# Your thoughts on having a prologue and epilogue for a novel **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-on-having-a-prologue-and-epilogue-for-a-novel/778319 "2017-01-27T16:48:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-on-having-a-prologue-and-epilogue-for-a-novel/778319/21 "2017-01-27T23:32:11Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > In my opinion, most novels would be improved if they just deleted the first and last chapters. :eek: “Reader, I married him” is the last chapter. I’m not sure why it’s not an epilogue but it spans ten years of recap! I wouldn’t not want to miss any of that wonderful chapter. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-on-having-a-prologue-and-epilogue-for-a-novel/778319/22 "2017-01-28T00:10:43Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > :eek: “Reader, I married him” is the last chapter. I’m not sure why it’s not an epilogue but it spans ten years of recap! I wouldn’t not want to miss any of that wonderful chapter. Ah, _Jane Eyre_! Loved that book. One author who I think ALWAYS has a prologue is the thriller writer Clive Cussler. In his books it’s usually a good thing, as the prologue is set sometimes hundreds or thousands of years before the main action of the novel. Said action is, most of the time, finding an artifact(s) from the prologue, or solving a mystery set up in it. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-on-having-a-prologue-and-epilogue-for-a-novel/778319/23 "2017-01-28T00:18:37Z")
As a person who has read many thousands of novels, I will say this: When I see a prologue my heart sinks a little and I am disinclined to read on, or to buy the thing in the first place. There is a place for prologues, but they’re way overused IMHO. Epilogues are for people who haven’t properly wrapped it up by the ending. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-on-having-a-prologue-and-epilogue-for-a-novel/778319/24 "2017-01-28T03:37:30Z")
I have no problem with prologues and epilogues. If I happen to not like a prologue it’s most likely because I don’t like the writing in general. Every epilogue I’ve read has been fine, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t have got that far. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-on-having-a-prologue-and-epilogue-for-a-novel/778319/25 "2017-01-28T05:26:59Z")
The only thing I don’t like about prologues are infodumps. I don’t want a whole bunch of names and facts that aren’t going to make sense until I’m halfway through the book proper. Personally I would write it without the prologue, then add it afterward if it still seemed necessary. Epilogues are fine. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-on-having-a-prologue-and-epilogue-for-a-novel/778319/26 "2017-01-28T05:49:46Z")
I like 'em. I think of prologues as like the opening action scene in James Bond films. It’s a way of getting action going, boom, right now, without explanations needed. Just, wham, guy jumps out of the bushes with a gun, what’cha’gonna’do! Epilogues are nice too. They wrap things up and put a bow on top. ETA: I also like “extras” after the end, such as short stories with the same characters. Dessert! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-on-having-a-prologue-and-epilogue-for-a-novel/778319.md?page=1)