where the Crawdad Sings seems to be a very marmite book. Several friends have loved it, but I really disliked it. Young woman brings herself up in a swamp eating raw mussels and commuting with seagulls. Yet turns into a dazzling beauty. Yeh right. And the poetry - so awful.

How odd Ive not met a single person who didn’t love the book !

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COMMUNING!

Commuting was far more fun!

COMMUNING!

I always read the introduction after the book. A well written one adds to my enjoyment.
My bete noir is the list of questions for your book group to use in discussing the book. Like your about 13 years old.
I've just read On Chapel Sands with my book group. Excellent. Everyone enjoyed it, which is unusual.
Where the Crawdad Sings seems to be a very marmite book. Several friends have loved it, but I really disliked it. Young woman brings herself up in a swamp eating raw mussels and commuting with seagulls. Yet turns into a dazzling beauty. Yeh right. And the poetry - so awful.

Yes, Toscalily the reviews where people basically post a shortened version of the book are very odd. If I want to know the story, I’ll read it!

I agree too.

Like SueDonim I like just an inkling of the contents not a run down of the whole story. As for extended reviews on Amazon when buying for my kindle, these are really irritating. I sometimes get the impression that certain reviewers feel the need to be in competition with the author with such long winded, over detailed descriptions and a full cast of character analysis.

I think the blurb on the back of books can be spoilers. I like to have an inkling of what a book is about but sometimes the back cover tells you just about everything that happens!

You don’t have to read them, so why ban them?

It's the same with film trailers - they often show you far too much in advance and spoil the story for you.

Thanks holly

The book was ‘Someone at a Distance” by Dorothy Whipple.
Well defined characters, a goodie, a baddie etc.
Now to read everything she ever wrote, GW.

Always read them after I have finished the book.

Yes, I've just finished Crawdads, Lucca. Wasn't sure about it at first, but then really liked it. I have also read "The Wolf Border" by Sarah Hall which I enjoyed, and "The Dutch House" by Ann Patchett - another good book.

OP was in the wee small hours so don’t think will be awake etc yet. We shall have to wait. Meanwhile any good books you’ve read anyone (she said, hijacking the thread) ?
Where the crawdads sing “. I just read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Far worse are the TV programmes “still to come” intros

Since one can ignore introductions, there is no need to ban them. By not reading them one has effectively suppressed them for one's own purposes while still allowing others the same freedom of choice.

Lucca ??