That advice about skipping the prologue almost ruined a book for me

My book club friend Jen told me last month to always skip the prologue in thrillers. Said they give away too much. So I tried it with that new Reese Witherspoon pick, and 50 pages in I was totally lost. Missed a key murder setup from the prologue. Had to backtrack and read it anyway. Has anyone else gotten bad advice like this from a book club buddy?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.vera6d ago

yeah @cameronf88 your rule about checking page count is actually smart. I remember hearing some author on a podcast talk about how prologues are basically a test - if you can't make it work in under 5 pages you're wasting everyone's time. totally applies here. i think the whole "skip prologues" advice gets thrown around like it's a universal truth but it really depends on the reader and the book. some of my favorite thrillers had prologues that set up the whole vibe without spoiling anything. it's like people hear one booktuber say something and suddenly it's gospel. now i just skim the first few lines to see if the prologue feels like actual story or just backstory dumping.

felix_williams716d ago

Huh, I actually disagree with that advice (respectfully, Jen). Prologues can be hit or miss, but skipping them on principle means you might miss setup that makes the rest of the book click into place. For me, a well-written prologue builds tension rather than spoiling things, you know?

cameronf886d ago

Exactly. I had a book last year where I skipped the prologue because everyone says to do it, and I was totally lost for the first 50 pages. Went back and read it and realized it showed why the main character was in that town in the first place. Now I always read the first paragraph of a prologue before deciding. If it reads like a history lesson or a dream sequence, skip it. But if it drops you into a scene with action or a mystery, keep going. Most of the time that kind of setup pays off later. Also check the page count - a 2 page prologue is usually worth your time, a 20 page one is probably just the author being extra.