Forewords and other bits and pieces. Love them or hate them????
2 August 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Forewords, Glossaries, Maps, The Classics Club
This week’s meme from the Classics Club:
‘Do you read forewords/notes that precede many classics? Does it help you or hurt you in your enjoyment/understanding of the work?’
Basically, yes, I have done so, however as the norm I don’t tend to read them. I’m usually a bit too excited to read the book to read all the forewords, etc. I do tend to read more if it comes after the book. Which probably sounds a little odd. But, if an author writes a piece at the conclusion of the story about motivation, research, ideas, etc, I usually read that and enjoy it. Also, I think it depends on how I feel about the book. Sometimes a book can lead me into all sorts of research because it’s piqued my interest. It also depends on the length of the piece – I’m sure that one of the books I read recently had about 50 pages as a foreword! For goodness sake – 50 pages – it’s almost a short book in itself! I think the foreword can be useful to be honest but my impatience usually gets the better of me although I confess I’m more likely to read it on a reread when I’m more chilled out.
This question gets me to thinking of similar issues. For example. Do you love maps in books. Sometimes I pay attention to them. But less so if I’m reading on Kindle (it just isn’t convenient). What about glossaries – I never tend to use them, in fact, to be honest I usually don’t find them until after I’ve finished reading by which time it’s too late! (I don’t think I’m coming off too well in this piece! so far)
What about illustrations??? I actually like illustrations in a book. I have some old Dicken’s books and they have really lovely pictures. Plus, books like The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente and Poison by Sarah Pinborough – which are beautiful books in their own right. Lovely cover, well illustrated and great to read. I think that the reason I like them is that they’re there on the page as I’m reading – probably, if the map was inserted as needs be I would study it more and similarly with glossaries (maybe added as a footnote instead). It’s just all this constant flipping backwards and forwards in the book is distracting and also a little bit annoying.
What about you – do you read all the glossaries/appendices and other bits and pieces. I wonder if I should be more thorough but frankly I’m usually all to caught up with moving onto the next book!
I’ve decided I’m a very bad book person! *must read all additional reading material*
Books and travelling with Lynn 
I love illustrations in books, maps, and forwards (and afterwards for that matter). However, I no longer read forwards in classics until AFTER finishing the book. I was ruined on the experience by learning about the murderer in Murders in the Rue Morgue when I read it a few years ago. I was not happy, to say the least. I can’t believe that supposedly educated people (those who write the forwards for classics) think it is okay to reveal the entirety of the book in the forward. Very annoying,
You’re absolutely spot on and it’s something I meant to mention and forgot. Forewords in classics do tend to have spoilers. I think that when I reread Frankenstein I read the foreword and I’m sure it was the same. I must go and check. I don’t understand why they do that – it’s almost like they write a discussion piece but surely that should come at the back of the book then?
Lynn 😀
Possibly the idea is that knowing the summary (if you didn’t already) allows you to go into the book more appreciative of whatever they consider to be the reader it’s a classic worthy of a scholarly introduction? That’s how some of the forewords I’ve read/had to read came across anyhow and, anyway, it still doesn’t change that they’re sometimes (if not usually) best left until last if you’re looking to discover a story on your own.
It does kind of make you wonder why they put the foreword at the start though doesn’t it! Although, I suppose, there’s an argument that if you already know the story and are rereading by looking at the foreward will provoke a certain train of thought during the read? I’d still prefer the discussion at the end of the story.
Lynn 😀
This a million times over. Most forewards in classics assume that you’re familiar with the story already, and there are often blatant spoilers. I learned that one the hard way too.
I’ve definitely experienced the same thing but it’s interesting seeing so many people say the same thing. How many young students pick up these books and read the forewords and they’re full of spoilers?? I do think they should at least make it a little bit more plain, or, to be honest, put these discussions at the back of the book. Part of me can see that they’re trying to give you things to think about whilst reading but part of me thinks you could think of those things after!
Lynn 😀
Ooooh. I love illustrations and maps and forewords and glossaries. Actually, I love glossaries most, even though, like you, I tend to read them after I finish the story. I’m not a strong visual person, so while I do love maps and illustrations I don’t dwell on them very much. They’re just there, being pretty and let me study things a bit only to promptly forget them again. (And I wouldn’t want to see a glossary given as footnotes myself, so I think it’s a personal thing for people. To me footnotes are distracting, because it messes up how I read the page. It wouldn’t be so bad with an ereader where the footnote could show up in a little pop-up window for me to open or close as I wanted/was interested, though. Hmmm. Actually, I like that idea a lot…)
Forewords, though… I tend to read those either before or after the actual book. It depends on my mood, the reason I’m reading the text in the first place, how I feel about the book, and how interesting the foreword sounds in the first couple of paragraphs. If it’s a book I’m reading to study it, I will read the foreword first, and possibly a summary. That way I can focus on the text more effectively the first time around rather than having to reread it because I was too caught up in the story to pay attention to it. If the foreword is short, I’ll also definitely read it first. It only takes up a little time, after all.
I quite like maps but like you said I do forget them once I’ve looked so short of keep flipping backwards and forwards I tend not to look at them again (except on the odd occasion where I’m trying to get an idea of scale of travel. Illustrations are easy because they’re usually on the page as you read so they don’t take you away from the story.
Lynn 😀
Exactly! And I’ve always felt that, being illustrations, they should add something to the story too and they normally do. ^-^ (Even things that are mainly stylistic can tie to the story.)
