Just something that I find quite annoying when looking for a new book, especially when trying to pick up a classic. I don’t mind if there’s a few reviews or even an opening paragraph that talks about the novels success but please give me some idea of what its actually about.
An example: To Kill a Mockingbird. I’ve been trying to catch up on some classics and this book was not taught in my high school and surprisingly, I know very little about its plot. It’s back cover and Goodreads synopsis is nothing but praise and I don’t to ruin it by reading the Wikipedia plot.
Does this bother anyone else?
by Von_Dorton
26 Comments
[deleted]
Absolutely agree. I don’t mind a couple reviews, but dammit, tell me what the thing is about!
I’m sort of the opposite. I like a very, very high level synopsis–but I’m talking like a sentence or two. I want to know the general setup but don’t want to know *any* plot points, not even of the vague “…but [hero] finds her plans thwarted by a powerful politician” type.
Critical reviews, on the other hand, let me orient my expectations usually without giving any of the story away.
“The New York Times n. 1 bestseller!” Literally every book sold ever.
Oh, me too!
That book looks like it might be enjoying reading but looking at the cover and inside cover and inside back cover, there is nothing to tell me what the book is actually about. Just stupid bullshit praise.
At least with Amazon books and Amazon kindle books, you get to see a synopsis. (This doesn’t apply to some of the very old books that are free.)
I’ve actually been in a bookstore and looked up the book on Amazon to see what it was about.
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Yep, I also hate when the introduction completely spoils the book. It’s so common with editions of classic books that I’ve taken to reading the introduction last a lot of the time, especially if I start to skip through it and it feels too spoilery.
So many of them are like:
“And the significance of this character’s death is…”
🙁
Couldn’t agree more. When it comes to anything, classic or new book, I want to have a general idea of what I’m about to read. It’s not that I want to have a head start or ruin anything. More that it’s helpful to know if the book fits the general mood you are in at that point in your life
TL;DR:
This post is amazing. A definite should-read. If you read only one post in 2020, read this one.
“Startling.” — /u/justscottaustin
“Brave.” — /r/TwoXChromosomes
“You have been banned” — /r/politics
“He doesn’t reference tacos or traffic.” — /r/Austin
I’m much more bothered when I pick up a book and major plot points are spoiled in the jacket copy, tbh.
“RIVETING!” – Hank McDowell or something
“A heartfelt read from start to finish.” – Patricia Clements probably
And dont forget the
“New York Times #1 Best Seller”
I came across this on Amazon the other day – a Stephen King novel that I hadn’t seen before, you scroll down in the description and it pretty much just has puff reviews, and a bit about who Stephen King is – as if anybody really needs to know that! I eventually found a synopsis, in a manner that kind of defeats the original point, by finding a picture of the back cover which did actually have it, but it should really have been on the Amazon listing, too.
I don’t like going into a story blind. Same for movies, I want to get an idea of the content before I start.
As a last resort I’ll look at the page with the copyright and publisher info for subject/keywords to get at least some idea of what it’s about. Not all of them have this either, but I have found it particularly useful for older, jacketless hardbacks.
Yep.. I rely on a flip through instead.
Especially annoying when the reviews include comparisons to other books and really it has no similarities beyond genre.
Yes! Me too. Also, when the front of the book has some celebrity book club “sticker”. Especially one that cannot be removed. They are ugly, disrespectful to the cover design and are just annoying.
The way that [GENRE] is meant to be written.
Goodreads is for reviews.
Wikipedia is for biographies.
Back of the book cover is for the goddamned synopsis.
It seems pretty simple to me and I have no idea why the publishers have such a hard time trying to understand this.
As an author, this drives me nuts. It’s the worst when I’m hanging out at a booth at a convention and someone walks up and picks up one of my books, clearly intrigued but not willing to engage a salesman (which they think I am), and then they get this irritated look on their face as they check the back, then check the inside of the front cover, then put it down and walk away because come on they just want to find out what it’s about without talking to someone.
I can give you a quick spoiler free summary of to kill a mocking bird. It’s set in the south from the point of view of a child. Her dads a lawyer and it’s all about a trial and how racism in the south may or may not affect the outcome of the trial. Its really good and has some good sub plots like the famous boo radley character. I agree with those back reviews very good book.
i love [this tumblr text post](https://img.ifunny.co/images/666db2c024006605845582797e7ae95d58ccfe3dc4ae56a5a7c199ebdfe64d09_1.jpg) it perfectly encapsulates your feelings on it
>**me, begging, tears in my eyes:** please. please just tell me what the book is about. the plot. please
>
>**a book annotation on the cover, unfazed:** A Subversive Masterpiece. A Deep And Touching Story. The New York Times Bestseller. Go Fuck Yourself
Even worse, when the back of the book has acclaim for a DIFFERENT BOOK the author also wrote (see Artemis by Andy Weir)
Every recent YA book:
“Powerful”
“Riveting”
“A Must Read”
​
Uh, okay!
Ya know what I hate? When in big bold letters it says “EDITED BY GEORGE R R MARTIN” so that it’s bigger than the actual title and then in small letters it has the actual author.
EDITED BY GEORGE R R MARTIN
I don’t know if you still care, but be sure and read Mockingbird. You won’t regret it. It’s a great coming of age story but it also applies to today’s world. Don’t let it pass by. It’s my favorite of all time.
Or it’s just a black and white headshot of the author
It not only bothers from a purely practical perspective, just because the thing I most want to know is what the book is actually *about* – it actually makes me doubt the quality of the book. Fair or not, my impression is generally that if the book really was that good, they wouldn’t have to go to such lengths to tell people how good it supposedly is.