What do you like to know before starting a book?

[asp3]

I don't recall coming across a similar thread in my review of the older threads. Please point me to an existing thread if you know of one and we can junk this one.

I'm wondering how much you like to know about a book before starting it.

For fiction I like to know as little as possible about the book other than possibly knowing it's gotten various awards or is critically acclaimed. I like to be surprised by the story and don't want to hear or see any sort of synopsis before I start it. I like the story to unfold without any knowledge of where it's going. Of course this isn't always possible because I do sometimes learn about books from people or reviews.

Of course this only works for the first book in a series because one already knows what's happened prior to the next book in the series (even if it's a prequel). However I still don't want to hear any sort of synopsis about the book before starting it.

For non-fiction I do want to know what the books about because I want to know if I'm interested in it.

 

[J-Sun]

Yeah, for non-fiction, basically everything reasonably possible. Even for fiction, though, while I don't want the ending or any key twists given away and don't want to be misled by anything, I want to know as much as possible aside from that. Too much to read and too little time to be anywhere near random about it.

Once I've gotten into a TV show, though, I'm like you are with each episode and all those stupid "stay tuned for scenes from next week's episode" bits and all the commercials they run because they almost invariably are misleading and I'm going to watch the show anyway. The ones where they spoil the episode the second before you're going to watch it are particularly annoying. I avoid all those like the plague. So I think I get what you're saying.

 

[AllanR]

For fiction --First thing I want to know Is it a stand alone or part of a series?
Authors name helps (ie have I read this person's works before) though mostly that's when deciding tween a few books.

 

[paranoid marvin]

The cover (shallow I know), the foreward, the author and the name.

If it's a book by an author I'm not familiar with, I read the first couple of paragraphs. This tends to give a good idea as to whether the style of writing appeals.

 

[asp3]

The cover (shallow I know), the foreward, the author and the name.

If it's a book by an author I'm not familiar with, I read the first couple of paragraphs. This tends to give a good idea as to whether the style of writing appeals.

I also read the first page or three of the book to see if I think it will interest me but hopefully that will be all of the book I see before deciding to read it.

 

[Betok_Haney]

I am with you asp3, I don't like to know much about a fictional story I am about to read, other than its genre. I dont read the back or inside cover, I want to explore and discover on my own. Expanding this to movies, the same applies. I avoid trailers as much as possible.

Nonfiction - yes, I will investigate everything I wont check for fiction. I want to know what I am investing in.

If it is an author I love, Ill just pick up something from them and go for it without reservation.

 

[JunkMonkey]

I love knowing nothing. But rarely get to achieve it. That's why I think the old Penguin covers of the 30s and 40s were the best bit of book design ever:

Title, author, and that's about it. Not even a clue as to the genre.

 

[hitmouse]

I love knowing nothing. But rarely get to achieve it. That's why I think the old Penguin covers of the 30s and 40s were the best bit of book design ever:

Title, author, and that's about it. Not even a clue as to the genre.

I have to admit I am bit of a fetishist for those old Penguins and compulsively buy them if I see one in a second hand book shop or charity store. I find it curious that these lovely objects from the 30s & 40s are still quite common and dead cheap.

 

[nixie]

For unknown authors, I'll read the blurb, reviews also work for me.
Awards and being critically acclaimed I don't pay much attention to. I've been burned before, the book is supposed to be magnificent but leaves me scratching my head. Being more based on what is currently in vogue, not really well written and leave me wondering if they've actually read it.

 

[JunkMonkey]

I have to admit I am bit of a fetishist for those old Penguins and compulsively buy them if I see one in a second hand book shop or charity store. I find it curious that these lovely objects from the 30s & 40s are still quite common and dead cheap.

Sadly not as common as they used to be - I currently have 600 odd pre ISBN Penguins in my collection - and they originally came with a dust wrapper of the same design.

 

[Astro Pen]

No series
I look for unique voices rather than plots. I eschew space opera (described by a former girlfriend as 'spandex and rockets stuff'* ) in search of more poetic inner space works, philosophical perhaps. Blish (Midsummer Century) and early Ballard for example.

*Though I confess I did write one as a stylistic counterpoint exercise to my first novel and am not unhappy with it.

 

[tinkerdan]

I like to have a long sample to read.
That way I can decide if I want to continue to read based on how long it took to hook me--if it hooks me at all.
If it grabs my attention I'll read most anything...unless they want 15 US dollars for the e-book. I draw the line at 10 US dollars and that has to be a known author. Otherwise I usually buy the paper-book or hardbound. (But that's more than you wanted to know.)

 

[Guttersnipe]

Just the first few sentences of the blurb, usually. Maybe one review.

 

[hitmouse]

Is it in English?

 

[pathfindersam]

I do like to at least know a general plotline of the novel, but I definitely keep as far away from information about major events as possible. I don't want to be spoiled, but I also don't want to be lost. Have had that happen more than a few times haha

 

[Rodders]

I've never really needed to know anything about a book outside of the cover blurb. Sometimes even the cover is enough for me to buy a books. Of course, these days I tend to get recommendations from other members of this forum. If I fancy a book, I'll read it.

 

[JunkMonkey]

Is it in English?

...and are all the pages there?

I'm not being (that) facetious - a lot of the books I read are very second hand and sometimes in mid-disintegration as I read them.

 

[Mon0Zer0]

For fiction --First thing I want to know Is it a stand alone or part of a series?
Authors name helps (ie have I read this person's works before) though mostly that's when deciding tween a few books.

Do you prefer stand alone or series books?

 

[elvet]

For fiction --First thing I want to know Is it a stand alone or part of a series?
Authors name helps (ie have I read this person's works before) though mostly that's when deciding tween a few books.

Same here. If it is a series, is it finished or still being written. For finished series, finding older books is getting harder. (I don't like to read digital copies). For unfinished series, there are other issues. Will it get finished? Will I remember anything about the story by the time the rest is available? Will I remember to buy the next books before they are out of print? (cannot find a copy of R. Scott Bakker's The Great Ordeal anywhere).

 

[tinkerdan]

I've had that with a new book...

..and are all the pages there?

I'm not being (that) facetious - a lot of the books I read are very second hand and sometimes in mid-disintegration as I read them.

It was a long time ago back in the late 60s.
The book had over 800 pages; however it went from 1 to 400 or so and then back tracked to page 200(repeating two hundred pages)and counted out to 600 something; which meant that it was around 200 pages shy of an ending.