Prologue

Lorraine, Nathaniel Hawthorne is a fantastic author. The Scarlet Letter is brilliant. I have a leather-bound copy, like many of my favourite books. I loved Hester Prynne and her inquisitive daughter, Pearl.

I have to admit that I was hasty in my judgement of prologues in contemporary novels. Joanne Harris has a prologue and a epilogue in Coastliners. Eva Ibbotson, another of my favourite authors has used prologues, likewise, Rosemary Sutcliff.

I was thinking self-interestedly about prologues, because my novel is action adventure with a strong chivalric theme.

I'm still not a fan of prologues, but they do work in contemporary novels - when skilfully written.

I studied it at uni decades ago, Adrian!

It was written 166 years ago.

Lorraine, I'm not saying that skilfully written prologues don't add to the beggining of a novel.

I simply believe that would-be authors should avoid writing them. I haven't seen a single prologue in books that I have read by acclaimed, best-selling comtemporary novelists.

Though I confess to admiring the introduction to, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, but that was wriiten decades ago.