Hi! LTB time! Also, I’d just to say thank you to Rukky, Dani, and any and all other contributors that make LTB possible! It is a lot of fun to do, so thanks!
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme hosted by Rukky@EternityBooks and Dani @ Literary Lion, where we discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts.
PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES: ARE THEY NECESSARY? (SUGGESTED BY FIVES @ DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE)
Is it too much to have both a prologue and epilogue?
I don’t think so as long as they give you information you need to know. I’ve read a couple prologues, especially, that don’t give anything to the story. They are just a nice, little side-plot story that the author wanted to write. Which is all well and good except that you read it thinking it is important to the story, and it really wasn’t.
How does having one (or both) affect how readers perceive the story?
I usually perceive it to be a good thing. It means the author is thinking about the past of this character and the future. Not just the here and now. The author is getting a better understanding of the character he or she is working with.
Do you think epilogues have more value because they might tie up loose ends?
Sometimes…but, other times they just end up being disappointing because the author doesn’t tie up the ends the way I was hoping. 😉
Do prologues have more value because they can set the scene?
I guess so…if done right, that is.
Do you prefer having neither?
I really don’t care. Haha!
In reality…I really don’t care whether or not there are or aren’t prologues though. 😉 What about y’all? Which do you think is more important?
Thanks for reading, everyone! God bless!
Ciao.
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Millay's Musings 
It’s all about it being done right, I agree. And yes, when they don’t do it the way you want them to, it’s usually better for them to just have not written anything at all….
Great post!
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Yup! Thanks!
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I have the same thoughts as you about epilogues and prologues. I don’t care either way. For me, if a book is great but it has a bad prologue or epilogue, it doesn’t ruin the book for me. They are such small parts of books. Yes, if done right prologues can perfectly set the story and epilogues can perfectly conclude a story, but it doesn’t matter that much either way. If you have a great prologue but horrible rest of book, it’s not going to make the book good.
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Yeah! I mean, in the Lord of the Rings the prologue is so long it has literal chapters, but that is the only prologue that seems to stick with me. I usually forget about them either way…they just meld with the stories highs and lows. Thanks for reading, Anne!
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