Comments on chapter preludes ......

[elvet]

.... or those mostly fictional poems, historical tidbits, quotes, etc. that are presented usually before a chapter. (I'm sure they have a proper name )
I hate to say it, but I usually don't pay too much attention to these intros. Having recently read Robin Hobb's books and now Erikson's, I realise that I'm actually enjoying the some of these extras.
In Hobb's Fitzchivalrey books, the added sections are made to seem like memoirs or historical accounts of what happens in the books. I really like the way they portray the 'facts' that occur in the story from another 3rd person view in an often distorted manner. They were very entertaining.
In the Malazan books, I find the quotes and accounts far more interesting than the poetry, but I'll readily admit that a lot of poetry goes over my head. I assume most of the writers that use poetry in their fiction, have also written the poems. I'm amazed at the variety and complexity of these intro verses, even as I struggle to make some sense of them .
Now that I think of it, I have to mention Tolkien too. He puts not only poems, but whole songs into his books. For some reason, I thought the art of writing poems was mutually exclusive from the art of writing fiction. Obviously, I've been proven wrong, but I guess it depends on whether the poems would be able to stand on their own without the accompanying story.
So feel free to comment on any of these intros that stand out in books you've read. Do you find they add to the story? Do you enjoy the poetry on it's own merits?

 

[j d worthington]

What you're referring to is the epigraph:

epigraph - Dictionary definition and pronunciation - Yahoo! Education

(definition 2)

The following may give you some food for thought on this subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigraph_(literature)

There are, of course, cases where a writer chooses an epigraph which deliberately doesn't set forth the theme of that particular chapter or section, often for the purpose of contrast, or to begin building the foundations for later happenings or themes in the work. Sometimes, an epigraph can add entirely new meaning to a set of circumstances set forth in the work in question, or give an added layer of associations to it. Sometimes it is used as deft foreshadowing, or to broaden the scope of what is set forth in the actual story (Lovecraft, for instance, does this with his epigraph at the opening of "The Tomb", which plays on many levels).

Cabell often used his epigraphs (which were sometimes his own invention, supposedly quoted from other sources, and sometimes genuine sources, though these could be common or obscure) to underscore the ironic tone and paradoxes of his work.

If you skip the epigraph of a piece, you are often cutting yourself off from various levels on which that piece works, sometimes quite drastically.

And, of course, there is a large difference in many cases between things cited as epigraphs, and the verse included within the body of a tale (though sometimes they serve many of the same purposes, as e.g., the verse "The Haunted Palace" which appears in Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher", which not only prefigures the disintegration of Usher's mind and the fall of the house, but adds to the levels of interpretation of the tale itself). Then again, there are those which are meant to set off a particular theme within a larger framework, as with many of the (often rather insipid in themselves) verses included in Ann Radcliffe's Gothic novels (though even here, there are one or two notable exceptions which add to the layers of possible fantastic interpretation of certain events).

So, as you can see, I strongly support the use of epigraphs, as they are often an invaluable tool for addressing, in one way or another, what the writer wishes to convey to the reader.

 

[elvet]

Thanks for the definition .

If you skip the epigraph of a piece, you are often cutting yourself off from various levels on which that piece works, sometimes quite drastically.

I guess I just wonder if anyone else sometimes struggles to make sense of them, or if you should go back and read them in light of having read the chapter.

 

[dask]

Preludes, epigraphs, introductions, I read it all. Long lists of characters and family trees don't interest me too much, but I love the use of quotes (except other authors' one sentence raves or newspaper quips, you know --- "taut, tense, sizzling drama" --- useless and boring). And don't ever skip a Harlan Ellison intro, you'll miss a lot (and eliminate about a third of the book's length!). I also scan the copyright page for any useful information.

 

[Clansman]

I also scan the copyright page for any useful information.

Oh my goodness. I didn't know that there was another one like me. I thought that was just my dirty little pedantic secret.

 

[j d worthington]

Preludes, epigraphs, introductions, I read it all. Long lists of characters and family trees don't interest me too much, but I love the use of quotes (except other authors' one sentence raves or newspaper quips, you know --- "taut, tense, sizzling drama" --- useless and boring). And don't ever skip a Harlan Ellison intro, you'll miss a lot (and eliminate about a third of the book's length!). I also scan the copyright page for any useful information.

Oh, definitely, with Ellison. His introductions, while they may get a person's back up now and again, are often rhetorical gems in themselves, and add considerably to the volume. As for scanning the copyright page....

Oh my goodness. I didn't know that there was another one like me. I thought that was just my dirty little pedantic secret.

Copyright page, acknowledgments, disclaimers, etc., etc., etc. And yes, one can quite often find very interesting bits of information there as well....

In fact, there was a brief discussion elsewhere on this very topic; I'll have to see if I can find it....

 

[Fried Egg]

I always make the effort to read the epigraphs before chapters but I must admit that I don't always see their relevence to either the upcomming chapter or the story as a whole (although that might sometimes be helped by re-reading the epigraph after I've read the chapter [or book]).

I recall particularly enjoying the epigraphs used by REH when re-reading the a Conan story a while ago (can't quite remember it's name right now though)...

 

[Siberian]

I loved epigraphs from Asprin's books, presented as made-up sayings by real people as well as made-up characters.

"The only thing more reliable than magik is one's friends!" - MacBeth

"Careful planning is the key to safe and swift travel." - Ulysses

"Only constant and conscientious practice in the Martial Arts will ensure a long and happy life." - B. Lee

"Attention to detail is the watchword for gleaning information from an unsuspecting witness." - Insp. Clouseau

"In times of crisis, it is of utmost importance not to lose one's head." - M. Antoinette

"To function efficiently, any group of people or employees must have faith in their leader." - Capt Bligh (ret.)

"Man shall never reach his full capacity while chained to the earth. We must take wing and conquer the heavens." - Icarus

"One of the joys of travel is visiting new towns and meeting new people." - G. Khan

 

[Althain's Warden]

I read everything ! It's a must ! I really enjoy in particular Janny Wurts' use of epigraph's inbetween her chapters. She always uses them to keep the reader in the loop so to speak about what is happening elsewhere in the land. Highly recommended technique imo.

 

[thepaladin]

You mean Asprin made those up????????????


"One should never be too trusting.": Bernie Madoff

 

[weirdside]

I think they're nice little tidbits of fun. Some seem a bit much, others are somewhat obtuse in their relevance, but as long as they keep them short and sweet, I'm fine with them.