No introduction...

I'm currently starting to read F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby; what's putting me off is the long introduction to the book; it's an essay. Naturally, because I've not read the book before; the introduction refers to themes and characters that I've got no idea about; and I'm forced to read someone else's opinion before I can make up my own. So why call it the Introduction? Surely An Academic's View would be so much better...