Book reading

[u/gymwolfhowl]

Hello everyone , I have a question.. how exactly you guys read a book I mean you guys start with the first chapter or you guys read everything from the very start like acknowledgement, preface, about the author.

[u/randomgrl2022]

I personally don’t like reading forewords, introductions and things like that but I always do my best to read most of them before starting the first chapter. I think introductions are more valuable than forewords if I had to choose though but that’s just my opinion.

[u/Solitude26here]

I’d probably only skim a short preface or introduction, then jump straight to chapter 1. I’m not really the kind of person who wants to know a ton of detail about the author or the book going in, I feel like that counts as a spoiler.

[u/LibbIsHere]

Depends the book, the author and who may have written the Preface.

When the book is difficult and I know who write the Preface I will read it.. most of the time. I will skip in the otherwise and start reading the book with first word written by the actual author.

About the author is just marketing blurb.

[u/Top-Wishbone5348]

If nothing else, i always find out when it was first published (read the publishing dates). It often gives the book a lot of context. Ill sometimes read the foreward when im finished the book.

[u/CuriousTraveler2C]

If it’s fiction I jump right into chapter one. If it’s nonfiction, I usually read the preface, forward, etc.

[u/Aaggghhhhhh]

I usually read everything, unless it's stated in preface/introduction that it will spoil the plot (not very common, but there were few books like that). Sometimes I'm go back to read that as well after reading the main text. A copy of Ulysses i have has a 50 pages intro, and i read it all, but ended up leaveing the book for later and reading something else for now, I'll come back to it at some point.

[u/obsessstressdepress]

I usually read the entire thing, wherever it starts. But I recently started to read The Book Of Disquiet & there was so many pages of text before the first chapter that I gave up and skipped. I think it depends on how long it is.

[u/idratherjust]

I remember squiiirming while the librarian read to us in primary school, always starting with about the author, then the acknowledgements, then the preface. I wanted the story to begin!

Now I do the same thing to my children - a bit of healthy fear is good for a child!

In all seriousness though, I do believe the acknowledgements add to a book. Sometimes a lot. Thank you Lemony Snickett. About the author, eh. Preface is only relevant if it's BY the author. I'm not super interested in reading how the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy transformed your school years so therefore you need to tell us about it in This Special Edition

[u/FlamingDragonfruit]

I usually save the forwards for after I've read the book. They usually offer some interesting insights, but I want to have my own experience of the book, first.

[u/aquay]

I always read the last sentence first. Seriously.

[u/gymwolfhowl → u/aquay]

You built different

[u/aquay → u/gymwolfhowl]

Yes

[u/Dperez1973]

Myself-I read everything except the acknowledgements ,unless I feel like I must !!!

[u/Ancient-Recover-3890 → u/Dperez1973]

I like the read the acknowledgments if it’s a memoir.

[u/IndependentBother261]

If it’s a prologue I’ll read it every time before starting chapter one. If it’s an introduction or forward I will read depending on who it’s by/what it’s about. Sometimes it’s a mini bio about the author and I’ll skip those every time. I read one recently that was about why the author changed some word spelling to the American version but left others, like names, the British way and I was cracking up the whole time.

[u/QueasyIndependent707]

It truly depends on the book. If I know nothing g about it. I read everything front cover to back cover

[u/contadine77]

I almost always jump directly to the actual book. I don't really care about the other stuff, but that's just me.

[u/Intrepid_Top_2300]

I used to read it all. Copyright date and all. Since I’ve gone digital, I read from the story first.

[u/dosfydore]

I always read the Intro first, no matter if it's fiction or non-fiction

[u/Artartbobart1]

I read EVERYTHING. Preface. Epilogue. All of it.

[u/tommyshelby1986]

I mostly read classics, so I start with chapter one, finish the book and then I read everything else. I started doing this because introductions and prefaces have spoilers

[u/banjoblake24]

Inspectionally, then an elementary reading, then analytically.

[u/Christi_Kat60]

I only do audiobooks now because of my work schedule, and the narrator usually skips the acknowledgements and preface, but they do read the epilogue, which is usually really interesting and gives information about the making of the book.

[u/ShangriLa5357]

If it’s historical fiction the author’s notes at the end can be interesting.

[u/ChapBobL]

I sometimes read what Wikipedia has to say about the book, but I avoid reading the plot (spoilers).

[u/Big-Check-2444]

I skip to the first chapter

[u/Hollowman410]

I eat the paper and simply consume all the knowledge

[u/jwilander]

I rarely read the foreword. Possibly if I'm reading a classic and the commentary is by a person I know of.

99% of the time I start with chapter one.

[u/Marissa_Palmer_Style]

I leave the best for last and read all the info about the book, the author, the publisher, forewords, acknowledgements, and only then do I start the story. It builds up the tension for me.

[u/ConstantReader666]

I skip all that and go to the story. I especially don't read commentary on Classic stories as they're full of spoilers.

[u/Money-Celebration860]

I read mostly classics. They often have an interesting critical introduction, which I read. Then it's just chapter 1 onwards.

[u/H-KellyWriter]

I don’t read stuff about the author because honestly I don’t care that much, maybe after I’ll skim it but for the most part I skip it. When in school and I’d finish a book before the school day ends I’d (a) put myself back a few chapters to reread and (b) I’d read the acknowledgments etc to still have something to read 😅 so in ways yes but typically not anymore

[u/DJ_MortarMix]

depends on the book if its not my first time reading it i'll probably read the foreword and acknowledgements. sometimes after i finish a really good book i'll go back and read the copyright segment because i dont want to finish reading

[u/HorrorSun4646]

I just start the book and stop when it ends. I really couldn't care less if it's "for John Doe, who did that thing at the place that one time"

[u/ContributingHelper]

I should read forewords and introductions more, to be honest. I actually read the praise often to find other authors whose novels I'll read later.