Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I guess the reason is that scholarly editions, such as the "Penguin Classics" series, tend to be read by people who are already familiar with the plot, hence the concept of "spoilers" doesn't really apply. The introduction in such editions is telling you the things you should be looking out for as you read, so it is something you want to read before the actual book.
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I tend to agree with this perspective. As one of my professors used to say, plot is generally the *least* interesting aspect of fiction. ;-) Having important themes or other motifs, character insights, or other elements pointed to or hinted at beforehand can often actually *enhance* your reading of the story, and can even give you new avenues to explore that otherwise you might not have even thought about. Putting the work in a historical or intertextual perspective is also sometimes useful. So intros can often be useful guides to the book, imho.