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Why does everyone in my book club skip the author's intro like it's optional?
I missed a huge plot point in 'The Goldfinch' because I skipped the intro for speed and had to go back after my buddy pointed out it sets up the whole theft motivation.
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grant.luna8d ago
My friend Jen skipped the intro in 'The Dutch House' and spent the whole book confused about why the siblings were obsessed with that house. She finally went back after I told her the intro literally explains their mom walked out and the house was the only stable thing they had. Took her two days to catch up on a five hour audiobook. She still gets mad about it every time we talk about that book.
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seth_martinez218d agoTop Commenter
Wait isn't the whole point that the house itself is so mysterious and haunting BECAUSE you don't fully know why they're obsessed until later? @grant.luna I gotta side with Jen here - that intro dump spoils the slow burn of discovering their mom left through flashbacks and subtle clues. The book works better when you piece together why that house means everything to them as the story goes along. Removing that mystery makes the whole thing feel like reading a Wikipedia summary instead of experiencing the story.
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