Do you read introductions and prefaces to books? Especially if they aren't written by the author?
go straight to the work. some may be written out of appreciation or the work, or for the benefit of the layman, but anyone serious about absorbing the information presented should 1 have already done prior background familiarization and 2 expose themselves to the work without a third party opinion or interpretation
yeah I love to read dave eggers saying some wack bullshit about the arcade fire or whatever