Do you read the introduction?
Always.
Always at the end.
>If would be
only for stuff i know i'm too stupid for
ie; philosophy + ulysses
I skim them before reading
Also, 10/10 pic
>>7378754
Never if it's not from the author. Rarely if it's from the author. Sometimes if it's from an author I like.
Prefaces are all completely unnecessary. All the time, all ways.
Afterwards are just as, if not more, pointless. These are for lesser minds.
No because it often contains spoilers
>>7378861
The Preface from the Phenomenology of Spirit is pretty important.
>>7378876
>Phenomenology of spirit
>important
>>7378754
Always for non-fiction
>>7378852
This.
If it's a short "here's what you're getting into," or "here's some context to help you" thing, then I'll read it. If it's a 90 page long academic essay I don't want to read that shit.
>>7378879
The preface is important for people studying the book, you can't deny that.
>>7378754
so is the fb page whose name we all know host by some /lit/izen?
>>7378861
I would've taken you seriously if not for the last sentence.
>>7378754
Only it its not completly shit.
So many introductions come of as fan letters to the author of the book, even worse some of them talk about the readers "experiance" or state of mind, somethimes even before theyve read the book.
I DONT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE READER YOU TIT.
>>7378754
I always read the introductions as soon as i get the book, unless i get a feeling the person who wrote it is an idiot(but usually that doesnt happen).
It gets me hyped for the book and i usually dont start reading the book untill a few days after, unless the introduction is so good i cant wait.
Read the introduction of the illiade translated by pope. Its proble one of the best introductions ive read.
>>7378861
> These are for lesser minds.
>>7378852
This...
>>7378862
...and this.
>>7380167
You managed to put all the most disgusting people in the world into one picture, with no exception.
Quite impressing indeed.
>>7381992
Who is Victor Jara? Can you elucidate on how he was one of the most disgusting people in the world?
No. They're usually written by fans, translators, or editors/publishers, or anyone who knew/knows the author well enough to write a short, concise analysis of the author and their works. Usually not worth reading if you just want to read the book. However, I do read intros on more non-fiction texts because it usually gives a lot of insight into the time in which it was written, which helps with comprehension of the text itself.
Read them before starting the book. I don't treat literature as if it is a crime show on tv, spoilers don't bother me. Why should i care if Leopold Bloom goes to the brothel or beats it to a crippled chick on the beach, that's not really the thing that matters in the book
I started reading tha trial recently, it came with an introduction by a translator. He tells the story of how the trial was an unfinished book, and kafka specifically asked for it not to be published (amongst other works.) Further into it he starts shitting on other translators for not getting some sentences right. I didn't read the whole thing, but it did provide some useful information about how the book came to, I like that.
>>7378754
no, but only because sometimes they ruin the book. i can't remember specifically atm but i've read some that should not have been allowed at the beginning of the book.
>>7381995
>marxist/leftist chad
>useful idiot
>not disgusting
>>>/reddit/
luckily he got properly rekt by Pinochet
>>7378852
This
I always intend to read it at the end but invariably I forget.
sometimes i rip out introductions to books that i think are stupid
>>7378754
I skimmed some in the introduction to Stoner, but I could quickly see that it was literally spoiling half the book, so I stopped.
After that I just started skipping intros, and sometimes reading them after I'm done with the book.
>>7378754
>that feel when someone steals your meme and creates OC
Feels good
