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   lirazel (lirazel@federatedfandom.net)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 08:53:08 JST lirazel

   My sister just now: "Why do they have prologues in books? Why don't they just start the book when they start the book? Why don't they just end the book when they end the book? Why do they have epilogues?"

   She and I are very different people.

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     lirazel (lirazel@federatedfandom.net)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 08:53:06 JST lirazel

     in reply to

     • Soph (they/them)

     @soph_sol I love me a prologue when they're done well! Though I admit that they're frequently done poorly, which can understandably affect how people feel about them.

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     Chicken :cqlgusu: (lookitmychicken@blorbo.social)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 08:53:06 JST Chicken :cqlgusu:

     in reply to

     • Soph (they/them)

     @lirazel @soph_sol
     "Prologue: Concerning Hobbits" is a great example of a prologue done well. Lord of the Rings is supposedly a translation of an old book, so having a translator's prologue works well.

     Hmm does The Princess Bride have something similar?

     I feel like a prologue only works when there's another voice setting some context for the rest of the work. And in most fiction, that's not a great idea.

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     Soph (they/them) (soph_sol@federatedfandom.net)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 08:53:08 JST Soph (they/them)

     in reply to

     @lirazel I'm with your sister on this one!