Do You Skip Reading the Prologues?

There is a debate between readers on whether to start reading with the prologue or to just skip it and go to Chapter One. Writers also mull over whether to begin their books with a Prologue, or simply call it Chapter One.

I finished reading Ron Rash's new Appalachain novel, The Cove which kicks off with a Prologue. (He also uses italics in the Prologue, a different blog topic.) But Mr. Rash has a definite purpose in mind when he includes his Prologue. He uses it to show a jump in time on what's happened to the cove, the novel's setting. So, the Prologue covers a scene occurring in the future from the main narrative.

My current work-in-progress opens with the section that serves to introduce the bad guy to the reader. The section is told in 3rd POV while the remainder of the novel is narrated by the protagonist through 1st POV. The sudden shift from 3rd POV to 1st POV feels rather abrupt. Therefore I feel as if the opening section works best if it's set off and called a Prologue. I only came to realize this late in my rounds of revisions.

So, my take on Prologues is if I have a need for one, then I'm going to use it. But as a general rule, I tend to shy away from Prologues.

By Ed Lynskey
Twitter: @edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles
"Nice addition to anyone’s summer beach reading schedule."
Florida Times-Union