It’s like reading a fairy tale retelling and it maybe as vines and leaves round the edges for example – it just all adds to setting the tone somehow. I mean, I realise they’re not really necessary but I do like that extra attention to detail.
Lynn 😀
Forewards are better left til afterwards! Glossaries, appendices etc. are not something I usually go for myself (the exception was Tolkien for which I locked myself away in my bedroom for a week as a 13 year-old). But I use them in my own books, well knowing that others find pleasure in them. I find them a useful way to add information about how the environment, society, names or whatever without having to spend story-time on it.
I think that they’re all really useful in their own way. I’m just usually to eager. i agree with Carl in that forewords in classics usually tend to have massive spoilers in them which is just wrong. If you want a discussion then really it should come at the end shouldn’t it – at which point you’ve read the novel and have a little knowledge after all. Tolkien is the master of additional information! I read LoTR when I was 15 and so consequently it holds one of those very dear and secure places in my heart and memory!
Lynn 😀
Like you I am usually too excited about getting into the book to read the forwards. Prologues yes and I like maps and illustrations as they can better help me get a “grip” on the story in some cases. Especially if they take place in Europe. I found you from the Classics Club and thought I would drop in. Nice place you have here!
Thank you for dropping in. I’m really enjoying the Classics Club – although I’m not keeping up with my list as well as I should at the moment – I still think I have time to redeem myself though! I like maps but I’m useless at retaining the information – I need one of those photographic memories. I find most of the helpful useful information that you receive really great after I’ve finished reading! Plus, I find the Kindle doesn’t help in that respect because it’s not as convenient as just flipping about. I confess – I love looking at maps.
Lynn 😀
I rarely read forewards – or shamefully, even chapter headings! I do read the Epilogues though.
haha, not even reading chapter headings – you are putting me to shame! LOL. I like epilogues – they come at the end. Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes I can’t be bothered with them, and, in fact, I’m probably more likely to read if I really enjoyed the book – but, really, I’d sooner have an epilogue!
Lynn 😀
I am not a fan of forewords or notes to be honest. I do love maps though 🙂
I love maps even though I’m so bad at retaining the information – not even just with fantasy books but the real thing!
Lynn”D
Most of the time, I like to go into a book cold – so if the foreword is more than 1 page I am unlikely to read it prior to reading the actual story. If I am reading historical fictions, I like to learn afterwards what was fact and what was fiction. I don’t often use glossaries. I figure if the context of the paragraph can’t give me the basic idea of a word then the author was lazy. Orbit often does bonus extras at the end of their books and these often are interviews with the author – which I love.
Some of the classic books have very lengthy forewords and I think that’s probably put me off – plus potential spoilers! I never use glossaries – like you say I want to understand from the context instead of keep flipping backwards and forwards.
Lynn 😀
I love illustrations when I am reading non-fiction; for that matter I love photos of events or scenes. As for introductions/forwards they help me get a better understanding of the book
It’s great that you read all this. It does make me feel bad that I just usually sweep by it all but I’m always to eager to start the read! Perhaps I should learn more patience.
Lynn 😀
I don’t really read forewords either, most times I do start with them, but after a few pages I’ve already had enough of it (and most times they turn out to consist of 50 pages indeed), so I start reading the actual book – the thing that I’d been looking forward to start reading. I always do think that if I’d read the book for a second time I’d give the foreword another chance (though, this hasn’t happened yet).
Then again just like you, I do read afterwords most of the time, because when I’ve finished a good book, I am willing to know more about it and about the writer – suddenly it all becomes very interesting.
I never use glossaries, never occurs to me while I’m reading a book that I could check them. I do flip back and forth to maps though, I love those. Placing the characters in those maps helps me to really, actually live in that world, it helps the imagination to produce better images of the book’s reality. At least, it does so with me. And the same is with images, I’m quite fond of additions like that, sometimes it gives you a better idea of what the author had in mind when writing the book..
I also like maps. And I’m much more inclined to read something after the story than before. Just too much of an eager beaver!
Lynn 😀
I don’t read forwards before reading the book. IF i enjoyed the book i will go back and read the forward, because i will be more interested. But initially, i just want to read the book. I don’t want to spoil it (either by blatant spoilers or by an impression of the book given to me by the forward that leaves me feeling negative/apprehensive in any way).
I’m currently reading The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft which has an Introduction, Suggestions for Further Reading and A Note of the Text all before the stories, and over 60 pages of Explanatory Notes afterwards. I’ve read only a couple of the explanatory notes (which act as footnotes, with a reference number, but all at the end of the book–too much flipping!) and they are really not that important and do not add anything to the story. I don’t really care if Lovecraft had a cat called by that name when he was a boy. How is that explaining anything about the story?
Maps i like. I am a very visual person and do picture things in my head. Maps help with that, and i will flip to any relevant maps at any time, so i can clearly imagine where things are happening in my mind.
Illustrations i’m ambivalent on. They can be nice, yes, but they’re not necessary. As i said, i’m a visual person, but i do it in my head. If an illustration doesn’t match with what i’ve imagined, i won’t like it.
You make a good point about illustrations. I like them, but like you I also like to have a picture of something in my mind so if the illustration isn’t as I imagined then it’s a bit disappointing. I like maps also, depends though on how they’re done. I’m reading a book at the moment called the Grim Company and the map at the front is very helpful. I also really liked the map in Prince of Thorns.
Lynn 😀