Thread: Quotes beginning a novel

Odd question... how many quotes at the beginning of a novel. I have three I want to put, but I feel the possibility of some redundancy creeping in with that many... also, there is the question -- how much should your quotes express the idea of your work? This is more an ambiguity/obviousness issue..... do you want the quotes at the beginning of a novel to intrigue or to express the ideas that are expressed in the work?

Hmm... Thanks.....

What kind of novel is it?

Just fiction - a collection of short stories.

Shouldn't matter what kind of book it is. I've seen both non-fiction and novels with three or four quotes on the first sheet. And they can serve any purpose or none at all. And redundancy might be the purpose of the quotes, no?
This is not something there are rules about.

Originally Posted by lin

Shouldn't matter what kind of book it is. I've seen both non-fiction and novels with three or four quotes on the first sheet. And they can serve any purpose or none at all. And redundancy might be the purpose of the quotes, no?
This is not something there are rules about.

Good points. I should just go with what I feel fits to start (or, doesn't fit)

I'd definitely go with Lin's advice.

I've read a lot of novels that normally have quotes at the beginning of the chapter.

Personally I forget a quote as soon as I begin to read the chapter. If you are going to include a quote then you should use only one and it should be relevant to the theme or story that evolves in that chapter.

Unless you want to do something else. Then you should do that.