This Week's Topic
Bookish Pet Peeves - Synopses
Today, I want to talk about something I have a love/hate relationship with - synopses. I rely on a book summary to describe what the book is about. This helps me decide if I will or will not read a book. I, however, have a few pet peeves regarding synopses.
- Spoilers - I understand that spoilers are subjective, but I have read quite a few where I feel like a major plot point was reveals. I am not sure what the motivation was, but had I read the synopsis right before I read the book, I would have been really frustrated. Luckily, most books fester on my shelf, and I forget what they are about before I start reading.
- Too Long - When I think of a summary, I imagine one or two paragraphs that give me the gist of what the story is about. I am always mystified by those that are super long. It's almost as if the author didn't understand what their own book was about, and that translates to me not really understanding what the book is about. It should be boiled down to its essence, and we would get all those other details should we read the book.
- Too Short - I know, I am never happy. But seriously, I have read summaries that were so short, they said nothing. I guess they were just checking that box, but nothing was really accomplished.
- First Person - I feel like romance readers will come for me regarding this one because this format is popular in that genre, but I abhor those synopses that are told from one of the characters' points of view. For example:
It was a rainy night.
I made this up, but it's really similar to something I have encountered and completely useless. Maybe the author wants us to understand the mood? The character? But, that's not what I am looking for in a synopses. I could read an excerpt for that. I want a book summary to help me, on a high level, what the book is about.
I saw her.
She saw me, but what next?
Am I alone, or does anyone else have any feelings about synopses? What are your expectations? Do you read them prior to picking up a book?
Now it's your turn!
What's your bookish pet peeve?
Let us know in the comments!
Let us know in the comments!
lol. I don't mind a first person synopsis. The only time it drives me nuts is when I'm looking back at a book to try to remember the characters names.
ReplyDeleteYes! They never have the characters names. Useless to me.
DeleteIf the synopsis is a little intriguing, I just read a few reviews to see if it sounds good.
ReplyDeleteI read reviews when I am on the fence. I am always scared I will read a spoiler in reviews, so I try to stay away until after I read the book
DeleteI like synopses because they help me decide if I want to read the book or not. I don't like long ones, though.
ReplyDeleteI think they play a vital role in my decisioning for new authors and books I don't know much about. That's why it is so important to me that they actually tell me something about the story without revealing the whole story
DeleteOkay so as you know, I kind of hate synopses? I mean- I get why they are necessary, but for me personally, it's like once I add a thing to my TBR, I never want to see the synopsis again! And the reason for that is, your number one, spoilers. SO many times I have been spoiled by a synopsis! And then the whole reading experience seems underwhelming. I also think that I am just kind of chaotic and do better not knowing too much heh.
ReplyDeleteI will read them if I need to know more before I add to my TBR, and I read them when I write my review. I usually feel that if something is in the synopsis, it is fair game to mention in the review UNLESS I felt it was a spoiler (for me). Sometimes it is great going in blind. I will do that for authors I know and love, but I need more convincing to try new authors
DeleteAlthough I do read and enjoy a lot of romance, I agree about the first-person synopses. I feel like they never really give you a good idea of what the book is about. I guess it kind of goes with the spoiler one, but I don't like when a synopsis gives me one impression about what a book is going to be about and then I get something completely different. Maybe they're trying to retain some mystery about the book, but I don't generally want to be that surprised.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point. Having one character "narrate" the synopsis does definitely result in a singular impression. I never quite understood the end goal on that, but you could be right about the "mystic" and mystery, but I really want to know what the book is about to some extent
DeleteHaha, I can relate (except maybe to N°1, in the sense that I don't often come across spoilery synopses? but of course they're evil 😂). Long ones are probably the most
ReplyDeleteawful to me. Not to brag, but more often than not, I find that my own mini blurbs for my mini reviews say much more in far less words...
I agree that you have a gift with summarizing books. Believe me, I understand how difficult it can be which I have experienced when writing my reviews, but the authors should be able to boil it down for a book they wrote.
DeleteThanks! I assume it's not the authors who write summaries...probably someone at the pub house...
DeleteI remember one author mentioning how hard it is. I do think they write them. Maybe some do?
DeleteConfession: I rarely read the synopsis! I go with my friends recommendations and go in blind most of the time!
ReplyDeleteI always read for new-to-me authors. I need to know something about the book
DeleteOooh, yes to all of these! I am with you. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love total agreement. LOL!
DeleteI don't like when the synopsis tells the whole plot of the book. I seen it with self-publish books. Like the author is unsure how much to revel about their book's plot.
ReplyDeleteThere is almost no reason to read the book with some synopses I have read. Totally agree with you.
DeleteHands down, my biggest pet peeve is when a synopsis starts with "for fans of x book and y book" because it's such transparent marketing and has nothing to do with similar writing styles or pacing or whatever.
ReplyDeleteWho doesn't want to leverage a fanbase? It wouldn't be so bad, if they were right. I find the comps are either very good or very bad. I just read a book that they compared to Gilmore Girls. I adored that show (even have the DVDs), but I could not find any shades of GG in that book (though the book was good).
Delete