I'm not sure how you get that out of the exchange. I asked him what he thought the quote meant knowing he said he hadn't read the article. When he explained his interpretation, it wasn't anything close to the actual meaning. There's no critiquing, going on.
I don't mind quotes. I've seen them all personal quotes, old quotes, song lyrics, bible scriptures everything. But I do think you have to watch that it doesn't create too much of - what does this have to do with anything? I'm on another site and someone was putting quotes on each chapter - sassy quotes - one for the male pov and one for the female pov. Everyone laughed or liked the quotes but there was also, oddly enough, a lot of hassle over them and the author actually dropped the technique. One of the reasons was that quotes were overdone - which is odd because being a big retro reader - Quotes have been going on for a long time now, but maybe it was a quote per chapter thing. I think if it works with the story go for it.
Since I haven't read the original article, that's just how I interpret it. I don't see what the issue is here.
That's because there isn't one. I asked you what you thought it meant, you told me what you thought it meant. It's what I wanted to know. I thought you might be interested in what it actually meant but there was nothing more to it than that. I think @BayView thought there was more to it but there wasn't.
Life is short; I don't have time to read everything so I have to be selective based on what I want to read at the time. Your response "How would an opening quote be the only thing you know about a book you pick up to read?", is exactly the opposite of what I am saying, I don't know anything about the quote, it is nonsensical to me. If I am familiar with the author and like their other writings I would probably push past the quote, but if it is an unknown author to me and the jacket story brief doesn't intrigue me, then that book will most likely go back on the shelf.
I find the quote intriguing. I wouldn't need to know what it meant to have my curiosity prodded by it. But obviously not every reader would have the same reaction to the quote or the book.
