Do You Read A Book Forward, Introduction, Cover Blurb And Appendices
@arthurchappell (44998)
Preston, England
March 17, 2017 4:25pm CST
When you read a book, whether fiction or non-fiction, do you read the extra elements such as the forward, dedication, introduction, postscripts, appendices, author biography, footnotes, endnotes, back cover blurb, spines, contents listings, lists of other works by the author and publishers, etc.?
I see these extras as being as much a part of the book as the body of the text itself. I am curious to see who the author dedicates the work to, notes on how it came to be written, reactions to the work by the critics, and everything else added.
Some writers deliberately add extra details exclusively in footnotes, including Robert Rankin, Terry Pratchett and Joe R Lansdale. Skip their notes and you miss vital plot elements. If the author and publishers chose to add them, I read them.
Arthur Chappell
18 people like this
23 responses
@akalinus (43209)
• United States
17 Mar 17
With some books, I find that the appendices are more interesting than the book was. I certainly read the postscripts, the introduction, the author material, pretty much everything you said. When I read books to my kids, I told them who the author was and whatever I knew about his/her life. I suggested that they could write books also but only a couple of them turned out to be readers
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
17 Mar 17
@akalinus not everyone gets the bug for reading sadly but you inspired some of them, which is great
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
18 Mar 17
@akalinus I always feel sad when I finish a great book too
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@akalinus (43209)
• United States
18 Mar 17
@arthurchappell I read every day. I go through a lot of books. Each one is an adventure and it makes me sad when each one ends.
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@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
20 Nov 17
@arthurchappell well its nice collection and something to gaze at
I'll use the local used book fair where prices are good.
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
20 Nov 17
@Bluedoll some are reference books and first editions or hardbacks - others are books I have yet to read - once I read a paperback I pas it on to other to enjoy too
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
20 Nov 17
@Bluedoll me too, I browse charity shops and book fairs a lot
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
17 Mar 17
Sometimes I have other times not so much. Partly due to the amount of time I have to do my reading. I don't know that I've ever read anyone where they explained the plot elsewhere in the book.
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
17 Mar 17
@MarshaMusselman I usually read the book first and then go to the extras later
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
20 Mar 17
@akalinus I've read of other authors and people that are familiar to others that share what they liked about the book which could include a portion of the plot, but not where the author shared aspects of the plot. That would be similar to added scenes or features in a movie which can sometimes include plot info.
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@DesirousDreamer (34776)
• Peoria, Arizona
17 Mar 17
I do! When I read a book I try to get out everything of it's worth! Even the copyrights page and reviews and such. Sometimes books have little treasures in them in these "boring" areas of the books. I know A Series of Unfortunate Events had little hidden things within the book on pages people do not go for.
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
17 Mar 17
@DesirousDreamer yes, Lemony Snicket has great fun with his spoof dedications
@DesirousDreamer (34776)
• Peoria, Arizona
17 Mar 17
@arthurchappell There was another book that I remember reading that did the same thing with the footnotes and copyright page but I haven't the foggiest remember what it was, but I thought it was the most hilarious thing.
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
17 Mar 17
@DesirousDreamer John Lodge's spoof philosophy novella, Mensange does it too
@Hannihar (130218)
• Israel
20 Nov 17
Hi Arthur, when I get a new book or buy a book I read the back to see the summary of it first to see if want to buy it or read it or not. I do not read a lot of things in it like the footnotes, appendices, but, look at the dedication and then go on to the book. I read about the author also at times.
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
20 Nov 17
@Hannihar cool, the main thing is buying / reading the book itself of course
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@Tampa_girl7 (50317)
• United States
19 Mar 17
Yes, I read everything from the front cover to the back
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@asfarasiknow (3340)
• Bournemouth, England
19 Mar 17
I tend to read all the extras unless it's a really learned work with dozens of pages quoting sources.
One of my bugbears is biographies and other non-fiction works that are published without any sort of index. On many occasions that has put me off buying the book.
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
19 Mar 17
@asfarasiknow I dislike un-indexed text books too, as well as poetry books without a title or first lines index or author biographies included
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@dramagirl26 (3259)
• Ringgold, Virginia
18 Mar 17
I agree with you about them being important elements of a book and I take the time to read them.
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@silvermist (19702)
• India
18 Mar 17
@arthurchappell Yes,I do. read them all.Out of the authors you have mentioned,I am familiar only with Terry Patchett.
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@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
17 Mar 17
Sometimes, not always, I guess I really should!
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@shivamani10 (11035)
• Hyderabad, India
18 Mar 17
I read generally Forward, and the table of contents if it has got. Most of the time I read subject oriented books which do have table of content. I search for the topics and question myself and immediately read what the author has said. If I find any answer that has been discussed I note down that one. I generally take some 2 or 3 hrs to read a book.
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@responsiveme (22926)
• India
18 Mar 17
I don't read them to start with but read them in between once I am 'inside 'the book.
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@diosabella (4789)
•
18 Mar 17
Honestly I don't. Unless its a textbook and required by the school to read.1 person likes this
